Efficient Pumps for Maritime Applications on Ships and in Ports

Thanks to their special design, NEMO^® progressing cavity pumps can also cope with liquid media which contain solids, which means they are frequently used on passenger and container ships to convey wastewater. The pumps are based on a rotor that turns in an oscillating motion within a fixed stator that is geometrically adapted to it. The precise geometrical mating forms conveying chambers during rotation which transport the medium smoothly from the inlet to the discharge side. Because the chambers are self-sealing, this not only prevents backflow, but also ensures that the conveyed product is transported at stable volume and pressure, so that no shear forces and hardly any pulsation occur. With this displacement technology, the consistency, and especially the viscosity, of the product are insignificant in terms of the product flow. This is why the NEMO^® pumps, which have a capacity of up to 400 m³/h, are not only used for wastewater, but also for pumping products, including oil residues and sludge, on oil tankers and cargo ships and even mixtures of oil, gas and sand on offshore platforms. In the process, the quantity transported is determined solely by the speed and can therefore be continuously and very precisely controlled with a metering accuracy of three to five percent. This enables the quantity required in each case to be metered directly from the supply line or the barrel. The progressing cavity pumps are also suitable for stripping and cleaning oil tanks on wharves.

In addition, a grinder which grinds and separates hard and heavy particles, can also be used for wastewater. It is installed in the wastewater circuit upstream from the pumps and thus prevents clogging or blocking due to solid contents, because it is even capable of chopping up fibre entanglements. The grinder also prevents the blocking of pipelines and further downstream equipment, and is used on passenger ships in particular.

When space is limited, especially on ships, another type of pump, the TORNADO^®rotary lobe pump, is ideal for the maritime sector, as it has a particularly compact design, while at the same time ensuring a high flow rate. The displacement element in these pumps consists of two rotary lobes that rotate in opposite directions, thus transporting the products smoothly but continuously. The delivery rate is also independent of the viscosity of the product with this version. The TORNADO^® T2 type pumps in particular are specifically designed for the demands of use on the high seas: they not only take into account the limited space available on board, but also reduce expenditure on spare part stock and maintenance. Instead of a complex and bulky timing gear, the aggregate has an oil-free synchronized gear with belt drive which reduces the weight of the pump by at least 30 percent and ensures a very small installation depth. In addition, the whole mechanism is less susceptible to faults, which means the range of spare parts can be kept very low.