David Hughes, ABB UK’s Managing Director looks at the powertrain technologies currently available to the water industry and asks if their potential is being fully realised. Finding ways to deliver innovation in the UK water industry has long been a bone of contention betweenOfwat and the water companies. With innovation very much a keystone of … Continue reading →
Cavitation is generally bad news for dairy producers, and its effects can have a severely negative impact on the performance and lifetime of pump systems. ABB’s Andrew Bould looks at how variable speed drives (VSD) can be used to combat it. The dairy industry relies heavily on pumps to transport raw and processed product from … Continue reading →
David Hughes, Managing Director for ABB in the UK, reflects on the past, present and future of the ubiquitous variable speed drive as new generation of engineers are increasingly becoming aware of its advantages. The Past The variable speed drive (VSD) is now over 50 years old. Its purpose in life, from then to now, … Continue reading →
Sludge Density Pump Control or Reactive Pump Control (RPC) Introduction Sludge is created when a liquid containing solids is settled. Typically, this can be in PSTs (Primary Settling Tanks) or Humus Tanks in sewage treatment works. Alternatively, it can occur in mineral processing plant in clarifiers. The pumps that take the sludge from the bottom … Continue reading →
As the water industry moves towards AMP 7 (asset management plan), among the key challenges facing the sector is ensuring maximum uptime of the installed base of pumps and their motors and drives. ABB‘s Clayton Mead, UK Water Manager – Drives, offers some advice. Whereas previously pumps, motors or drives had a back up that … Continue reading →
Our engineers are used to visiting large industrial plants, remote water treatment sites as well as mines and quarries. Whilst the scenery en-route to these premises can be breathtaking, it made a welcome change for us to visit the picturesque seaside town of Weymouth. SEA LIFE Weymouth is set across a 7 acre Park with … Continue reading →
Clayton Mead, UK Water Manager – Drives, ABB Limited, writes: As we move towards AMP 7, among the key challenges facing the water industry remains one of asset health: how to ensure that the installed base of pumps and their motors and drives never let you down. Whereas previously pumps, motors or drives had a … Continue reading →
In this article we review how the use of inverters can reduce the mechanical stresses on pipework leading to premature failures and bursts. Inverters control the speed of pumps and in these applications, centrifugal pumps, which allow the control of pressure. The pump affinity laws state that the pressure generated by a centrifugal pump is … Continue reading →
ABB Area Sales Manager, Stuart Ruskin takes a look at pump inverters and the specifically designed ABB inverter for the water industry, the ACQ580. What is a pump inverter? Put simply, it is an inverter that is controlling a pump’s motor. There are several reasons why you might want to use an inverter on your … Continue reading →
Haven’t the last few months been rather surreal? I am guessing your company, like ours, are busy putting in new measures to keep staff and customers as safe as possible. In an effort kick start returning to a form of normality and to enable us to continue to add value to our customers, we are … Continue reading →
