Brewers improve effectiveness with new pump

Netzsch Nemo Pumps have helped brewers Hall and Woodhouse to improve their processing effectiveness by adapting one of their progressing cavity pumps to pump filter material Kieselguhr

Netzsch Nemo Pumps have helped Dorset-based brewers Hall and Woodhouse to significantly improve their processing effectiveness by adapting one of their progressing cavity pumps to pump Kieselguhr - a filter material used in the brewing, food and pharmaceutical industries.

Kieselguhr is supplied in powder form and had been mixed on site by Hall and Woodhouse in an open vessel in their production area.

However, the company wanted to move the process away from the production area and, at the same time, take the opportunity to improve the effectiveness of the process.

An important aspect of the change involved investigating alternative mixing methods.

The eventual solution required the Kieselguhr to be mixed in a separate room and pumped into a closed vessel in the production area.

Hall and Woodhouse also wanted to feed the pump with the dry powder and mix it with water within the pump body to reduce dust.

A progressing cavity pump was specified for the process and three leading manufacturers were asked to submit proposals to meet the pumping requirements.

Says a Hall and Woodhouse spokesman: "Two of the manufacturers did not believe that the process could work using a progressing cavity pump.

Fortunately, Netzsch Nemo were able to provide a solution using a specially adapted version of their NS40A pump." The standard NS40A has a capacity of 2,200kg/hr at 160rpm.

For this application the pump body is drilled to accept two water inlets immediately before the stator inlet and Hall and Woodhouse fit an extended hopper equipped with two air knives.

The new process mixes four 40kg bags of Kieselguhr per hour at a ratio of 1:10 with water.

The flow rate is 1,760kg/hr at 1.4 bar.

The bags are split inside the hopper and the powder dropped into the pump whilst it is stationary.

The air knives prevent the powder from bridging over the pump screw.

As pumping begins the solenoid-controlled water lines open simultaneously.

Both pump and water are stopped automatically when the correct volume of water has been added.

Commenting on the project Netzsch Nemo UK managing director Roger Willis says they are delighted that their wide experience and ability to adapt standard pumps, has helped to provide such a significant processing improvement for Hall and Woodhouse.

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