The developmental objective for the diaphragm metering pump was ambitious: the result is a solution for medium-sized requirements on a ‘smaller’ investment budget. A flexible and very integration capable pump that meets Lewa’s strict quality demands – and still at an attractive price. The successful market introduction of the ecosmart over a year ago shows that the requirements and the results obviously match.
To cover a wide range of applications, in parallel with the high-quality components – the stainless steel pump head (316L, alloy 20), the PTFE sandwich diaphragm, diaphragm monitoring and the diaphragm protection system (DPS) – four sizes up to 300l/hr were developed.
Typical applications include:
- Various metering duties in refineries
- Water treatment in power plants
- Metering of additives in industrial water processing
- pH adjustment
- Dosing of solvents in the chemical industry
- Feeding of corrosion inhibitors
- Dosing of colorants and flavors in the food industry
- Additive metering in the plastic industry
- Injection of chemicals in the oil and gas industry
Now a new option with a PVC pump head has been added to the line. That means the ecosmart can even be used in applications that require good resistance against highly aggressive chemicals – including industrial water treatment systems, for example when sodium hypochloride is in use. The PVC pump head can be used at pressures up to 12 bar (stainless steel: up to 80 bar) and at temperatures of up to 60°C (stainless steel: up to 120°C).
Regardless of the implementation of the pump head, the metering quantity in all ecosmart metering pumps can either be adjusted manually using handwheel on the gear box (manual stroke adjustment, changing the stroke length of the piston), electrically with an electric stroke actuator or by speed control of the drive motor using a VFD.
"Every user who wants to integrate an ecosmart into a process using a DCS can either use the electric stroke adjustment with the servo drive or use a frequency-controlled motor," explains product manager Thomas Bökenbrink.
"The result is the same either way. The ecosmart is adjusted precisely to the metering quantity currently needed – the linear relation between the stroke length and the motor speed to the flow rate makes the pump control particularly easy. Using these control types, the ecosmart also meets the highest requirements with respect to energy-efficient machine selection."
Stroke actuators and VFDs have the I/O interfaces needed for connection to a DCS. ATEX designs for installation in hazardous areas are available as option.
The ecosmart diaphragm metering pump is now available with pump heads of 316L stainless steel, alloy 20, and PVC. With its compact dimensions – no other metering pump in this performance range has a more compact design – and the option of automation by integration into a process control system, the ecosmart also meets the expectations of many operators for a sustainable carbon and energy footprint.