Thermoplastics pumps supplier Vanton Pump & Equipment Corporation has launched a new weatherable solar-powered chemical dosing system that features a non- metallic, peristaltic pump for the corrosion-free transfer of caustic and acidic treatment chemicals from an integral thermoplastic storage tank to water and wastewater containment facilities in remote locations.
The pump, Flex-I-Liner model 12, uses a rotor mounted on an eccentric shaft to push fluid trapped between a flexible elastomer liner and a solid plastic body block. The self-priming design means that there are no seals to leak, or valves to clog, and the pump can run dry without damage.
The rigid body block is moulded from solid polypropy- lene, ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene or polytetrafluoro- ethylene, while the flexible liner, made from natural rubber, is moulded from neoprene, Hypalon, Viton or Nordel, eliminating corrosion associated with pumps constructed from stain-less steel and high alloys. This also prevents wicking and delamination associated with fibreglass and plastic-lined metals, says the company.
The pump is suitable for flows of up to 7,6 ℓ/min and pressures of up to 1,72 bar at temperatures of up to 85 °C. It is designed to meter a fixed volume of liquid over user-programmed time intervals. A throttling valve on the suction line to the pump allows for flow rate adjustment.
A 0,04 kW photovoltaic solar panel charges a 12 V direct current (dc) deep cell battery that can power the pump’s 0,12 kW dc motor on a single charge for three hours continuously. The battery can also be charged cumulatively over several days of intermittent operation, during which the pump is started and stopped manually, or automatically, according to user-programmed dosing schedules.
The system’s base plate and 76 ℓ tank constructed of solid polypropylene, polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride are also inert to water and wastewater treatment chemicals. The controls are housed in the US-based National Electrical Manufacturers Asso- ciation type four weatherproof fibre-glass enclosure.
An optional manifold with nozzles is available to spray treatment chemicals, such as alum, ferric chloride, hydrofluosilicic acid, polymer, sodium hydroxide, sodium hypochlorite or sulphuric acid over a desired area for control of odour, insects or algae in water treatment facilities, recreational areas, farms, deserts and other remote sites.
The 102 kg self-contained system is 813 mm long, 610 mm deep and 381 mm high and is available mounted on castors. Other solar-powered feeding systems equipped with larger Flex-I-Liner pumps and larger solar panels handle flows of up to 38 ℓ/min.
The company also manu-factures standalone peristaltic pumps, as well as horizontal centrifugal thermoplastic pumps, vertical centrifugal thermoplastic sump pumps, and integrated nonmetallic tank/pump systems with flows of up to 330 m3/h at heads of up to 122 m.
Vanton chemical pumps are distributed locally by Johannesburg-based pumps supplier Mather + Platt.