KSB, one of the world's most experienced supplier of pumps and pump parts, solves the problem of cooling wastewater pumps with a closed-loop, jacket-cooling system for its Amarex KRT. The elegantly engineered solution provides a cleaner, more reliable alternative to sewage cooled systems for various applications including wastewater, sludge and stormwater transport.

"All motors produce heat when they run, and they must have a way to get rid of that heat — even wastewater pumps," says Azir Khan, northeast regional manager. “Many common pumps employ an open-loop cooling system that allows the liquid they are pumping to circulate around the motor, thus using the pumped fluid as a coolant.”

That is a simple solution, says Khan. However, in environments where the pumped fluid is contaminated by debris such as sewage, the jacket eventually becomes clogged, requiring maintenance crews to frequently shut down the pump and dismantle it to remove the accumulated material.

"The sewage or other material in the open-loop cooling system eventually creates a coating on the motor surface that actually acts like a blanket, insulating the motor and interfering with heat transfer," Khan says. "The motor overheats and shuts down — typically in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve."

Protect the cooling system, protect the pump
Of course, an unscheduled pump shutdown is never a laughing matter, so KSB offers a practical alternative. The cooling liquid inside the Amarex KRT jacket is an environmentally safe propylene glycol/water mix. The 38/62 antifreeze mixture lets the closed-loop cooling system protect the pump in temperatures as low as -4 degrees F. An impeller inside the closed-loop system circulates the propylene glycol/water mixture so it constantly flows around the motor, gathering heat, and then over a heat exchanger, which dissipates the heat into the pumped liquid via the heat exchanger.

The system is completely sealed against the pumped media as well as the air-filled motor housing. Designed for continuous duty in a completely dry or fully submerged condition, the KRT design greatly simplifies maintenance for pump technicians. Crews need to inspect the coolant only every 8,000 hours or two years, and replace the coolant every five years to ensure ongoing, reliable performance.

All pumps should be this easy
"KSB's factory mutual-certified design is about a decade ahead of competing designs and has been proving its worth in the global market for over 10 years," Khan says.

The KRT can be installed in various configurations to accommodate the requirements of any wastewater application.

In addition, as with all KSB pumps, the KRT features precision manufacturing to ensure easy maintenance. Monitoring sensors are teleservice-enabled to permit remote monitoring, and the completely sealed cable entry points provide safe operation, even if a cable is damaged or cut below the water level.

KSB provides municipal wastewater management solutions that make pumping applications easier.

About KSB
KSB began operations in the U.S. and Canadian markets in 1974 and has specialized in highly engineered pump products for industrial and utility power plant services, environmental applications, and water and wastewater processing. KSB's more than 140 years of experience in centrifugal pump development and design ensure that KSB pumps incorporate quality features that provide efficient performance and the highest level of safety. KSB, Inc. is ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001, and OHSAS 18001 certified. See www.ksbusa.com for more information.