Sealless Magnetic Drive Pumps for Renewable Energy Applications
Sustainable solutions are a must for today’s marketplace. As manufacturers, suppliers and energy experts work to create a greener future, they need products that deliver reliability and flexibility. Finish Thompson’s comprehensive line of industrial chemical pumps are ideal for these diverse renewable energy applications. These pumps combine durability and versatility to provide essential components for a full range of sustainable energy applications.
Typical Applications
- Pumping bio-diesel and ethanol
- Sulfuric acid, HCL, caustic additives during processing
- Tanker loading
- Fume scrubbers for solar panel manufacturing
- Liquid electrolyte for flow batteries
- Pumping enzymes, sodium hydroxide, acids and other corrosive fluids used in the manufacture of fuel-grade ethanol
- Biodiesel production catalyst and the acid wash materials
- Coolant for fuel cells
Which Series are Applicable?
Pump Details
DB Series, SP Series
Magnetically coupled, sealless centrifugal pumps. Finish Thompson DB Series and SP Series pumps are designed from the ground up to pump corrosive chemicals.
Features
- No mechanical seal – Powerful rare earth magnetic drive system eliminates the troublesome mechanical seal.
- Corrosion resistant – Engineered for the most aggressive liquids, manufactured from polypropylene or PVDF.
- Run dry ability – Makes them less prone to operator error or system upset.
- Self-priming option – SP Series pumps can lift fluid from as deep as 25 feet (7.6 meters) below the pump or can pull liquid out of the top of a tank eliminating through-the-sidewall bulkhead fittings.
UC Series
Engineered for extreme reliability in the most extreme chemical processing applications, Finish Thompson’s ULTRAChem® pumps are magnetically driven, ANSI dimensional pumps. They are constructed from tough ductile iron with ETFE lining for superior corrosion resistance.
Features
- Sealless design – Powerful neodymium magnets drive the impeller through a carbon-filled ETFE lined barrier for dependable, leak-free operation
- Fully supported shaft and self-aligning dual bushings – designed for optimum alignment to prevent premature wear
- Complete encapsulation of inner drive magnets in ETFE – for ultimate corrosion protection.
- Low running loads and component stress – for maximum reliability
FTI Air – Air Operated Double Diaphragm Pumps
Powered by compressed air, FTI Air pumps can run dry, handle solids and abrasives, pump viscous and shear-sensitive fluids and are easy to install and operate. They offer excellent chemical resistance with corrosive/hazardous chemicals and can be used for numerous applications including loading and unloading tankers, totes and barrels; for batching/dosing chemicals or as portable utility pumps.
Features
- Simple, durable design – Fewer parts improves reliability and maintenance.
- Non-stalling air valve – Simple, rugged, reliable design.
- Variable flow and pressure – Easy adjustment makes it easy to meet application requirements.
- Ease of operation & maintenance – Fewer parts make FTI Air pumps easy to install, operate and maintain.
A Case in Point
Finish Thompson Sealless Magnetic Drive Pumps Deliver Key Resources for Renewable Energy Applications
11 million. That’s the number of people employed in renewable energy worldwide as of 2018. 11 trillion. That’s the number of dollars that will be invested in zero-carbon technologies worldwide over the next 30 years.
These statistics from Renewable Energy World emphasize an important trend toward renewable energy sources. As the demands for electricity and mobility continue to grow, businesses, municipalities and nations are looking to sustainable solutions for the future.
The Right Components for the Right Solutions
Well before 2050, the costs of solar and wind resources are expected to fall below coal and gas costs, and, by 2050, Europe is expected to be nearly fossil fuel-free.
This global shift toward renewable resources is only possible with a reliable infrastructure, including wind turbines, solar panels and other systems. Finish Thompson pumps play a vital role in maintaining system integrity in a variety of sustainable applications.
Wind Turbines
The wind industry currently employs 1.2 million people worldwide. Roughly a tenth of those jobs are in the U.S., where utility-scale wind power is installed in 41 states.
Wind turbines are the main vehicle involved in this process. Due to their size, location and the sheer number of turbines, it’s essential that the maintenance on these machines is kept to a minimum. Finish Thompson, designer and manufacturer of sealless magnetic drive pumps for harsh-duty applications, is the perfect partner for this renewable energy source.
Pete Scantlebury, VP of Development for Finish Thompson, notes, “We found that when mechanically sealed pumps are used in wind turbine systems, system reliability suffers because those pumps frequently leak coolant. When this happens, someone has to travel to the site and replace the seal or the pump, costing much in labor, parts and lost energy production. Because many turbines are in remote locations, the travel required to reach the sites further increases the cost of repairs and the downtime.”
Finish Thompson manufactures an effective solution to make wind turbines more reliable and efficient. Their sealless magnetic drive pumps eliminate the use of a mechanical seal. Once installed, these centrifugal chemical pumps can continue to run for years without any maintenance or concern for leaks.
Solar Panels
Solar power is one of the most reliable renewable energy sources available. It accounts for 33% of the renewable energy workflow worldwide.
However, this source is only practical if the right tools are available to harness it. The manufacture of solar cells requires reliable fume scrubbers to neutralize the chemicals used in the process and then safely vent them. To operate, these scrubbers require heavy-duty pumps.
“If a pump quits due to a seal failure or other malfunction, the fume scrubber stops, and the solar cell manufacturing tool shuts down to prevent the toxic chemicals from being released untreated,” explains Scantlebury. “This results in extremely costly downtime while the pump is being repaired or replaced.”
To prevent this occurrence, many of these scrubbers use Finish Thompson sealless magnetic drive pumps. Their outstanding corrosion resistance and proven mag-drive reliability make them ideal for this application.
Flow Batteries
“Flow batteries help solve the problem of what to do with excess power that is generated by renewable sources,” notes Scantlebury. “They store electrical charge in tanks of liquid electrolyte that is pumped through electrodes to extract the electrons; the spent electrolyte returns to the tank.”
Scantlebury further explains, “Some of the materials are very corrosive, and most are carrying an electrical charge. This makes metal pumps generally not suitable for use in this application.”
Finish Thompson has been supplying pumps for flow batteries for more than twenty years. Several characteristics make Finish Thompson centrifugal chemical pumps the best choice for this application:
- • Outstanding chemical resistance
- • Non-conductive materials
- • Wide range of pump models to fit
different size batteries - • Mag drive technology that eliminates
mechanical seals - • Proven reliability
Ethanol
Ethanol is used to oxygenate gasoline. This allows the fuel to burn more completely, producing cleaner emissions.
In the United States, corn is a commonly used in the production of ethanol. Other biomass materials are also being used or evaluated to produce ethanol including corn stalks, sugar cane and even specialized algae. The production of this resource requires the pumping of a variety of harsh materials.
“Finish Thompson sealless magnetic drive pumps are used to pump enzymes, sodium hydroxide, acids and other corrosive fluids used in the manufacture of fuel-grade ethanol,” reports Scantlebury. “This is another renewable resource application where these proven workhorse pumps can handle the harsh materials and conditions involved in the process.”
Biodiesel
Biodiesel came into use as part of the 2005 Congressionally mandated Renewable Fuel Standard program. This fuel is used in place of standard petroleum-based diesel fuel and is manufactured from oils, such as soybean, and fats, such as chicken fat, that come from renewable sources.
During the manufacturing process, a catalyst is added to the fat or oil. But because the catalyst has a high pH, the resulting biodiesel must be washed with a water/acid mixture to neutralize it.
“Both the catalyst and the acid wash materials are extremely corrosive, so biodiesel applications require pumps that can withstand these conditions,” Scantlebury notes. “Finish Thompson sealless magnetic drive pumps are ideal.”
Sustainable Solutions, Cleaner Environment
Energy savings. Eco-friendly choices. Renewable solutions. As businesses are looking to make smart, clean choices for the future, Finish Thompson supports those choices with tough-duty, corrosion-resistant pumps designed to offer longevity and efficiency for clean-energy systems.
Scantlebury reports, “As a leader in innovative mag-drive pump solutions, Finish Thompson is proud to partner with our customers to provide dependable products for a sustainable future.”
