A major wastewater treatment project in the Vaal Triangle has become the first recipient in South Africa of the new energy efficient IE3 compliant DRN motors from SEW-Eurodrive.
The initial order is for ten complete units, with gearboxes and motors (six 45 kW motors and four 55 kW motors), comments head of projects, Rudi Swanepoel. These specific units will be used for aerator applications.
Customised solution required
“With aerator and mixing applications, our projects and engineering teams have to double check all of the loads and bending moments,” explains Swanepoel. “These loads are supplied to us by the client, based on their designs and we then have to ensure that the gearboxes that have been selected are suited to the application at hand.
“Our calculation program has been designed specifically to determine if the gearbox selection is adequate, based on the loads and bending moments. This is particularly important when it comes to aerators and mixers. Thus, these are not off the shelf products, but have been selected specifically for the system in question.”
SEW-Eurodrive also had to comply with stringent specifications in terms of these motors, due to the arduous conditions on-site in the wastewater treatment plant. These included the addition of auxiliary instrumentation such as PT100s (to measure temperature) and thermistors (a cut-out failsafe when the motor temperature reaches a set high point). Other additional accessories included strip heaters for colder conditions, and rain canopies.
Swanepoel reveals that, following this initial order, the company has received a follow up for another major wastewater treatment in the Eastern Cape. “These two orders in quick succession represent a foothold for us in this industry, which is definitely picking up in terms of business.”
Energy efficiency and lower TCO
SEW-Eurodrive now offers its energy-efficient DRN motor series as standard across its entire product range. “The main benefit for our customers is that it reduces the total cost of ownership over the long term, which means the payback period is quicker, and consequently the return on investment is that much higher.”
European regulations introduced at the beginning of 2016 meant that all two, four and six-pole asynchronous motors with power ratings of 7,5 kW to 375 kW have to meet the requirements of energy-efficiency class IE3 in the European Union (EU). In 2017, IE3 is now mandatory for all asynchronous motors with a power rating of 0,75 kW to 375 kW.
“We have always remained at the forefront of new technological and regulatory developments, and keeping the South African industry up to date is important to us and to our customers. The first successful order of these latest motors for the wastewater treatment industry is testament to this approach,” concludes Swanepoel.
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