Chopper pumps
A chopper pump is a centifugal pump, which is equipped with a cutting system to facilitate chopping/masceration of solids that are present in the pumped liquid. The main advantage of this type of pump is that it prevents clogging of the pump itself and of the adjacent piping, as all the solids and stringy materials are macerated by the chopping system. Chopper pumps are available in various configurations, including submersible and dry-installed design and they are equipped with an electric motor to run the impeller and to provide torque for the chopping system.
Working principle
The chopper pump is operated by an electric motor, which is close-coupled to pump shaft and turns the impeller and the hardened steel knife system. An open impeller design is used to successfully pass the mascerated solids or thick slurry. A system of mechanical seals are used to prevent the fluid being pumped from entering the motor and causing a short circuit. The pump can either be connected to a pipe, flexible hose or lowered down guide rails or wires so that the pump sits on a coupling foot (aka base elbow), thereby connecting it to the discharge pipe.
History
The chopper pump was originally invented in 1950 by the Danish company Landia. The innovative pump manufacturer, Christian Oellgaard, developed a pump with a special knife system to meet the need for macerating and pumping manure in agricultural applications. Manure with high solids content, containing straw and sawdust, would clog up other types of pumps, causing unstable operation in an environment which required high reliability. As the need for the pumping of difficult media expanded to other industries, so did the use of the chopper pump in both dry and submersible applications and in many types of industries, including meat, paper and food processing, as well as the automobile industry, biogas, chemical plants, municipal wastewater and prison lift stations. The chopper pump became, because of its durability and high quality, a large success and formed the basis of Landia's further development of products and know-how. Today, thousands of chopper pumps are operating Worldwide to provide reliable non-clog pump operation.
Applications
Examples of applications where chopper pumps are commonly applied:
- Scum pumping at wastewater treatment plants
- Sewage wet wells and lift stations
- Sludge pumping at biogas facilities
- Septage receiving stations
- Waste processing at slaughterhouses, poultry abatoires, fish processing plants, etc.
- Paper mills / pumping of pulp