PUMPS, VALVES & ACTUATORS CONSISTENT & CONTROLLED
Certa Sine pumps from Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG) have replaced rotary lobe pumps at the family-owned Hofmann brewery in Germany, eliminating gassing issues and boosting pump efficiency
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n the brewing process at the Hofmann Brewery, once fermentation is complete, the yeast is recovered (or harvested) for re-use. However, much of this yeast settles at the bottom of the fermentation tank where it can set into compacted bulk, so pumps with high suction capabilities are required to draw the solid yeast from the tank.
Gassing-off issues
Yeast naturally forms bubbles during fermentation and can cause gassing-off (gas locking) issues for the pumps used to harvest it. Gas locking had serious and
ongoing effects for the lobe pumps at the brewery, including a reduction in flow rate. This effect was particularly noticeable due to the need for long suction lines between multiple yeast tanks and the pump station. To overcome these challenges, Hofmann invited WMFTG to assess the application and make its recommendations. Several stipulations were involved, including the requirement to handle various yeast viscosities, the need for self-priming, and no gas locking. With these thoughts in mind, Hofmann was advised to adopt a MasoSine Certa 200 series pump.
High suction/high flow
Certa offers both high suction capability and high flow. This performance level is consistent even with different yeast strains/viscosities and pipework runs. In fact, even compacted yeast is easily drawn from the fermentation vessel.
Certa pumping technology is virtually pulse-free, providing consistent flows despite varying product and system conditions, thus facilitating controlled yeast transfer. Due to
SITES SWITCH FROM PNEUMATIC TO ELECTRIC
Rotork IQ and IQT actuators are to be fitted on several water treatment plants in New Zealand. The Matamata (home of Hobbiton in the Lord of the Rings movies) Piako District Council, of New Zealand’s North Island, have chosen to upgrade multiple sites from pneumatic to electric actuators. The flow control of three large water treatment sites in Morrinsville, Matamata and Te Aroha, as well as smaller sites in Te Poi, Hinuera and Te Huna, will be upgraded when existing pneumatic actuators are replaced with actuators from Rotork’s IQ range. Rotork will supply these with stainless steel pedestals where required. The Matamata Piako District Council wanted to upgrade to the benefits of electric actuators because
of concerns with the previous set-up; the old actuators had continual problems with sticking. This was caused primarily because of the damp, chlorinated atmosphere in which they were operating. This caused degradation to the aluminium actuator body. The sites are also operated remotely, so engineer safety when dealing with any breakdowns was a prime concern. The supplied IQ actuators provide control of filters, as well as the chemical dosing and storage of potable water. The use of electric actuators will reduce the Matamata Piako District Council’s energy bill, as they will no longer have to power compressors to provide an air supply to the pneumatic actuators. Over 100 actuators across the IQ range were ordered,
including IQT and IQS variants. These actuators provide an innovative electric flow control solution, with an intuitive user interface (HMI), absolute position sensor, water ingress protection and detailed data logging. Since installation of the Rotork actuators, operators
at the Morrinsville site have reported the actuators are simple to use, have reduced operating noise and provide additional process and valve diagnostics via the HMI. Rotork
www.rotork.com
the continuous and smooth pumping action, the pump draws the yeast from the bottom of the tank and avoids any turbulence that would cause the beer to mix with the settled yeast. This clarity enables the brewmaster to recognise immediately when the yeast removal process is complete and can stop the pump before losing beer.
Low shear pumping
A further advantage of Certa technology is low- shear pumping. The presence of high shear can lead to poor quality beer, as well as high yeast usage and costs – issues avoided with the use of Certa pumps.
It was a combination of these factors that prompted Hofmann to install Certa 200 pumps, which duly led to successful and continuous yeast harvesting. The brewmaster has since stated that ease of maintenance by the brewery’s personnel, and rapid CIP cleaning, are added advantages. Here, the simplicity of the Certa pumps reduces CIP cycles and the amount of water and cleaning agents required.
Watson Marlow Fluid Technology Group
www.wmftg.com
10 APRIL 2021 | PROCESS & CONTROL
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