Process Optimisation in the Evaporation Plant by Replacing the Centrifugal Pump

The company where she is employed is a widely recognised manufacturer of special materials in the field of zeolites, special aluminas, silicates and boehmites. It comprises 14 production plants. The problem will be outlined below: both pumps will be compared and it will be shown which one is more cost-effective to maintain over the course of a year.

Problem

The company where she is employed is a widely recognised manufacturer of special materials in the field of zeolites, special aluminas, silicates and boehmites. It comprises 14 production plants. For her diploma thesis, she chose the issue in the Evaporation Plant.

During the work itself, they had to be careful as they were handling sodium hydroxide (NaOH), also known as caustic soda. Sodium hydroxide is highly alkaline and can cause dangerous burns, so they used mandatory protective equipment to protect their health and entire body. In the plant, it is necessary to emphasise the importance of protective equipment – workers must first ensure their own safety and the safety of other employees, and only then can they proceed with the work. The employer's obligation is to equip workers with all necessary protective work equipment and to remind them to use it.

The diploma thesis will list the types of maintenance and readers will learn what type of maintenance is carried out at Silkem. Because in the past workers manually regulated the water flow by opening and closing valves, they have now decided to optimise the company and have this work performed by a pump. This has made the work easier for operators in the Evaporation Plant, as opening and closing valves took up a lot of their time and they were not sufficiently productive in their actual work.

The company decided on a newer pump with the option of connecting to a frequency converter and flow meter. The previous centrifugal pump did not have this option, consumed much more electricity and consequently this was reflected in the monthly electricity costs.

Solution and Method

The problem will be outlined below: both pumps will be compared and it will be shown which one is more cost-effective to maintain over the course of a year. A calculation of electricity consumption will be presented and the difference in using the old and new pump will be shown. The company Silkem will then be described, which can boast many years of successful operation.

Readers will learn what the company does, how it was established and what generates the main profit. At the end of the diploma thesis, the focus will be on designing the base plate for mounting and dismounting the centrifugal pump on the foundations in the evaporation plant. The material will be shown which is suitable for this type of production and economy, or rather which withstands such corrosion, as whenever we select material or machinery, we must bear in mind that we are working in production which is subject to various corrosions, and it can quickly happen that the material does not withstand the corrosion that occurs.

This causes faster replacement of machinery, which is also reflected in the company's profit and loss.