Energy and CO2 savings through non-metallic containment shells in magnetically coupled pumps

"Klaus Union is one of the world's leading suppliers of pumps and valves for the industrial sector. Our products make a decisive contribution to the constant operational readiness and safety of plants, as well as to the protection of people and the environment. Containment shells from Kyocera are an integral part of our modular system of magnetically coupled centrifugal pumps.

Almost 30 years ago, we were looking for a material that would extend the application range of our magnetic drive pumps. At that time, metal containment shells were used, which were always prone to losses due to their electrical conductivity and the eddy currents they induced. In addition, the range of applications was limited due to the heat input into the pumped media. We found what we were looking for in containment shells made of technical ceramics from Kyocera. The material is characterised by its broad chemical resistance, high wear resistance to abrasive wear and high electrical resistance. Eddy current losses, which on the one hand lead to heating of the medium in the containment shell and on the other hand reduce energy efficiency, could thus be eliminated.

Against the backdrop of rising energy costs, the power consumption of electric drives is increasingly coming into focus. The containment shell technology offers a simple and effective way to improve the energy efficiency of sealless pumps and save CO2 without having to invest a lot of time and money in modernising the installed electric motors. The use of the ceramic containment shell eliminates eddy current losses and thus reduces the required shaft power. This means that smaller electric motors can be installed and the power consumption can be reduced by 10-15 %.

Magnetically coupled centrifugal pumps with ceramic containment shells already offer advantages for the majority of applications. With higher pressure ratings and dimensions, we want to expand the range of applications for our sealless pumps in the future and open up new markets for us. The tasks and challenges ahead must be tackled together with Kyocera in order to optimise ceramic containment shells technology to meet the new requirements."

Ralf Schienhammer, Sales Director Pumps & Projects at Klaus Union