Displaying items by tag: landia

When Pittards, the leading leather goods producer, moved part of its manufacturing process from Leeds to Yeovil, they made very sure that its long-serving wastewater pumps went with them.

Founded back in 1826* as glove makers, Pittards transferred its dependable long-shaft chopper pumps (made by Landia), even though they were already 15 years old.

“Keeping hold of the Landia pumps was a must”, said Pittards’ Engineering Manager, Tim Copland.

Landia Chopper Puimp still going strong in a tough application at PittardsLandia Chopper Puimp still going strong in a tough application at Pittards“Pumps in this environment take a huge amount of punishment, dealing with grit and what can be a very slimy mass of small leather pieces that I’m sure would clog other pumps; but with Landia, we’ve never had an issue”.

At its facility in Yeovil, where Pittards makes top-quality leather goods, the twin-channel 24/7 wastewater flow of 350m3 to 400m3 per day is first sent to circular tanks containing the Landia long-shaft chopper pumps, before the screening, pH control, chemical correction and then to a Lamella clarifier for final separation of particles from the effluent.

In addition to fashion items such as gloves and handbags, Pittards (with a team of 120) makes performance leathers for sports and the military, treating leather from its tannery in Ethiopia with a series of lengthy softening/hardening processes to produce a wide variety of finishes, including fire resistance.

“Depending on the required finish”, added Tim Copland, “our ‘laundry-type’ process, which can require up to 24 hours, simply has to have a reliable, robust wastewater stream. Over the years, the odd lump of something like a corner part of a pallet block will somehow find its way into the drain to cause us to lift a pump out, but thankfully that doesn’t happen too often”.

‘Value for money investment’

He added: “We know that we ask an awful lot of the Landia pumps, which one has to say, are used and abused, but still continue to show what an excellent, value for money investment they’ve been. We are always vigilant of course about our discharge consent – and have a good working relationship with Wessex Water. The pumps play an important role in ensuring that we keep well within our discharge consent”.

To further prolong their lifetime, Tim explained that the long-shaft chopper pumps are swapped around every 6-12 months, with a unit always kept on standby to ensure that there is little or no interruption to the process. Pittards’ first purchase from Landia (who invented the Chopper Pump back in 1950) was in 2002. After proving its worth, four more pumps were secured in the next two years, followed by further purchases in 2019.

‘Very Good Gatekeepers’

“The Landia pumps have always been very good gatekeepers”, continued Tim Copland, “even with the slimy, clinging nature of the leather pieces, they just keep on going – and are also very easy to service. And whenever we’ve needed advice, Landia are always available on the ‘phone or in-person to help”.

At Leeds, pumps and mixers from Landia (typically 1500rpm / 7.5kW) kept solids in suspension and improved aeration, greatly enhancing the consistency of the facility’s wastewater discharge. As has been the case at Yeovil, the unique external knife system of the Landia Chopper Pump prevents solids from entering its casing; the long-shaft version of the pump more suited to the application because of the inevitable build-up of solid particles.  Cast iron has proved more than effective at Pittards, but the pumps can also be supplied in various coatings and materials, including acid-proof stainless steel. The operating range is up to 6 bar, which makes the long-shafts ideal for replacing most displacement pumps that may struggle with wastewater containing solids and hard-to handle pieces of debris.

“One of the pumps we have is over 15 years old”, said Tim. “Despite all the wear and tear, it continues to thoroughly chop and pump the particles and larger debris that we have in our wastewater. The recirculation that the pumps provide also helps keep the tanks clean. Back at Leeds there was equipment that was cast-booted in, with no viable option other than to leave it behind, but looking at life expectancy, which we can break down into a weekly cost, keeping hold of the Landia pumps was a decision that continues to prove very wise indeed”.

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Thursday, 24 February 2022 10:20

Huge savings made at leachate treatment plant

At a landfill’s leachate treatment centre, where floating biomass was reducing the plant’s throughput, the introduction by Viridian Systems of a new mixer has created annual savings on chemicals of around £85,000.

From sludge taking well over two hours to settle (with unnecessary amounts still floating), it has now been reduced to less than 30 minutes. With the plant set up for two batches per day, this potentially adds back three hours of treatment time per day, which equates to more than 14,000m3/year of leachate that no longer has to be tankered off site; equating to a further annual saving of £285,000.

Viridian Systems chose a Landia mixer to help address issues at a leachate treatment plantViridian Systems chose a Landia mixer to help address issues at a leachate treatment plant

As Viridian Systems’ Managing Director, Roger Dixon explains, the new mixer (made by Landia) has now completely eliminated the problematical filamentous bacteria.

‘The right amount of agitation’

“To solve the problem for the leachate treatment plant”, he said, “we believed that with the correct type of mixer; suitably positioned, powered and timed, the right amount of agitation would disperse the floating layer to allow solids to settle much more quickly”.

‘No more floating biomass’

He added: “Undesirable filamentous bacteria, which is one of the main causes of floating biomass, is detrimental to SBRs, but working closely together with Landia, who have vast experience in mixer applications, the sub-surface liquor is now degassed; meaning no more floating biomass”.

As the plant began to produce far less unwanted foam, Birkenhead-based Viridian Systems asked the plant operator to gradually reduce dosing with de-foaming agent (antifoam) until the consumption rate falls to around 1-2 drums/month, instead of 2-3 drums/day, which will not only save around £70-100k/year, but will also reduce the dissolved organics (measured as chemical oxygen demand C.O.D.) in the treated effluent.

Furthermore, the installation of the Landia mixer has also enhanced the reliability of the plant’s Dissolved Oxygen (D.O.) (optical) probe, because there is less foam to blind it. With the probe now working as it should, there is better control of the blower speed, reducing its energy consumption, which in turn, offsets some of the power consumed by the mixer.

Viridian Systems’ Roger Dixon concluded: “Far from just supplying a mixer, Landia shared our goal in wanting to find the best possible solution. What has been achieved provides considerable ongoing benefits for our customer. As a result of this success, we have also installed a Landia mixer in a tank adjacent to the SBR”.

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A leading food waste-to-energy operation has increased its biogas yields by an average of more than 43% - due to a new digester mixing system.

After evaluating the performance of the facility’s first digester, built a decade ago, engineering component specialists Hayley Group were consulted about the availability of an alternative, superior mixing system for its customer’s second digester; mixers that unlike those in first tank, would eliminate typical biogas process problems such as foam, blocking and crusting – and in doing so, help boost the levels of methane.

2022 02 23 110751Hayley Group has helped its customer achieve a massive increase in biogas yields by choosing a digester mixing system from Landia

Hayley Group’s Engineer, Rob Bentley, said: “We constantly look to help customers improve efficiencies. This project is of particular note, because with the new, superior mixing system, the increase per cubic metre in gas from the second digester is over 40%. This is extremely encouraging to say the least, especially when you consider that the second digester also has 10% less capacity than the older first tank”.

He added; “The first digester with its compressor mixing set-up continues to produce a fair bit of gas, but when we carefully evaluated what would be best for the second digester, we recommended a pump/mixing system from Landia”.

2022 02 23 110730Outside the tank l Landia's digester mixing systemUtilising the chopper pump that Landia invented back in 1950, complete with venturi nozzles, the digester mixing system that is now producing such high levels of gas for the second digester, has an external knife system to continuously reduce particle sizes and keep solids in suspension.

Rob Bentley continued: “Our role as a trusted partner also includes helping maintain the smooth and safe running of operations, as well as helping to improve operational efficiencies, so Landia’s mixing system was a clear front runner – not just because we were confident with its reliability and gas-producing capability, but from past experience, a company that like us, gets stuck in when help is needed - with a fast turnaround”.

‘A more robust mixing system’

With the unpredictability of food waste feedstock, dissolved solids (DS) at the food waste-to-energy facility are typically around 16-18%, but can be as high as 22%. This was an area, that with lessons learned from blockages and downtime from the first digester, saw the clear need for a more robust mixing system for the second digester that could withstand the tough demands made upon it.

‘The increase in gas speaks for itself’

“Our customer has not seen the Landia Digester Mixing System ever struggle to cope”, added Bentley.  “Over time in the first digester, plastics would inevitably float to the top where they’d form a blanket and then a crust, which would eventually have to be dug out. This was a rotten job with plenty of unwanted downtime. Landia’s chopper pumps simply do not allow that build-up of material to happen. The success of the second digester, which has also seen reduced maintenance times and lower parasitic load means that for a third digester currently under construction, our customer has not surprisingly ordered a second Landia’s pump/mixing system. On top of the benefits being seen as part of the constant fine-tuning of the process, the increase in gas speaks for itself”.

On average, Digester 1 sees a feedstock intake of 118 tonnes of dry solids per day, which produces a gas flow of 27,000 Nm3 (Normal Meter Cubed per Hour) per day.

In comparison, Digester 2 (10% smaller), sees a feedstock intake of 110 tonnes of dry solids per day, which produces a gas flow of 36,000 Nm3 (Normal Meter Cubed per Hour) per day.

Rob Bentley continued: “Assessing the change to a more resilient digester mixing system, our customer anticipated a decent increase in gas yields – but as high as 43% is phenomenal. You can also see a big difference in the colour of the digestate that is produced.

As part of the support process, Hayley Group has also assisted its customer in replacing an ineffective and troublesome pump unit in its hydrolysis tank with a new three-pump Landia system.

‘Energy-savings are also very apparent’

2022 02 23 110813Landia and Hayley Group have worked closely together on maximising biogas yields for AD operators

“Previously, foaming was an issue,” continued Rob Bentley. “To be fair, too much was being asked of just one pump, but in addition to the problem with foaming – and way too much settlement of solids – the existing supplier was very slow on replacement parts, which just isn’t good enough for a 24/7 food waste-to-energy plant. Uncertainty in getting spares for the site’s pasteurisers was not acceptable, and certainly not up to the standards that we work to, so in total, including two reception tanks and a holding tank, there are now 11 Landia pumps in active use, with three more ready to go into service for the new, third digester. Energy-savings are also very apparent, because unlike other mixers that have to run 24/7, the Landia Digester Mixing System usually only requires 20 minutes on and then 20 minutes off”.

He concluded: “Reliable equipment and easy maintenance are very important of course, but even with the best kit in the world, back-up is key. Landia very much shares the Hayley Group commitment in being there when needed to help customers keep their processes going, without unnecessary delays.

“At this food waste to energy facility, the big increase in biogas yields shows without doubt just how beneficial a resilient and well-designed digester mixing system can be to the success of an AD/biogas plant”.

www.hayley-group.co.uk

www.landiaworld.com

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At Yorkshire Water’s new £50M Huddersfield Energy and Recycling Facility (E&RF), Landia’s digester mixing system ensures that total gas production can reach its anticipated 22,192Nm3d (normal cubic meterday)At Yorkshire Water’s new £50M Huddersfield Energy and Recycling Facility (E&RF), Landia’s digester mixing system ensures that total gas production can reach its anticipated 22,192Nm3d (normal cubic meterday)At Yorkshire Water’s new £50M Huddersfield Energy and Recycling Facility (E&RF), the digester mixing system from Landia is ensuring that total gas production can reach its anticipated 22,192Nm3/d (normal cubic meter/day).

Designed, constructed and commissioned by J. Murphy & Sons Ltd (JMS), the Huddersfield E&RF is an integral part of Yorkshire Water’s long-term bio-resources upper quartile efficiency strategy.

Externally mounted on each of the two 7,306m3 concrete digesters, that contain thickened sewage sludge of up to 8 percent dry solids (DS), the Landia mixing system makes future servicing easy because there are no moving parts inside the tanks. Benefitting from the Landia chopper pump, which together with venturi nozzles ensures that the digesters are comprehensively mixed to maximise gas production, the mixing system is low on energy consumption and also reduces health and safety issues such as working from height.

A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water commented, “We are very proud of our new Huddersfield Energy and Recycling Facility, which is comfortably meeting all its performance targets. This impressive new facility will play a big part in helping us achieve net zero carbon by 2030”.

The Landia mixing system is low on energy consumptionThe Landia mixing system is low on energy consumption            John Smith, Project Director for J. Murphy & Sons, added: “Huddersfield E&RF shows the quality of the process engineering expertise that we can deliver for complex water and wastewater design and construction. We understand that a good digester mixing system is very important to the success of an AD plant, so are pleased to see that our decision to choose Landia is paying benefits”. 

Created as a regional sludge treatment facility to receive indigenous and imported sludge in both liquid and cake forms, Huddersfield E&RF has enabled Yorkshire Water to treat all of its sludge by anaerobic digestion.

The sludge load to the digesters is 24,000tDS/annum (total dry solids) or 65.753tDS of sludge per day, including up to a maximum of 11.880tDS per day of imported liquid sludge and 25.831tDS per day sludge cake respectively.

Two CHP engines produce peak electrical output of 2390 kWh and a thermal output of 2404 kWh.

Landia +44 (0)1948 661 200

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At the largest University campus AD/Biogas plant in the United States, a chopper pump made by Landia has now completed eight years of continuous robust service, despite the very tough environment of being in a food waste and FOG (fats, oils and greases) reception pit.

The facility at Michigan State University (MSU), which converts over 22,000 tons of food waste annually (from campus dining halls and local food processors, plus manure from MSU’s dairy farm) into renewable energy, opened in 2013, complete with the same Landia Chopper Pump (model DG-I 105).

Contributing towards the process of generating 2.8 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year from the organic waste, the Chopper Pump (which was invented by Landia in 1950), reduces particle sizes as it transfers approximately 5,000 to 10,000 gallons per day into the digester mix tank.

 

The digester at Michigan State University's biogas plantThe digester at Michigan State University's biogas plant

‘Durable and low on maintenance’

Louis Faivor, Farm Assistant Manager at MSU (South Campus Anaerobic Digester Operator), said:

“Considering the amount of delivered food waste we receive that is contaminated with gloves, bags, dishes and various other debris, the Landia Chopper Pump continues to prove reliable. In fact, it has only received its second rebuild just recently in the whole of the eight years since it was installed when the AD plant first opened back in 2013, which proves just how durable and low on maintenance it is”.

Designed with a unique knife system at its inlet that continually reduces solids in size and ensures no clogging or blockages, the Landia Chopper Pump is easy to service and also low on energy consumption.

‘Very tough indeed’

The Chopper Pump. Invented by Landia in 1950The Chopper Pump. Invented by Landia in 1950Dana Kirk, an Associate Professor from MSU’s Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, who oversees the AD operation, added: “Since the plant opened eight years ago, we have managed to reduce contamination levels, but food waste is always susceptible to debris that can damage equipment. The more we can keep the trash out, the longer time period we can go without replacing wear parts. The second rebuild was common wear parts, including the impeller and seals. It is very tough indeed”.

A separate reception pit contains cow manure from the MSU Dairy Teaching and Research Center, while the food waste transferred by the Landia Chopper Pump is sourced from several campus dining halls, food processing and manufacturing facilities in southern Michigan - plus fat, oils and grease from local restaurants. The feedstocks from both the manure and food waste reception pits are pumped into the 10,000-gallon mix tank, where they are blended.

From the power created, only about 20 percent is needed to sustain the AD process; the rest offsets energy consumption in 10 MSU south campus buildings; equivalent to generating enough energy to power about 250-300 homes. The nutrient-rich fertilizer created through the biogas operation is used on agricultural land.

www.landiaworld.com

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Wednesday, 18 August 2021 20:39

Open Day welcome from Pump firm Landia

Leading pump and mixer manufacturer Landia is staging an Open Day at its premises in Whitchurch, Shropshire, on Wednesday September 8th that should appeal to any business that has to handle and treat slurry or wastewater.

2021 08 18 202548“We usually have a very busy schedule of exhibitions that we attend,”, said Landia’s Howard Burton, “but for the past 18 months, the pandemic has caused these to either be cancelled or held online. Our order-book has remained very solid, and as much as online meetings are now part of our work, it is time (cautiously) to get back to face-to-face meetings”.

Running from 10am until 3pm at Landia UK’s premises on Waymills Industrial Estate, with buffet and refreshments provided, the company is giving visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the pumping and mixing solutions it provides to the agricultural, biogas and wastewater sectors.

Also in attendance will be companies that offer solutions for tanks, controls, separators, food-waste to energy and valves.

Please contact Landia on 01948 661 200 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you are interested in attending.

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A decade since it began, Cannington Bio Energy’s hive of activity is impressive – with volumes of waste arriving, waste being treated – and green energy being produced. If only it was as simple as all that.

In the demanding waste-to-energy industry, the Cannington site in Somerset is a place where improvements through careful fine-tuning never stop – always learning, never afraid to meet the challenges of producing biogas head-on. The contents of thousands upon thousands of food waste caddy bags are not a pretty sight, and they certainly don’t smell of roses, but this is a centre of excellence with a refreshing and very down to earth balance of science and common sense that the AD industry can learn a great deal from. From the unfortunate avalanche of unwanted post-Christmas food, discarded Mother’s Day flowers, to some of the wild variances in food waste – it pays to keep everything as balanced as possible to accentuate the gas yield.

Landia now has 21 pumps and mixers at Cannington Bio EnergyLandia now has 21 pumps and mixers at Cannington Bio EnergyAs a site that prior to AD, grew to storing upwards of 10,000 tonnes of fruit juice and food ingredients at -14C to ambient temperatures, there presented itself a significant challenge and opportunity to fight back against an ever-increasing electricity bill that had risen to a quarter of a million pounds per annum. Since investing in an AD operation – and with an enthusiastic and determined eye for continuous improvement, there’s been no turning back.

Like almost every AD operator, Cannington is no stranger to the world of grit that prevents digesters from producing as much gas as they should. During its recent clean-out revolution – given the massive volume (60,000+ tonnes pa) of waste material that is handled at the plant near Bridgwater, it wasn’t a big surprise that in the worst case, one of its 3,000 tonnes tanks was holding a whopping 750 tones of grit (mainly plastics and metals). No self-respecting AD plant should tolerate this, yet in truth, many operators simply do not seem to know how much grit is clogging up their digesters and pumps – suppressing their performance and creating so much maintenance work downtime.

‘Using valuable energy to mix grit is not acceptable’

“As part of our site progression and expansion, we knew it was time to give our digesters an overhaul” said Paul Barrass, Cannington’s Engineering Manager.

“Using valuable energy to mix grit is not acceptable – as well as the wear and tear on pumps and ancillary equipment. You could feel the cold and hot spots on our digesters, which tell you immediately that the dead spots represent a loss of earnings!”

He continued: “A build-up of grit very much comes with the territory, but you can’t just leave it indefinitely - so in addition to looking at the types of waste we use and how best to combine them, we’ve introduced a powerful new degritter, and upgraded the pump that accompanies it to optimise our results”.

At Cannington Bio Energy Landia pumps have helped reduce gritAt Cannington Bio Energy Landia pumps have helped reduce gritThe new degritter comes in the shape of a simple hydrocyclone from Metamo Process Technology. Capable of treating 60 cubic metres per hour, it can remove up to 240-300 litres of grit from the substrate before it goes into the digesters at Cannington. Importantly, compared to other degritters, it had the small footprint required for the Somerset site.

“With no moving parts to wear out”, added Paul Barrass, “we can see already that it will reduce our maintenance costs – and working in synch with a very good pump from Landia, it deals with all the grit, bones, eggshells and such like that arrive in the food waste. We get plenty of cutlery too, which I’m sure people don’t mean to throw out, but that would be asking a bit much! With crops such as maize and sugar beet from our own land that make up around half of our feedstock, we already end up with a good quality digestate, but the Metamo degritter will make it even cleaner and better”.

The degritter needed a pump that that could provide sufficient pressure, as well as prove resilient to the tough application, which is where Landia – already with a long-standing track record at Cannington, came in. Armed with acid-proof coatings for food waste and designed for hard-to-handle mediums, the Landia chopper pump and the Metamo degritter work together seamlessly, despite the dry solids content of 18%.

Mike and Tim Roe (the pioneering father and son team who own Cannington) very wisely had the foresight to design their process for flexibility in feedstocks – and true to this day, always look for enhancement. Almost 10 years ago when the AD operation began, they installed a Landia POP-I mixer at the front end to keep solids in suspension for the main reception tank – then, for a separate feedstock holding tank, soon introduced a submersible Landia chopper pump to replace a unit from a different manufacturer that was proving ineffective in handling one of the then chosen feedstocks of corn. The Landia chopper pump immediately accelerated batch times.

From potato and arable crop farmers who then diversified into cold storage, bio energy and recycling, Cannington now has its CHPs producing a plant output of 2MW – as well as an additional 1000m3-plus of refined gas.

Income from waste and the AD-generated electricity that is sold onto the UK’s National Gird accounts for about half of Cannington’s income. Approximately 1,000kW is utilised to power the site – with around 1,000kW exported to the grid.

The site at Bridgwater has now grown to an impressive three digesters, a pasteurizer, a pre-heat tank, plus another five holding tanks – one for slurry at the back end – also discharging to lagoons. Here again, a Landia pump was called in to replace an existing unit that despite managing the 35-metre head required to make the final discharge to the digestate lagoons, would take it 24 hours - and suffer from significant wear and tear.  However, the Landia MPTK chopper pump, which also has to pump 250m horizontally as well as 35m vertically, proved far more resilient – and does the same job - in just two and a half hours. This has created major benefits all the way back down the production line.

‘People we know and trust’

“We use pumps from different companies”, said Paul Barrass, “so its horses for courses. In total we now have 21 Landia pumps and mixers – including one that just keeps on working in our sump for waste orange juice, which would soon prove too much for many pumps because of the low pH. We’ve always worked closely with Landia to fine-tune our processes - for example, changing to larger impellers to maximise the lifetime of the pumps. We get the fast response that we need with people we know and trust on the other end of the ‘phone – as well as readily available spare parts, which unlike some manufacturers, are at sensible prices. The Landia mixers and pumps are also very easy to service”.

www.landiaworld.com

Landia UK +44 (0) 1948 661 200

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