Circulation pumps are used in the drinking water supply, in heating, air-conditioning and solar circuits of residential, office and commercial buildings as well as in process engineering circuits of process industrial plants. More than 140 million circulation pumps are in operation throughout Europe, which on average are replaced every ten years.
In order to meet EU energy efficiency requirements, highly efficient circulation pump units are in use today. These work with variable speed depending on the load but consist of relatively slow running and therefore large and material-intensive pump stages. The pump systems are driven by large electric motors, which also rotate relatively slowly, and a separately arranged control unit with its own aluminum heat sink. Due to their widespread use and the continuous need for replacement, smaller and lighter units would be a significant lever to conserve existing resources by using optimized circulation pumps.
The aim of the “PUMOCON“ project is a reduced, integrated and thus resource-optimized pump system in which the pump stage, dry-running pump drive and pump control are combined into a common constructive unit. The efficient circulation pump unit is to be characterized by increased resource efficiency of the entire product over the entire life cycle, increased energy efficiency in operation and a service life of at least 80,000 operating hours.
An important factor
for increased resource efficiency is the increase in the operating revolutions,
as this makes it possible to reduce the size of all system components while
maintaining the hydraulic working range. However, the high degree of
integration of all components also plays an important role, as it allows the
amount of material used to be reduced.