From Old to New: MTP Upgrades Hot Fire Training Dam Pumpset with Modern Features

Situation

Our MTP customer had a 25-year-old belt-driven pump set that was responsible for pumping chlorinated water for a Hot Fire Training dam. The pump, base frame, and discharge manifolds had become very rusty due to constantly being in the water. The impeller, wear rings, mechanical seals, and bearings also frequently wore out and needed to be replaced. Additionally, the suction hose had trouble maintaining its prime, which caused further issues.

Approach

MTP’s Service Team attended the site to investigate the issue and quickly determined that the pump set was worn out and near the end of its life.

The recurring wear and tear of the pump components was due to the lack of dry run protection and a suitable control system to prevent the pump from running dry or under shut-off head conditions.

Additionally, the pressure-sustaining valve was incorrectly placed on the discharge manifold, and the suction foot valve needed to be replaced to ensure that the prime was maintained.

Solution

MTP supplied two (2) Stalker ISO 125×100-200 pumps featuring Ductile Iron Casings, Bronze Impellers, and API11 Seal Flushing Plans – all tailored to handle chlorinated water. These pumps were further equipped with heavy-duty oil-lubricated bearing assemblies.
 
Each pump was directly coupled to a TECO MAXe3 37kW electric motor, incorporating automatic bearing greasers and mounted on a common heavy-duty base frame.
 
To complete the project, we performed a complete overhaul of the system, replacing the old suction and discharge manifolds with new ones that incorporated air release valves. We also replaced the PVC recirculation line with galvanised pipework, relocated the pressure-sustaining valve, and added a flow switch – to ensure dry-run protection. Finally, we installed a Y-strainer in the discharge line to capture excess debris, including duck feathers, which had previously clogged the suction strainer.

Result

Following rigorous testing and commissioning of the duty and booster pump sets, the new suction foot valve successfully maintained prime in both suction hoses. The duty and booster pumps achieved a combined output of 100L/s at 4 bar pressure across four branches of fire hydrants, demonstrating the system’s reliability. The customer was very pleased with the new system and its improved performance and future dependability.

Additional Project Information:

• The customer’s decision to replace the old pump set with two new pumps provides redundancy and improves the system’s overall reliability – if one pump fails, the other pump can continue to operate, ensuring that the Hot Fire Training dam has a continuous supply of chlorinated water
• The new pumps are more efficient and less prone to wear and tear than the old pump set. This will reduce the customer’s operating and maintenance costs over the long term
• The new system incorporates several features that improve its functionality and reliability, including dry run protection, a pressure-sustaining valve, and a Y-strainer

These features will help to prevent system failures and ensure that the Hot Fire Training dam has a continuous supply of chlorinated water to support the critical training conducted on the customer site.

Overall, the customer expressed that they were very happy with the solution MTP provided, which resolved the initial issue and further, improved future reliability and functionality.