How To Pump Spirits In The Distillery
It is well known that Air-Operated Double-Diaphragm pumps are often specified in the chemical industry where explosive/flammable environments exist, but less commonly known in alcoholic drinks production. But not so at one producers site in the highlands where they have installed several 'One Nut' AODD pump from Flotronic on spirit transfer because of the flammable nature of the product.
At their Speyside Bonded and Blending site, where the whisky is matured in oak casks for many years, they switched to Air-Operated Double-Diaphragm pumps from FPL, having previously used electrical submersible pumps to recover spilt oil and water.
As many of the areas are designated hazardous zones the use of air powered equipment is preferred. The four 500 Series Polypropylene ½"& 1" pumps with PTFE elastomers, are mounted on trolleys for easy mobility, are used to empty the sumps, which contain oil and water with occasional particles of charcoal from the barrels. They have a 1.5 metre lift and transfer into drums at a flowrate of 10 l/min and the pumps are in daily use. The pumps are also sited on their chill filtration plants to re-circulate whisky prior to processing.
Engineer comments "We think they are great little pumps. So easy to get into if they get blocked. The 'One Nut' makes stripping so fast and they are so uncomplicated to work on with very few parts."
PROCESS DETAILS
- Oil & water, some particles
- 1.5 metre lift
- Flowrate 10 l/min
PUMP DETAILS
- ½" & 1" 500 Series polypropylene
- BSP Connections
- PTFE elastomers
- Trolley mounted
