Economic tailor-made pump motors for London water supply
Menzel Great Britain has completed its biggest project to date, providing ten seven-ton electric motors to the UK water utility company Thames Water, which serves 16 million customers across London and the Thames Valley.
This strategic motor replacement is crucial to extend the lifespan of a key water treatment plant by ten years and secure the water supply to the Greater London area.
Menzel won the contract for its economic, well-thought-out concept.
The high-lift pump station at the Coppermills Water Treatment Works had experienced repeated failures, mainly due to the age of the existing equipment. As Thames Water is planning to build a new station in about ten years, the utility company put out a tender for an economic drive solution to ensure the reliable operation of the existing pumps in the interim.
Other OEMs suggested costly variable-frequency drives (VFDs), which would have required major building reconstruction to accommodate control systems and transformers. Menzel proposed slip ring motors compatible with the existing installation and that use the electric infrastructure and starting equipment already in place. The state-of-the-art motors are superior to the original motors, with nearly 5% increased efficiency, greater ease of maintenance, and an expected lifespan of at least 25 years.
The motor engineers worked closely with the project team at Thames Water’s contractor MWH Treatment. Their design also takes into account anticipated future extreme outdoor summer temperatures.
The project came in under budget and was completed on schedule. Compared to the proposed VFDs, Menzel’s concept saved Thames Water hundreds of thousands of pounds, took much less time and is more environmentally friendly.
