Variable vacum

miniconnect · Feb 19, 2017

We are considering variable vacuum. For our parlour. Is it possible to run a 20:20 parlour on 1 single phase pump? Our dairy engineer thinks we would be pushing our luck and would be better with two smaller units working together. Since our Kingston a3 pump died the westfalia wl4 has been powering the parlour alone. Vacuum seems to sit happily at 40kpa and only noticeable difference is we rarely hear the relief valve now.
We will maybe wait a week or two and see how the scc and bacto goes.

Has anyone any thoughts or running a single phase variable pump?

Sid · Feb 19, 2017

miniconnect said:
We are considering variable vacuum. For our parlour. Is it possible to run a 20:20 parlour on 1 single phase pump? Our dairy engineer thinks we would be pushing our luck and would be better with two smaller units working together. Since our Kingston a3 pump died the westfalia wl4 has been powering the parlour alone. Vacuum seems to sit happily at 40kpa and only noticeable difference is we rarely hear the relief valve now.
We will maybe wait a week or two and see how the scc and bacto goes.

Has anyone any thoughts or running a single phase variable pump?

You have answered your own question. If you run a single pump and it breaks down.

Will Blackburn · Feb 19, 2017

Sid said:
You have answered your own question. If you run a single pump and it breaks down.

Unless you have a reliable dairy engineer within 2 hrs?

If you have a vsd controlling 2 pumps it may shut one down. Sometimes it is only at wash down the extra vacuum is needed.

Sid · Feb 19, 2017

Will Blackburn said:
Unless you have a reliable dairy engineer within 2 hrs?

If you have a vsd controlling 2 pumps it may shut one down. Sometimes it is only at wash down the extra vacuum is needed.

With all the parts or replacement pumps in stock. You can be sure when yours goes wrong someone else's did yesterday.

Bruce Almighty · Feb 19, 2017

How much electric do variable vacuum pumps save ?

Economy 7 for morning & having solar panels must help ?

ClusterClean Systems · Feb 19, 2017

Depends on how oversize your vacuum pump is to start with. 30 to 50% saving would be reasonable.

Just how much quieter they are will tell you the saving. Far more civilised than a noisy pump running flat out.

awkward · Feb 19, 2017

Have westfalia vary speed pump here . No problems so far. Much quiter than old pump.runs at 250-330 rpm during milking

Devon lad · Feb 19, 2017

Are they still recommending not to use tractor driven generators to power variable speed drives?

Jamer · Feb 19, 2017

We've run our 3 ph variable speed motor by tractor genny, - didn't know there were issues with so doing?

To the op, bear in mind WL4 pumps can't run as slow as others owing to the laid back angle of the veins in the rotor. You need a faster minimum speed to generate the centrifugal effect. We looked into running a WL4 and an Alfa VP 76 on varable speed drives on 1 ph but with all the inverters and drives it got too expensive.The WL4 is a bloody good pump in our experience though.

Since changed to 3 ph and now run a Boumatic lobe pump on a 10 kw variable drive which is considerably simpler.

Variable vacum

miniconnect

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