Wilo, which supplies products and technology for heating and air-conditioning, water supply, drainage and sewage, and industrial processes such as food manufacture, describes its Wilo-Stratos GIGA high efficiency inline pump as ‘the solution for optimising the cost of heating, cold water, and cooling systems, in industry and buildings’.
The company said: “As the first high-efficiency glanded pump, the Wilo-Stratos GIGA operates reliably with the minimum of effort. Compared with conventional uncontrolled pumps, Wilo-Stratos GIGA offers energy savings of up to 70% -- per pump, per year, equating to eight tonnes of CO2 saved. Wilo has designed every component, from the drive, through the electronics, to the hydraulics, to operate at the highest level.”
Fast, controllable motor
For the unit’s High Efficiency Drive (HED), Wilo has developed a pump drive with a motor efficiency that it says ‘far exceeds’ IE4, ‘the most stringent class used today’, thanks to EC motor technology. The company explained: “Among other features, these motors suffer almost no rotor-related losses, while the system’s compact dimensions further reduce such losses. As a result, the HED for the Wilo-Stratos GIGA can be a third of the size of a conventional asynchronous motor with the same rated motor power. By reducing motor size, higher speeds are possible without impacting on component service life. As the size shrinks, so do the material resistances. One further important benefit is that the working speed of EC motor technology can be adjusted precisely to hydraulic components.”
‘Simple and precise’ electronics
Thanks to its ‘tried-and-tested red-button technology’, Wilo-Stratos GIGA is simple to use, with just one button for key control. Alternatively, the device can be controlled via infrared connection to an IR monitor, IR USB adapter, or building management system. The control unit with illuminated display saves all the relevant data for constant and variable differential pressure, as well as the calibration of pressure in metres of water – eliminating the need for an external device to display these parameters. Wilo said: “All the electronics, and the frequency converter, were designed specifically for the system, which accounts for the electronics’ low energy consumption, and optimised control mechanisms. Wilo-Stratos GIGA has a control radius up to three times the size of other controlled pumps. The high quality of its software ensures precise functioning of the control mechanisms.”
Small and versatile hydraulics
The hydraulics are designed for optimal efficiency. Both the housing and the three-dimensional impellers are shaped ‘very precisely’ into a geometric form that ‘maximises flow and minimises impedance’. Wilo says this makes the Wilo-Stratos GIGA single-stage low-pressure centrifugal pump ‘clearly superior’ to ‘traditional’ induction motor pumps. The company adds: “The powerful drive increases rotational speed, which reduces the size and weight of the hydraulics. The speed makes it possible to reduce the impeller diameter, while keeping the hydraulic output at the level of much larger conventional pumps. This also enables a reduction in the size of the entire pump housing. The pump’s components are produced to weigh and measure less, and simultaneously be more precise. Overall, the pump weighs 55% less, and is 39% smaller, than pumps in the Wilo IL-E series, saving valuable resources, while facilitating transport, handling, and installation.”
The system is designed for durability and versatility. The impeller comprises 60% Ryton, a thermoplastic ‘hi-tech’ plastic, and 40% reinforced fibreglass with a stainless steel core. The material is corrosion-resistant, and reportedly works reliably with a variety of fluids in a temperature range of -20 to +140°C.
Efficiency pays off
Wilo says: “All these benefits add up to unbeatable energy and cost-efficiency. Compared with the Wilo IL-E series, Wilo-Stratos GIGA uses around 31% less energy annually, and 70% less than comparable uncontrolled pumps. With 6,000 operating hours per year, and an energy price of 0.22 EUR per kilowatt hour, return-on-investment should begin being realised after just a year.”
For more information, visit www.wilo.co.uk, or telephone: 01283 523000.
