Propeller pumps: A new vision by FFF
Fish Farm Feeder (FFF) is proud to announce a new product in its portfolio – a propeller pump. A utile element in any aquaculture farm. Product that has improved during its 10 years of history in aquaculture.
In order to ease maintenance, handling, and to improve efficiency of existing propeller pumps, the pump stand, made of HDPE, is as well used to conduct the pumped water up to its new elevation level. The shaft line and propeller can be extracted as one piece out of the stand.
Propeller pumps are well known and widely used in circumstances where high flow and low elevation are required.
However, they require excellent machining to avoid energy losses, noise and early wear.
If good tools were available for fresh water use (drainage, fish farms), their resistance under seawater constraints have proved to be poor.
The new vision of propeller pump - ideal for most of aquaculture modern aquaculture facilities
The HDPE stand is easy to instal, offers optimal hydraulic conditions including low submergences possibilities and is virtually indestructible.
The shaft line and shaft line frame are made in Stainless Steel.
Separation between water conduction pipe and shaft line makes the later much lighter than in traditional propeller pumps. Therefore, handling and maintenance are much easier.
This technology has been applied at three different aquaculture facilities under severe constraints:
- Shell fish nurseries on-land: baby oysters are being grown in a semi-closed system for some weeks to gain size and resistance before being sent at sea. Elevation is in the order of 1,1m and a standard size equipment groups 3 pumps each developing 210l/sec (750 m3/hr). The recirculated flow is also carrying the phytoplankton and it’s a key for success to keep the flow 24/24.
- Trout and salmon RAS farms: If trout farms are often running under a “water re-use” regime, our pumps have also been applied to land-based Salmon RAS successfully. Again, elevations of 1 to 1,3m is the usual case and flow is provided accordingly at a level of 200-225l/sec per pump unit.
- Shrimp farms searching for intensive conditions for water use have had to improve their water inlet quality with fine filtration and up to ozone disinfection. In order to run their water treatment unit at constant flow and 24/24, we have implemented the same technology. Low elevation (around 1,05m) and stable high flow (250l/sec/unit).
The feedback is very good and farmers have maintained some of first sold units over ten years. The manufacturer masters the machining of the mechanical parts at best, including synthetic propellers. The traditional permanent greasing of the bearings has disappeared thanks to better technologies.
Motors are adapted to circumstances but remain of the low rotation speed type, again in search for optimal efficiency and return.
Maintenance has been successfully organized at customer’s premises with the ultimate version requiring no transport back to factory.
KEY ADVANTAGES of propeller pumps offered by FFF
- Low noise – Low maintenance – Light weight
- Indestructible stand under severe conditions
- Disconnected shaft line from water conduction pipe
- Competitive cost of use over time
- Standard units within the ranges 0,6-1,5m elevation and 100 to 250l/sec
FFF maintains its focus on offering custom made feeding systems, but will support widely this new technical offer which is clearly in line with its usual qualitative and innovative portfolio.
Didier Leclercq, Aquaculture Expert with over 35 years of experience and partner of FishFarmFeeder, adds: “Once incorporated in the hatchery tool box, it will be for life. Hatchery manager will soon discover as well the capability of the same machine to run a continuous anesthetic process, why not in view of quality grading against deformities?” FishFarmFeeder is already working on it.
Didier Leclercq
Didier Leclercq is an aquaculture expert with over 35 years of experience in the sector and a partner at Fish Farm Feeder.
Educated at the "Institut Supérieur d'Agriculture de Lille", he began his career in R&D before managing France Turbot SA for years, one of the leading flatfish production companies in France. In 2005, he founded Acui-T, a consultancy specializing in the integration of water treatment technologies for fish farms, delivering prominent projects for fish, shrimp, and oysters, including pioneering ozone treatment solutions in shrimp farms. Since 2014, he has been the owner of ACUITE-PARTICIPATIONS.
As a partner at Fish Farm Feeder, he contributes his technical insight regarding the potential of the company's equipment to go beyond feeding.
