Modernization and replacement of pumping equipment of the EPC (extraction phosphoric acid) workshop of PhosAgro-Cherepovets JSC

One of the most significant enterprises of the PhosAgro holding is JSC PhosAgro-Cherepovets (Cherepovets), an enterprise for the production of phosphorus-containing and nitrogen fertilizers.

Fig. 1 JSC PhosAgro-Cherepovets

The name “PhosAgro” entered the vocabulary of Cherepovets chemists in 2001. On February 15, an extraordinary meeting of shareholders of Ammophos OJSC was held, at which representatives of the Interregional Association of Phosphate Fertilizer Manufacturers PhosAgro joined the Board of Directors.
In 2004, as part of strengthening vertical integration, the PhosAgro group included
OJSC Cherepovets Azot, connected through a single technological chain with OJSC Ammophos.

After Cherepovets chemical enterprises became members of the PhosAgro group of companies, their complete modernization of production began. During the renovation process, only the best available technologies, equipment and technical solutions, the latest achievements of chemical science and the best practices of domestic and foreign companies were used. Modernization of enterprises continues today.

The company ZAO EnergoFront also takes part in the process of this modernization.

Based on the results of the tender, EnergoFront CJSC was selected as a supplier for the supply of liquid ring vacuum pumping units AL 100+ V for pumping vapors of fluoride compounds in production and creating a vacuum on a rotary vacuum filter. The units will be installed in the extraction phosphoric acid production workshop of PhosAgro-Cherepovets JSC.

On February 20, 2016, the production of extraction phosphoric acid at PhosAgro-Cherepovets JSC celebrated its 40th anniversary. In general, the production unit, which combined this site and two technological lines built in 1979 and 1982 (k.5.55 and 5.58), is capable of producing 1.18 million tons per year. And over 40 years, more than 27 million tons of phosphoric acid have been produced here - the most valuable raw material for the production of mineral fertilizers.

Therefore, PhosAgro-Cherepovets pays considerable attention to modernizing the equipment of the workshop for the production of extraction phosphoric acid.

The supply of two liquid ring vacuum pumping units, which the PhosAgro concern entrusted to EnergoFront CJSC, is the first stage of replacing outdated equipment in this technological section of the extraction phosphoric acid production workshop. Over the course of several years, it is planned to completely renew the pumping equipment fleet.
The pump manufacturer is a well-known European company ERTP - HIBON Liquid Ring Pumps (France).

Liquid ring vacuum pumps are widely used in various sectors of the national economy due to their design simplicity, trouble-free operation and the ability to isothermally compress gas-liquid mixtures without contaminating them with oil. Most often, liquid ring (water ring) machines are used in various technological processes in the chemical industry.

Fig. 2 Water ring vacuum pump unit production ERTPNibon

Liquid ring pumps are often called liquid ring pumps because they primarily use water as the working fluid, and sometimes machines with a liquid piston. An eccentrically positioned rotor with radial blades (impeller) rotates in a cylindrical housing that is partially filled with liquid. When rotating, the impeller blades capture liquid and throw it towards the housing. As a result, a rotating ring of liquid is formed inside the housing, which gives this type of pump its name. A crescent-shaped space appears between the impeller bushing and the liquid ring, which is the working cavity of the machine. This space is divided by the impeller blades into separate cells of variable volume. When the cell volume increases, the process of suction occurs, and when it decreases, the process of compression and injection occurs.
The compression process in the pump is accompanied by intense heat removal from the compressed gas to the liquid. The temperature of the compressed gas leaving the pump differs little from the inlet temperature, and the working fluid heats up, so it must be constantly replaced. The working fluid is supplied either to the suction pipe or through the hydraulic seal of the impeller shaft into the working cavity of the machine, and leaves through the discharge windows along with the compressed gas. The main advantage of liquid ring vacuum pumps is ease of operation.

Liquid ring vacuum pumps are the optimal solution for many applications requiring low vacuum in the petrochemical, chemical, mining and other industries. Overall reliability, low maintenance requirements, low vibration and noise levels combined with a unique ability to handle wet gases contribute to their popularity.

The ERTP Hibon company (France), at whose production sites liquid ring vacuum pumps will be manufactured for PhosAgro-Cherepovets, with more than a century of experience in the market of equipment intended for compressing air and other gases, offers world-class blowing and compressor equipment.

The company's policy provides for the continuous development and modernization of manufactured equipment, paying great attention to strategic programs to expand the number of tasks solved and meet market needs. To confirm the ability of the Hibon company to manufacture the necessary units, the management of EnergoFront CJSC visited the production sites of the plant and agreed on the customer’s requirements for the ordered equipment.

Fig. 3 Visit to the production site ERTP Nibon

To be able to fully implement the customer’s requirements for replacing old equipment with the supplied Hibon liquid ring vacuum pumping units, EnergoFront CJSC specialists visited the extraction phosphoric acid production workshop, where they negotiated with PhosAgro-Cherepovets specialists on this order, and also made all the necessary measurements of the previously installed equipment intended for replacement.

Fig. 4 Specialists of ZAO EnergoFront take measurements of the installed equipment,
proposed for replacement

At the request of the plant’s specialists, the pumps will be equipped with electric motors produced by WEG, which have proven themselves impeccably in the Russian market, driven through a gearbox.