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TOP > About Us > R&D > Resoruce & Energy Conservation
In the ravaging wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11th, 2011, and the ensuing nuclear power plant crisis which followed, it was necessary to reduce the operational output of nuclear power plants nationwide.
The reduced output of these facilities, which compromise 30% of the nation’s electrical generation capacity, resulted in restrictions being placed on electricity use.
This unprecedented disaster has, however, increased public awareness regarding energy conservation. According to a statistics, the annual amount of domestically consumed electrical energy amounts to approximately 1 trillion kWh, with a breakdown of 50% consumed by motors and 30% consumed by driving pumps. In other words, 15% of all domestic energy is consumed by pumps.
We can see from this information the importance of offering high-efficiency small-scale pumps and how they contribute to energy and resource conservation. Torishima’s R&D team has invested great effort into developing high-efficiency pumps with large-scale PC cluster systems, and world class analysis technology such as automated hydraulic design systems with optimization algorithms, as well as experimental technology such as high speed PIV.
To increase our competitiveness in keeping costs down, we are also actively engaged in downscaling pump technology.
Not just in minimizing pump size, but also in performing CFD test productions to simultaneously achieve high efficiency, even with a reduced scale and develop optimized shapes for hydraulic pumps.
Downsizing by change of structure
Oil flows in a pump
Flow line in the suction casing
In keeping up with larger sizes & higher pressures, Torishima pursues the optimization of both structure and dimensions against the effects of vibration, as well as performing structural analyses to create robust and sound designs that deliver safety and reliability to our customers.
Structural analysis with FEM(Finite Element Method)
Mechanical seals are an indispensable component of pumps. As Fig.1 illustrates, they serve as mechanical seals in end-suction volute pumps. With current mechanical seals, external water-cooling and jacket water-cooling are necessary when high temperature fluids are being sealed (shown in Fig. 2), resulting in increased costs for water cooling construction and circulation.
We anticipate that the development of a mechanical seal for high temperature fluid sealing which does not require water-cooling would dramatically reduce both the initial and lifecycle costs for entire pumps.
Through the utilization of specialized SiC and carbon edge materials, and through reducing the sealing face area to be as small as possible (to minimize heat generation on the edge face), we are currently developing a non-water-cooling mechanical seal for high temperature sealed fluids that is now already undergoing verification testing on actual pumps.
Fig.1 End-suction volute pump
Fig.2 Construciton drawings of mechnical seal
Fig.3 Temperature distribution around mechanical seal
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