variable speed drives

[tuckermtn]

does anyone use these types of controls on their vacuum pumps? this is on a dairy pump I'm looking at and I have no clue its usefulness for maple...

thanks...sorry for all the newbie vacuum questions...

-tuckermtn

[Jim Brown]

tuckermtn: on the DeLaval we have it states if you use a 1/2 horse motor the rpm's should be this-if you use a3/4 horse it should be this and if you use a 1hp motor it should be this. We have a 3/4 horse on it and the rpm's are supposed to be at 900.
I would think the varible pulley was for diffrent size motors

just my two cents
Jim

[maplwrks]

I know that new vacuum pumps now have a variable speed drives that slow down and speed up as the system calls for more or less vacuum. They are an energy saving device that a lot of dairy farmers are putting in now to save on their power bill.

[lmathews]

The vac pump that mplwrks is talking about will not work very well for maple.It has a 3" variance for the on and off ratio and would not work as good on the releaser.

[maplecrest]

they are making this pumps for maple, my neighbor has three, when it is frozen up it slows down or when sap flow is light , when thawed out it speeds up. is liquid ring, and has been a real power saver. do not now the name but are large hp.around 10. will follow up.

[lmathews]

please do find out what it is as the variable pumps in the farm industry are vein pumps not liquid rings as that might make the diff.

[maplwrks]

I think the guy that Jeff is talking about is using a huge liquid ring pump. It is a Nash pump. It is a 3 phase pump that he put a rotophase inverter on to operate it on single phase power. This guy runs 26" vacuum all over his woods, producing .65 gallons per tap. He leaves the vacuum on all the time, and as things freeze up, the pump slows down. When it warms up, the pump speeds up creating more cfms. This fellow will be speaking in Bristol this weekend on high yield sugaring if any are interested in hearing him speak. Jeff maybe you can fill in some of the gaps I've missed?

[maplecrest]

if any one is interested in these pumps they range from 2.7hp for 2200 taps max and up to 20 hp.[or larger] those pumps figure 11/2 hp per 1000 taps. if any one is interested p.m. me and i will set you up with the dealer information.