Toilet 'Pump' That Swallows Even Stones

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] Domestic researchers have developed a pump capable of transporting heavy and bulky solids, such as stones, by improving the structure of pumps used in wastewater treatment plants.

The Korea Institute of Industrial Technology and the small and medium-sized enterprise Hwanghae Electric Co., Ltd. announced on the 19th that they succeeded in domesticating the 'single-channel pump,' which can transport heavy and bulky solids like stones.

The single-channel pump operates with only a single impeller structure. It can secure the maximum size of the flow path, allowing it to accommodate large and hard solids. Its energy efficiency is 50% higher than conventional pumps, ensuring economic feasibility.

The single-channel pump developed by the research team has entered the commercialization stage using Jeju Island as a test bed. Since December last year, this pump has been used in Jeju Island's water and sewage systems.

Hwanghae Electric stated, "This developed product features performance equivalent to foreign products while reducing the price by 2 to 3 times," adding, "It can be delivered within a week after ordering and installation." Hwanghae Electric also added a real-time monitoring system for underwater pump operation to predict failures in advance.

Dr. Jinhyuk Kim said, "Although it was a technically challenging study, after many trials and errors, we developed an optimal design method, and thanks to Hwanghae Electric's manufacturing technology, mass production of the product was possible," adding, "In the future, we plan to develop a 2-vane pump with a symmetrical double impeller structure that is both efficient and cost-reducing, in collaboration with Hwanghae Electric."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.