Pumps for Sugar Syrup

[iwombat]

Biggest thing you're going to need to remember here is that you'll need to clean that thing. If you're planning on using any kind of caustic soda for cleaning you'll need a bronze or stainless body pump. I'd look into pumps targeted for the beer/wine industry. They should do what you need.

[Chef Isaac]

sorry for the stupid questions but why does it need ot be cleaned?

[Chef Isaac]

what do you think?

http://www.everygenerator.com/Pacer-...C-PCP1003.html

will it work with 2:1 syrup?

[iwombat]

Sugary water is a perfect environment for growing all sorts of bacteria, wild yeasts, etc. Unless you want to ferment the contents of your feeder jars, you'll be wanting to periodically clean out and sterilize the internals of the pump. Even if you regularly water flush, you'll still be left with pockets that can grow things.

I like the idea of using a pneumatic pump. We had one at the brewery back when I worked there (a lifetime ago so it seems). You'd just need a portable pancake compressor to run one. You can also get all-plastic pneumatic diaphragm pumps that will stand up to any cleaning chemicals you can throw at them.

[peletier]

what do you think?

http://www.everygenerator.com/Pacer-...C-PCP1003.html

will it work with 2:1 syrup?

WAY OVERKILL! This is for pumping water out of a flooded basement. 2 inch discharge! You could spray syrup up into the trees!

You are not getting much help here so I will try.
(1)A mobile electric pump will have to be 12 volts...will run off your truck battery. Don't look at anything that doesn't say 12v for right now.
(2)Pressure demand pumps start pumping when you open the valve to squirt liguid. There is no "pressure tank". There is a pressure switch built into the pump that senses when the valve has been opened. These pumps are used in agriculture, boats, and especially in campers and travel trailers. They pump water out of a storage tank when a faucet is opened or the toilet is flushed.
....So, you are looking for a 12 volt pressure demand pump. SHURFlo and Flojet are common brands.
(3) Viscosity of the liquid to be pumped is an issue. If a pump can't handle the thicker syrup, it could burn out pretty quick. You might be able to pick up a used pump at a camper dealer or marina (or Ebay) and test drive it with different syrups to see how it does. $20 would be plenty for a used one.
(4) Another way to go would be to put your syrup into a tank which could be pressurized-you know, with compressed air. A tank fitted with a tire valve can be pressurized with an air hose and tire chuck driven by a 12 volt compressor. Just make sure the tank is rated for the pressure you're going to apply.

[iwombat]

If you're putting the tank in your truck, I'm not sure why a simple gravity-feed w/ no pump at all wouldn't work. Just put a big hose on it, fill below the level of the tank, and you're good to go.

[Flyman]

Chef,

Don't quite know how to help here, but I can give some experience with building syrup delivery systems for candy plants. I never had the restriction of 12V systems. Basically, syrup changes viscosity (thickness) with temperature. At all viscosities a phenomena called "shear effect" is present. The thinner, or warmer, the syrup the easier is is to pump. This effect is called the "Siebolt" effect (I think I spelled it right) and the measurement is called S.S.U. or Siebolt Shear Units. Don't really remember, but I think the higher the SSU the harder it is to pump and the SSU goes up the harder you pump (catch 22).

We were pumping hot (220 degree) sugar/glucose syrup and had to run a rotary gear pump with a gear reduced motor to reduce the speed of the rotating gears or the motor would overheat. The faster the motor (pump) the higher the shear effect and eventually it will not pump at all.

So, you have to operate within the SSU parameters of the syrup you are pumping and scale your equipment likewise. We used a Dayton #6Z622 Gear motor and a bronze impeller hot oil pump, the kind used for pumping oil from fryers (both from Grainger). Unfortunately, the motor is 120VAC, but you get the idea.

Honey would be the same challenge. I suspect honey pumps are designed within these parameters also. The SSU of different materials can be found online and most pumps will have a SSU spec at a certain speed.

Sorry, told you how to build a watch and didn't even tell you what time it is. Just hate to see you spend the money and it still not work.

The gravity feed system in the above post will work well as long as the barrel is pretty full (think head pressure) and the syrup is not to thick (cold) and the discharge hose is not real small. I am thinking not smaller than one inch.

Tom

[Chef Isaac]

I am going to try:

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/4YD42

I talked with one of the tec guys who happens to be a beekeeper and he said this should work. I can return it within 30 days. I plan to test it out tomorrow.

I HOPE it works. My back is killing me with the 5 gallon pails of syrup.

[Flyman]

Chef, Looks like the best of all worlds. The diaphram pump should overcome and shear effect and its even 12V. The thing this gives up is the ability to draw from a high head, hence the 4.5 gpm @ 0 ft . If the pump stays below the syrup tank, I think you got it. The folks at Grainger are good to work with. Bought stuff from them for 20 years.

Let us know,

Tom

[Chef Isaac]

the people are grainger are great. Best customer service i have had in years.

[Tom G. Laury]

Be sure to use wire of adequate guage, chef. If you're going from underhood to p/u bed I would use 8g minimum. Too much resistance, low voltage, burn up new tool. Also maybe make some pigtails on battery cables for good connection. Ground is very important too.

[Chef Isaac]

I bought a battery for this so no drawing from the truck.

So the pump needs ot below the sugar tank. Can I have the hose going into the top of the sugar tank?

[Bob Nelson]

rainesridgefarm wrote:

"I also would like to know a low cost way I trasfer from the 2100 gal tote to the 275 gal tote on the back of the truck to pails to feed"

and Chef Isaac wrote:

"what do you think?

http://www.everygenerator.com/Pacer-...C-PCP1003.html

will it work with 2:1 syrup?"

Pacer centrifugal pumps are what I have experience with. They work great for syrup transfer. Yes they will pump cold heavy syrup from bulk into smaller tanks like rainesridge is talking about. Probably can get by cheaper with 3.5 hp below:

http://www.everygenerator.com/Pacer-...P-PCP1096.html

[high rate of speed]

Chef,listen to keith.Air is the cheapest and you have less mechanical parts to work with.Alls you need is a propane tank,for the syrup storage,a small compressor,the ones you plug into your power point in you truck.and you are off and running.

[Flyman]

Chef,

The spec on the pump is 4.5 gpm @ 0 ft hd. If the pump is at the bottom of the barrel the "head" is the length the pump has to draw the syrup up before it starts going back down. However, once it has done this, it will then be a syphon and gravity will take over. Without seeing the delimiting graph for the pump head vs. GPM its hard to know when it will stop pumping because the head pressure is too great.

I took a 55 gallon stainless open head drum and welded a fitting along the bottom edge. The pump and the outlet are then at the same height and pumping the entire contents of the barrel is not a problem.

Hope it works, I may have to get one myself.

Tom

[Chef Isaac]

Fly:

So the intake should be at the bottom? I need to make sure the hose is connected to the bottom of the barrel and not entering the top of the barrel, correct?

[Chef Isaac]

high: Sorry for the stupid question, but how does it work?

[high rate of speed]

Chef there is no such thing as a stupid question.a propane tank has a bleader valve.fill your tank with syrup.fill your tank with your desired amount of air.to pressurize the tank so you can push the syrup at your desired speed or volume.As the tank gets lower on syrup.hook up the handy dandy compressor once again to your power point in your truck.

[Chef Isaac]

tanks expensive? for the syrup that is?

[Chef Isaac]

and do I need to carry the compessor with me out to the field? If so, how do I draw ower? Battery?