What polar bearsand Körting jet ejectors have in common
The grey seals, northern fur seals and sea lions in Yukon Bay at Hanover’s zoo pop up behind the polar bears and penguins waddle around, curious to find out what’s going on. You could be forgiven for wondering who’s observing who in this case.
Since 2010, Yukon Bay has been one of seven themed worlds at Hanover’s adventure zoo. For several months now, it’s also been using a Körting liquid jet solids ejector. “There are several areas where the ejector makes our life easier,” explains Daniel Nacke. He and nine other members of staff are responsible for zoo maintenance and, in particular, water treatment.
The animals’ seawater tanks have capacities of 1,900 m3, 1,100 m3 and 275 m3. The water for the tanks is circulated in closed loops and cleaned with gravel, sand and activated charcoal to get rid of organic material such as leaves, left-over feed, or faecal matter. To make cleaning as efficient as possible, the gravel in the filtration system has to be replaced every four to six years. Five filtration systems (capable of processing 7 m3 of material each) then need refilling. The material is conveyed while motive water is added by a water hydrant at the same time.
In addition to mixing into the filtration system, salination is another important task that the mobile pump reliably performs. Because it’s made of stainless steel, the Körting pump has no problem handling the mixture that results from the sodium salt. Sensors and samples of the water taken by the staff ensure that salt levels in the tanks are constantly monitored. The salt level in the seawater tanks for the three polar bears and 35 penguins is at a consistent 1.5%. However, the three northern fur seals, four sea lions and four grey seals need salt levels of 2.5% in the water to thrive. The solution is pumped through the 25 to 100-metre-long pipes and into the tanks.
The overall concept won
Daniel Nacke has worked at the zoo for 11 years, was involved in the construction of Yukon Bay and knows how everything works down to the last detail. “Of course, we did have to think about whether to purchase a pump because it’s an investment.” Ultimately, the overall concept won them over because it cut workloads and meant fewer manhours. “In summer, we need to add salt to the tanks about once a month, which takes quite a while. The cost quickly pays for itself because we then have more time for other jobs.” Environmental considerations also played a pivotal role in the decision. In the past, the process involved small plastic bags, but now large reusable containers with filler necks for the funnel device on the pump are used, which makes everything even easier. The liquid jet solids ejector can handle the exceptional demands made of it and the range of uses in this animal kingdom too.
In other words, purchasing this pump has really been worthwhile.