A unique construction project is gradually taking shape at the Magirus Excellence Centre in Ulm, where a new pump test bench with a cutting-edge underground water tank is being built. Its ultimate home will be a large, 28 x 15 m hall directly adjacent to the site for foam and winch testing. Not only will the test bench give Magirus significantly improved opportunities for fulfilling the prescribed functional testing, it will also help customers learn to handle Magirus pump systems under ideal conditions.
The underground water tank for this set-up has been under construction for weeks. However, this does not involve drilling a well deep into the Danube valley; instead, an underground tank far below the hall is being built as a water source for the pumping tests. This water tank will hold 100,000 litres and allow substantial flow volumes of up to 17,000 litres per minute – at suction depths of up to 7.5 metres. In addition, it will enable exact tank volume measurement, or so-called metering, for water tanks in vehicles up to a volume of 20,000 litres. Endurance testing under real conditions will also be able to be carried out. Water recycling will underscore our commitment to sustainable water use.
Various pump tests will be able to be performed: dry suction testing, pressure and leak testing or even pump capacity tests. Compared to conventional underground tanks or wells in which large amounts of water circulate between suction and equalising reservoirs, the suction depth in the new system will be achieved by changing the water level in five manhole pits. Such a design greatly reduces the amount of water to be pumped, which likewise reduces testing time.
This unique system is expected to go into operation by the end of the year.
