Selecting the right pump type, duty arrangement and wetted materials for a seawater intake — so the system delivers reliable flow for its full design life without corroding, cavitating or contaminating sensitive marine stock.
Seawater combines high chloride content, dissolved oxygen, biofouling organisms and abrasive sediment — a uniquely aggressive duty. The wrong material pits and fails within months; the wrong pump cavitates, entrains air or loses prime; and any material that leaches metals can be toxic to the marine organisms a research facility exists to protect. Reynolds & Bauhm specifies the pump type, duty/standby arrangement and wetted materials around the actual intake hydraulics and the sensitivity of the downstream use.
Mounted in the intake sump or borehole, always primed and quiet. Ideal for beach wells and shoreline sumps; materials and cable/seal selection are critical for a submerged seawater life.
Long-coupled column pumps for deeper sumps with a dry motor above water — robust, serviceable, and common where flow and lift increase.
Dry-mounted centrifugal pumps with flooded or self-priming suction for skid-mounted plant. Easy to access and maintain; suction design must avoid air entrainment and protect NPSH.
Pump SelectorAlways duty/standby. Living stock cannot tolerate a loss of supply, so we configure automatic standby changeover, VSD control to match demand and reduce energy, and a control philosophy that protects NPSH and avoids cavitation across the full operating range.
Selected for chloride pitting/crevice resistance, mechanical duty and — critically — non-toxicity to marine organisms.
| Material | Where used | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Super-duplex (UNS S32750) | Pump casings, impellers, pipework | High PREN; excellent chloride pitting resistance & strength |
| Super-austenitic 6Mo (254 SMO) | Pumps, fasteners, heat-exchange | Very high chloride resistance; good for warm seawater |
| Titanium (Gr.2 / Gr.5) | Heat-exchanger plates, fine wetted parts | Effectively immune to seawater; ideal near stock |
| GRP / GRE | Pipework, tanks, sumps | Corrosion-proof, light, non-toxic |
| HDPE / PP / PVC-U | Small-bore pipe, fittings, screens | Inert, biofouling-resistant, stock-safe |
| Standard 316 stainless | Avoid in seawater | Pits & crevice-corrodes in chlorides — not recommended |
| Copper alloys / antifouling paints | Restrict near living stock | Copper is toxic to many marine organisms — isolate |
We check NPSH available against required across the duty range, accounting for tidal level, suction losses and warm-water vapour pressure — cavitation destroys impellers and dose accuracy alike.
Dissimilar metals in seawater form galvanic cells. We match materials, use isolation/insulating kits and, where needed, sacrificial anodes or cathodic protection.
Seawater-rated mechanical seals (silicon carbide faces), corrosion-proof fasteners and product-lubricated or sealed bearings keep maintenance intervals long and reliable.
Give us the flow, lift, site and what the water feeds — we’ll specify the pump type, duty arrangement and a full wetted-materials schedule fit for seawater and for living stock.
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