Landfills are a demanding application for reciprocating pumps. They are exposed to temperature and weather extremes, liquid and solid waste, plus a variety of potentially corrosive chemicals and gases.

Blackhawk Technology Company’s reciprocating, positive displacement piston pumps are used for leachate and gas-condensate removal. This Chicago-area company is the originator and number-one manufacturer of above-wellhead, positive-displacement piston pumps, used in landfills and other applications worldwide.

Each down hole piston pump can be driven by a pneumatic, electric or solar-powered top head drive motor, which drives the chrome-plated, reciprocating stainless-steel drive rod. The drive rod connects to a down hole piston in the down hole pump barrel. It is this reciprocating down hole drive piston that slowly but steadily extracts liquids from the landfill.

The drive rod slides through a stuffing box. Its tight air
and liquid seals prevents the corrosive liquids in the landfill from coming in contact with the top head drive motor. Leachate and gas-condensate temperatures can range from 56° to 300° F. These liquids can contain high concentrations of corrosive chemicals such as ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and acids. Ambient temperatures can also vary by over 100 degrees.

We like the MEMOLUB lubricators because they are very simple for our customers to maintainMark Bertane
President, Blackhawk Technology

Drive rods need light lubrication to reduce friction and to protect the seal plate cartridge from wear as the cartridge scrapes and wipes the rod of particulate contamination from well liquids. Regular lubrication keeps the drive rod clean and polished.

Failure to lubricate, lubricating only sporadically or over-lubricating can result in premature wear of the stuffing box seals. When they wear more quickly, the pump requires more frequent maintenance to replace them.

Because the stuffing box seals are a critical component of the pump, consistent lubrication is a must. Blackhawk Technology solves this problem using MEMOLUB ONE automatic lubricators from Power Lube Industrial. These battery-powered devices apply minute, pre-set amounts of lubricant, usually oil, to the drive rod at pre-programmed intervals. They are attached to the stuffing-box seal plate’s lube point.

Automatic lubrication helps prevent contaminant ingress associated with exposed lubrication points

“We like the MEMOLUB lubricators because they are very simple for our customers to maintain,” explains Blackhawk president Mark Bertane. The typical landfill contains dozens of pumps, each with its own lubricators. That makes simplicity a must.

“The MEMOLUBs are also are easy to program. Their clear casing makes it easy to see how much lubricant is left in each unit. When the cartridge is empty, it can be replaced in minutes while the pump is still operating,” he adds.

Blackhawk has been using MEMOLUB automatic lubricators on its pumps for over 10 years and is very satisfied with their performance, not only in landfills but also in refineries and chemical plants and for gas well dewatering.

“They are rugged and reliable and help our pumps to deliver excellent performance in all conditions with minimal downtime,” Bertane concludes.