Taprogge

The Taprogge GmbH is a medium-sized company based in Wetter (Ruhr) in North Rhine -Westphalia. The March 1, 1953 by merchant Ludwig Taprogge (* September 18, 1920; † 3 February 2008) was founded in Dusseldorf - Angermund company has been making this point, cleaning systems and later filter for water-cooled shell and tube heat exchangers and condensers ago. The family business with about 350 employees, is considered in this technological field as the market leader with offices and representatives in many countries around the world.

Corporate Development

The brother of the company's founder, Joseph Taprogge, developed as an engineer for power plant technology in the former steam power plant in Essen- Kupferdreh a continuous cleaning system. He built a prototype in the cooling water line of the power plant. These held during operation of the steam turbine, the condenser free of contaminants.

The further developed and marketed by the company procedures took place during the period of the economic miracle by its efficiency in the power plants widespread. The increase in efficiency within the body having the plants power plants since then amounted to about two to four percent, so that this investment pays for itself within a few months. The level of awareness of the purification process was so great that to this day the term Taprogge process has naturalized in the literature in the circles of experts. The company expanded rapidly, therefore. 1957 has already been established a branch in the United States in 1963 was followed by a branch in the United Kingdom and in 1967 a branch office in Japan. On 15 December 1997 was established as previous statements of Chinese production site in Shanghai.

Cleaning equipment

The invented and patented by Joseph Taprogge method provides sponge rubber balls, are injected prior to entry into the condenser in the flow of the cooling water ( 1). At the outlet of the condenser is located in the adjoining pipe line a sieve ( 2), the nominal width of the cooling water line, which retains the balls out of the water flow and transferred to a connecting pipe of nominal diameter DN 80. From there, they are by a centrifugal pump ( 3a) with a capacity of four kW and a pipe with DN pumped back again to the starting 80. To the balls to bring in this cycle for the first time, is located downstream of the pump, a pressure container with removable lid. Within this, lock (3b ) above, the pressure vessel is also located a sieve and a lid. With the flip open, the balls can happen with the flip closed, they remain in the lock and can be supplemented or replaced. The process operates continuously, the pipes remain free of stubborn dirt such as mud, algae, bacteria and scale. The operation of the system is monitored via sight glasses and electronic measuring devices such as a differential pressure measurement. The surfaces of the screens are mounted rotatably on the shaft and can be pivoted when needed to remove contaminants from the water stream. The balls are caught in this process in the lock. This time consuming process is automated (3c ), gear motors (M ) press the necessary drives. The nominal width of the screens has been able to keep pace with the growth spurts of power plant technology to date and extends from DN 150 to DN 4900th for each pipe diameter of the heat exchanger sponge rubber balls must be used with appropriate diameter, in the design of the ball diameter is the possible existence of alleys pipes with a reduced inner diameter into account.

As a special process cleaning systems for the desalination of sea water are produced. This sea water is heated and there is brine. Sole is very corrosive and must be used for such plants highly resistant materials. Because of the large pipe diameter in the evaporators, the cleaning balls have a diameter of up to 45 mm.

Filter systems

In the 1970s, the development of flushing filtration was carried out in order to protect the heat exchangers and condensers before coarse dirt such as stones, pieces of wood, fiber, plastic films and mussels as an additional product line. With today marketed by the company filters the foreign body initially set onto the filter surface. Once between the filter inlet and exits through the dirt a certain differential pressure has formed, the filter is rinsed. While running an electrically driven rotor of the filter surface, which is connected to a pipeline with a connection to the outside. In this pipe there is a valve that is opened during the flushing process. By this arrangement, the accumulated dirt is sucked and removed through the pipe line downstream of the condenser to be protected but in turn leads to the primary cooling-water conduit or to a dirt collecting container. This technology was spread worldwide in the power plants and industrial facilities. The filters are produced depending on the amount of water to be filtered in nominal diameters from DN 150 to DN 3200, the filter surface is made of stainless steel with punched holes. In difficult cases, pollution filter plastic surfaces and grids can be used. As a further design, the company fine filter with gap widths of 50 microns to 1000 microns ago.

Removal filter for pre-cleaning

Since the late 1990s, another filter system offered by the company, which already holds back dirt entering the cooling water system. Basis of the design of this filter system was to protect already during the removal of the cooling water from soiling the consideration, the entire system equipped therewith, and their sometimes long pipelines. The " TAPIS ®" system, called ( Taprogge Powered Air Intake System ) is installed at the inlet of the cooling water pipe in the open water than polyederförmiges housing with flat surfaces and filter regularly cleaned by blowing from a compressed air line. The filter made ​​of stainless steel is used in contrast to the flotsam under water also used no moving parts and mastered largest amounts of water. The filter surfaces consist of a plastic coating and are provided with drilled holes.

Market positioning

The Taprogge GmbH is regarded in its market segment as the market leader. In addition to improving the efficiency of the power plant process is at the company's customers to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide in fossil fuel- fired steam power plants in the foreground. In the world about 90 % of all steam power plants, the cleaning and filtration systems are installed, added a similar level of penetration in the industry. The company has its seat since 1984 in Wengern more stores with Production sites are located in Japan, China and the United States. There are sales offices and subsidiaries in over 60 countries. The products are largely configured in -house designed and manufactured on 10,000 m² of hall space.

Since its inception, the company is a family business owned by the family Taprogge.