Ecuador consistently ranks among the top five banana exporters in the world. Guayas, one of the country’s three provinces, plays a crucial role by producing a substantial portion of the bananas for export.
Grower’s Concerns
Bananas perform best when planted in moist, fertile soil that receives full sun. They need one to one and a half inches of water each week. It’s important not to have too much water since continuously wet soils can harm the plants.
Excess water adversely affects bananas, which are highly vulnerable to root rot. It can also lead to nutrient leaching and increased disease susceptibility. Moreover, excessive moisture can cause the fruit to break and split, making it unsuitable for the market. Proper soil management, drainage, and irrigation are crucial to prevent these issues.
When the wet season starts in Ecuador, pumps are used to avoid the negative impact on banana production. To operate those pumps, most growers rely on the electricity supplied from the main public grid to drive an electric motor that drains the water out of the plantation when rain falls.
Readiness Concerns
During the wet season, water levels rise rapidly, posing a significant challenge. The water pump must be able to react instantly and can’t fail to operate when needed. The unstable electrical supply in remote rural areas in Ecuador further exacerbates this issue, requiring the ability to operate a diesel engine to drive the water pump in an emergency.
Notably, the diesel engine, always on standby, must be ready to operate within minutes and seamlessly replace the electric motor’s function when the electric supply fails. It’s important to understand that a significant constraint regarding space for installing a second pump exists.
Drainage Solution
With that in mind, Dinatek (Eslive SA) went to work. An Electric Motor and Diesel Engine are installed inline and through a Power Take-off (PTO) to activate once the electric motor is off. The Diesel engine drives the water pump through the double-end shaft electric motor with the help of WPT’s WPL314 PTO. It allows the engine to warm up before engagement and cool down after disengaging the PTO. A 3 to 4 second slip time is enough to drive the pump safely.
Water Pump Configuration
Dinatek configured the electric motor and diesel engine combination with WPT’s Mechanical PTO to meet the required power for a 100-hectare banana tree plantation’s rainwater drainage.
| Centrifugal Water Pump | 26-inch, 24.000 GPM, TDH 6m |
| Electric Motor | GE, IE3 250 HP, 4P, double end shaft. (VFD Driven) |
| Diesel Engine | Weichai, WP10, 10L 320 HP, 1800 RPM |
| Power Take Off | WPL314 |
Banana plantations require an ample and frequent water supply, and deficits or too much could adversely affect crop growth and yields. Reliable equipment is vital to that success.
Additional Information Available
A complete Power Take-Off product range is available from an Authorized WPT Distributor near you. They can provide additional information, application assistance, or technical support, helping you make the most of our products. For more details, please visit our website at WPTpower.com or call us at 940-761-1971.