KANSAS CITY, KANSAS (JUNE 10, 2011) — When soccer fans and concert goers enter the new, state-of-the-art LIVESTRONG Sporting Park for their events, one aspect of the park will not be on their minds - whether or not the plumbing is working properly. Nor will it worry Michelle Land of U.S. Engineering Company. Land is the senior project manager for the mechanical engineering firm that installed Grundfos pumps in the new sports facility. She knows that the Grundfos BoosterpaQ System will ensure that the park will run smoothly as well as achieve energy and space savings, all while requiring low maintenance. "The pump package was easy to install," Land says.

The 342,000-plus square-foot stadium seats over 18,000 fans for soccer games and more than 25,000 for concerts. The highest flow demand will occur at intermission, such as halftime during a soccer game. To ensure that sufficient water pressure is available for all stadium water fixtures, a "worst case" flow capacity of 1,200 gallons per minute is required. The Grundfos BoosterpaQ Hydro MPC, consisting of three vertical multi-stage CR pumps, is designed to handle this type of volume, while maintaining constant pressure. If there is no flow demand, the system is designed to switch off automatically. When demand is again required, the system automatically switches on, providing the necessary flow. Reece Robinson, applications engineering supervisor of Grundfos Pumps Corporation, explains, "There are many suppliers to choose from for this type of application, but very few can provide a control system that is as smooth and energy-efficient as the Grundfos Hydro MPC system."

To ensure the system could handle the volume capacity in the new stadium, a "superflush" was performed to simulate the simultaneous flushing of hundreds of fixtures. The Grundfos system passed with flying colors. "We were all very impressed with the performance of the system," says Land. The BoosterpaQ also passed another challenge: the "nickel test," which is related to vibration. Typical installations for stadiums consist of a single-stage end-suction pump, which require on-site adjustments to minimize vibration. However, the Grundfos multi-stage pump requires no adjustments, because the pump is virtually vibration-free, as shown by the nickel test. The test works by placing a nickel on top of the pump - on its edge - while the pump is running at full speed to see if the nickel moves or falls. Not surprisingly, the nickel didn't fall over or slide off the pump.

From the early planning stages of the park, Grundfos wanted to be part of the project. Planning began about a year ago, and Grundfos, together with a local distribution partner, Associated Equipment Sales, began working on this local project. Grundfos Pumps president Dennis Wierzbicki adds, "As a Kansas City-based company, we are excited to provide equipment and help support the Sporting KC facility and team."

The LIVESTRONG Sporting Park officially opened on June 7 with a special ceremony, followed by the home opener for the Sporting KC soccer club on June 9. Rest assured, with the Grundfos BoosterpaQ system in place, the plumbing will be of no concern to the event attendees.

ABOUT GRUNDFOS PUMPS:

Grundfos Pumps Corporation, part of the Grundfos Group, is a global pumps and pumping systems leader, serving the residential, commercial-building and process-industry markets, as well as being a major supplier to the ground water, irrigation, water-supply and water-treatment industries. Founded in 1945 in Bjerringbro, Denmark, The Grundfos Group is a worldwide enterprise that employs more than 17,000 people in 81 countries with North American headquarters in Olathe, Kan.

For more information, visit the website at www.grundfos.us.

For editorial assistance, contact Tom Phillips, Grundfos Pumps in Olathe, Kansas; tel.: 913.227.3411; E-mail: tphillips@grundfos.com.

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