A pumping project can appear simple on paper. Water is introduced at one point and is required to move to another. In practice the distance between these two points can be affected by fluctuating rate of flow, elevation differences and solids, pressure requirements storage capacity,, electrical equipment, maintenance access and restrictions at the site.
Romtec Utilities’ way of design a pumping station is to first determine the operating conditions. This is accomplished prior to selecting the equipment. The requirements for the project are used to design preliminary designs and budgetary data.
Image credit: romtecutilities.com
Let’s start with one question How are We Moving?
The engineering is immediately modified.
There could be a significant fluctuation in the flow rate of wastewater that is used for domestic use. A wastewater lift station must move that wastewater reliably when gravity conveyance is unavailable or insufficient. Engineers need to take into account expected inflow, peak conditions the capacity of pumping, wet-well behavior, discharge requirements, as well as how the facility is operated and maintained.
Different challenges are presented by industrial water. The water used in a manufacturing or processing plant may need to be caustic, oily, or heated at high pressure or temperature. Romtec Utilities designs systems for industrial applications, ranging from food processing and power generation to data centers, pharmaceutical waste facilities and petroleum and gas facilities.
Rainfall could create a completely different operating pattern
Stormwater systems can have long periods of time absorbing little activity and then face substantial amounts during a storm.
A stormwater lift station linked with a detention basin for instance, should work within the overall drainage plan. The runoff is absorbed into the basin. Temporary storage regulates the amount immediately. Pumping systems takes the water it collects into an approved outlet.
Romtec Utilities provided this solution for the creation of an Norco business park in California. The project called for the construction of a pumping station that would empty the detention system of the public stormwater drainage system. The station needed to be designed as a part of the drainage infrastructure that is part of the development, rather than being a separate piece of equipment.
The phrase “package” doesn’t have to mean off-the-shelf
A lot of people think that a system for pumping packages is simply a collection of parts.
For infrastructure that is engineered, packaging could also mean coordinating the key components into one specific system for the project. Pumps, valves and meters and controls, communications structural elements, and other equipment can be selected around the necessary duty requirements.
It is particularly useful in connecting a brand new system to existing infrastructure. In municipal and industrial buildings, there’s usually enough space or a completely clean environment for installation. The equipment could need to be built around the existing pipe systems, structures or electrical systems as well as operating schedules.
Capacity planning can have real-world consequences
The cost of undersizing rises when the facility grows.
In Portland International Airport, Romtec Utilities designed and supplied the sewer interceptor lift station to support the PDX Next expansion. The new station was designed to double the capacity for peak-flow of the existing system because airport facilities are expanding.
This illustration illustrates an important engineering principle: Design conditions are not limited to what a facility can handle on an average afternoon. Engineers must know what happens when demand is high.
The work isn’t done until the equipment is delivered.
In the end, drawings and calculations must be converted into an operating system. The coordination of installations and the documentation are vital to long-term success.
Years after construction, the efficiency of engineered pumping system is assessed. When flows increase, a major storm arrives or equipment requires repair The decisions made during the initial design process become evident.
Romtec Utilities blends these choices to create a complete pumping solution for a particular project. It assists in transforming equipment into infrastructure that is specially designed to meet the specific conditions in which it will be employed.