On paper, a pumping project might seem straightforward: water must be pumped from one location to another. In real life, the distances between these two points may be affected by differences in elevation, solids and pressure requirements in addition to storage capacity,, electrical equipment, site restrictions as well as changes in flow rates.
Romtec Utilities’ method of design a pumping station is to first define the operational conditions. This is done prior to selecting equipment. The project requirements are used to design preliminary designs and budgetary data.
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Begin with a simple question: How are we doing?
The design is instantly changed.
Domestic sewage can contain solids and show significant variations in flow. A wastewater lift station must move that wastewater reliably when gravity conveyance is unavailable or insufficient. Engineers therefore need to consider the expected flow, the conditions of peak as well as pumping capacity, wet-well behavior, discharge requirements, as well as how the facility will operate and maintained.
Industrial water presents different challenges. A manufacturing or processing facility could require moving oily, caustic, high-temperature or high-pressure fluids. Romtec Utilities designs industrial systems for applications that range from food processing and power generation to data centers as well as pharmaceutical waste and oil and gas plants.
Rainfall can create a completely new operating process
Stormwater systems are usually inactive for prolonged periods of time and then suddenly face the possibility of a huge volume in an event.
For instance, a rainwater lift station that is associated with a basin of detention must be compatible with the overall drainage plan for the site. The water that flows through the detention basin, the temporary storage manages the immediate volume, and the pumping system moves the collected water to a designated discharge point.
Romtec Utilities supplied this type of service for a commercial park located in Norco, California. The plan called for the construction of a pumping station that would empty a detention system into the public stormwater drainage system. The station had be constructed as component of the drainage infrastructure for the development, rather than being a separate piece of equipment.
Package Does Not Mean “Off the shelf”
There is a widespread misconception that a pumping system for packages is just a collection of predetermined parts.
Packaging can be used to organize the primary elements of a system that is designed for a specific project. Meters, pumps, valves and controls, communications structural elements, and more equipment can be arranged according to the necessary duty requirements.
This method is particularly useful when the system is required to be linked with an existing infrastructure. In industrial plants and municipal buildings, there’s usually an infinite amount of space or totally clean space for installation. There may be a need to modify equipment in order to fit into existing structures, piping or electrical systems as well as schedules.
The Real Costs of Capacity Planning
Undersizing becomes particularly costly when facilities grow.
At Portland International Airport, Romtec Utilities developed and built the sewer interceptor lift station for the PDX Next expansion. The station was developed to provide double the peak flow capacity of the prior system as airport facilities expanded.
This is a great illustration of a fundamental engineering concept: Design conditions are not limited to the capacity of a facility. be able to handle during a typical afternoon. Engineers also have to be aware the impact of the peak of demand.
The Job Isn’t Finished When the Equipment Arrives
In the end, drawings and calculations must be converted into an operating system. Installation coordination and documentation are important to long-term success.
The time between construction and the efficiency of engineered pumping system is assessed. The decisions taken during the initial design phase are evident as flows rise, major storms arrive or when maintenance is needed.
For Romtec Utilities, integrating these decision-making processes into a total project-specific pumping system helps transform each piece of equipment into infrastructure that is designed to meet the demands it’s likely to encounter.