Tag: challenge
INTRODUCTION One of the most persistent errors in municipal and industrial fluid handling involves applying centrifugal pump logic to positive displacement equipment. Engineers often approach pump curves expecting a single line intersecting a system curve, but when faced with an Air-Operated Double Diaphragm (AODD) performance chart, they encounter a complex grid of air pressures, air […]
INTRODUCTION One of the most persistent challenges in municipal and industrial fluid handling is not the pump itself, but the configuration of the installation. Engineers frequently encounter systems where high-quality rotating assemblies fail prematurely due to poor intake design, inaccessible valving, or structural resonance—issues directly tied to the physical installation method. Statistics from major utility […]
Introduction In municipal and industrial water treatment infrastructure, the reliability of auxiliary equipment often dictates the resilience of the entire process. While massive raw sewage lift pumps garner the majority of capital planning attention, the failure of miscellaneous pumps—seal water systems, polymer feed pumps, sampling units, and dry-pit sump pumps—frequently triggers permit violations or costly […]
Dissolved Air Flotation: Separating Solids from Wastewater Article Overview Article Type: Informational Primary Goal: Provide municipalities, design engineers, operators, and equipment manufacturers with a practical, technical reference for selecting, designing, operating, and troubleshooting dissolved air flotation systems to optimize solids separation, footprint, and lifecycle cost for municipal and industrial wastewater applications Who is the reader: […]
Introduction to Submersible Pump Metallurgy One of the most persistent and costly challenges in modern wastewater management is the premature degradation of submersible pumping equipment due to shifting influent chemistry. As water conservation efforts reduce flow rates, wastewater becomes more concentrated. Simultaneously, longer retention times in force mains and collection basins accelerate septicization, leading to […]
Introduction One of the most persistent and costly failures in municipal wastewater collection systems is not the mechanical failure of the pump itself, but the failure of the intake hydraulics. Engineers frequently specify high-efficiency, robust pumping equipment, only to place it into a geometry that guarantees reduced lifespan. A significant percentage of premature bearing failures, […]
Introduction Municipal engineers frequently underestimate the complexity of chemical injection at remote lift stations. While the primary sewage pumps receive the bulk of the design attention, the auxiliary chemical feed systems are often the critical defense against the wastewater industry’s most pervasive enemies: hydrogen sulfide ($H_2S$) corrosion, noxious odors, and Fat, Oil, and Grease (FOG) […]
Introduction Peristaltic pumps (often referred to as hose pumps or tube pumps) are frequently selected for their ability to handle aggressive chemicals, viscous sludge, and shear-sensitive fluids in water and wastewater treatment. However, despite their mechanically simple design—typically involving a rotor compressing a hose—they present a unique set of operational challenges. A surprising industry statistic […]
Introduction In the realm of municipal wastewater treatment and industrial slurry handling, the double disc pump has carved out a niche as a robust solution for difficult fluids containing solids, rags, and grit. However, a surprising number of these installations fail prematurely, not due to mechanical inadequacy, but because of improper Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) […]
Activated Carbon Filtration: Removing Contaminants from Water Article Overview Article Type: Informational Primary Goal: Provide municipal engineers, wastewater treatment operators, plant designers, and equipment manufacturers with a technical, implementation-focused guide to activated carbon filtration covering mechanisms, contaminant scope, design calculations, operational practices, monitoring, regeneration and disposal options, vendor selection, and real-world performance data so they […]