Wilo Emuport sewage pump installations

Wilo's Emuport sewage pump installations get 'solids separation system' to prevent blockages

Leading pump and pumping system expert Wilo has developed a new solids separation system for its Emuport sewage pump installations.

Currently, moist and moisturised cellulose tissues are amongst the most problematic items in municipal sewage disposal situations.

In contrast to most other solids that are flushed down toilets, this material will not dissolve but manages to keep its original form and structure.

It causes major headaches and on-going problems for operators of sewage disposal systems.

When this material gets into a pump, the hydraulics are often badly affected and it can lead to the pump blocking, resulting in expensive maintenance at the pumping stations.

There is also the danger that if the primary pump becomes blocked, the standby pump can also break down for the same reason, leaving the installation temporarily useless and in need of expensive maintenance.

The new solids separation system developed by Wilo ensures that this material does not come into contact with the pumps during the pumping process.

The basis of the new system is a solids separation reservoir through which all incoming sewage flows on its way into a collection reservoir.

During the filling process, the pump remains switched off.

The incoming sewage flows into the solids separation reservoir first and the solids are held back by separating flaps.

Only the liquid sewage flows through the switched off pump and reaches the collection reservoir.

When the water reaches a certain level in the collection reservoir, and the solids separation reservoir, a shut off ball valve automatically closes the intake.

At this stage, the filling process turns into a pumping process, but in the opposite direction to the flow into the reservoir.

The pump, pumps the liquid sewage out of the collection reservoir through the solids separation reservoir and by so doing opens the separation flaps with the power of the flow.

The sewage transports the solids that are then filtered, out to the outgoing pipeline without coming into contact with the pump.

The shut off ball valve in the solids separation reservoir lowers again and allows the filling process to start all over again.

As well as single pump stations, Wilo also provides dual pump stations.

In these units, the pumps can be used alternately.

A separate solids separation reservoir is assigned to each pump.

In the case of a dual pump station, the sewage passes through a distribution reservoir first from which it is directed into one of the two solids separation reservoirs.

During the filtering and the filling of the collection reservoir by the switched off pump, the other pump pumps the contents of its solids separation reservoir into the discharge pipeline.

The switch of responsibility from one pump to the other takes place when the reservoir of one pump has emptied.

The installation remains completely operative even when one of the two pumps is being maintained.

In addition to the low maintenance costs of the Emuport pump stations, the solids separation system offers further significant advantages too.

Solids separation enables the use of high efficiency pumps with a small ball valve passage - <80 mm - which are powered by motors with comparatively low output and low power consumption - making them even more energy efficient.

So operating costs can be lower than for a conventional installation without a solids separation system.

"The Emuport solids separation system for the Wilo pump stations is an important innovation in municipal and industrial sewage treatment," says Wilo's Gary Stott.

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