The City of Hammond, Ind., recently received a large prefabricated housed booster system that will increase flow capacity for nearby residents by pressurizing the potable water from Lake Michigan.
Two 6 million gallon reservoirs take filtered Lake Michigan water and feed the 93,000 lb booster system, which pressurizes and distributes the water in the city. Energy-saving variable speed controls operate four 125 hp horizontal close coupled, end suction pumps that each pump water at 3,500 gpm at 105 ft TDH for a total system output of 14,000 gpm.
Everything about this system is large-from the 46 ft long by 16 ft wide housing, to the 24 in piping and valves. Due to its sheer size, special permitting and scheduling was required to deliver the system via a 10-axle low-boy trailer. In addition, a two-crane lift was needed to place it securely on the truck.
"The city wanted a quality, self-contained system. We said we could do it and worked to complete the job in the tight deadline asked of us," said Bob Wedell, sales manager for Metropolitan Industries.
Working together with officials from the City of Hammond and Nies Engineering of Hammond, Ind., Metropolitan Industries (Romeoville, Ill.) produced and delivered a complete housed booster packaged solution that was shipped to the jobsite ready for installation.
There were only 80 days available to complete the project after approval of the drawings. During that time, two hurricanes struck the Gulf Coast states, affecting delivery of some components. Team members diligently worked extra hours to meet the deadline.
Components
The structural base serves as the foundation and backbone of the entire system. During installation, the base supported all 93,000 lbs of the system when cranes lifted it on the truck for delivery and then lifted it again at the jobsite. This particular base was large, so welding was critical. All systems were done in accordance with DE 1.1, or structural welding code.
The running of conduits within the structural frame versus inside the actual housing gives the system a neat appearance and eliminates any tripping hazards and eyesores within the building.
The 24 in piping inside the structure is fusion bonded and powder coated after sandblasting to nearly white. The interior portion of the pipe is fusion bonded and epoxy coated with NSF61 coatings. The exterior has a blue poly coat that meets and exceeds all painting specs, making it a lifetime coating.
The brains behind any system are the controls operating it. Hammond's system incorporates the latest in PLC control logic and integrates into the existing SCADA system via cellular communication. The SCADA system allows officials to monitor the system and other sites remotely without the need to be onsite.
Variable speed drives were needed due to the motor size and fluctuating system demand. During off peak hours, one pump may run to meet demand. However, when the city uses more water (for example, during the summer), two or more pumps may need to operate. In the unfortunate circumstance of a fire, the city could activate all four pumps to deliver a higher fire flow. Variable speed technology not only adjusts to the demand seamlessly, but it also saves energy costs because of its high efficiency. Variable speed drives turn any system into a "green," energy-saving system.
A 500 kW standby-generator with an 850 gallon sub base fuel tank supplies power during an outage to ensure continuous water service. During a power failure, the system will automatically switch to standby power by the automatic transfer switch included in the packaged design.
Why Packaged Systems?
The benefits of packaged pumping systems include ease of installation and single source responsibility. During manufacturing, the system is assembled in a controlled environment, eliminating waste, mistakes and reducing completion times.
Packaged housed booster systems make installation simple. Installation of this particular system involved lifting it off the delivery truck and setting it on top of the pre-poured concrete crawl space waiting onsite. Once set in place, workers simply connected the piping and connected power to prepare it quickly for complete operation. Prefabricated systems help the installer with a successful installation.
"Single source responsibility means there is one company to call if there is a service need. End users do not have to consult multiple vendors to determine which company to call, which reduces downtime.
"A controlled environment allows for testing of the system prior to jobsite delivery, which minimizes start-up problems in the field. When a customer takes delivery of a system, they simply need to pipe in, pipe out and run power," said Keith Girup, the municipal sales engineer who coordinated the Hammond job.