Pollution Engineering - October 2008 - (Page 39)

and weighed the possibility of running air lines from the compressors all the way back to the reservoir. Another option was to run power back there and house the compressors there at the reservoir. But either of those choices was going to be brutally expensive and a logistical nightmare. The terrain between the treatment plant and the reservoir is full of big ravines, and is just a mess. “In the process of researching aeration I came across the Koenders Windmill website [the parent company of Superior Windmills, Regina, Saskatchewan],” said Krawczyk. “The wind power aeration solution has made us think differently. I had started researching water problems stemming from iron and manganese, and aeration kept reappearing as one of the best ways to take care of the problem. So we decided to pursue it.” Krawczyk said he was impressed by the simplicity and efficiency of the windmill aeration system. The wind creates a rotary motion that is converted by the windmill to a reciprocating motion. It pumps a dia- phragm, and that pumps air into the reservoir. The constant-aeration windmill pulls water down from the top, then sweeps it across the bottom and pushes it up as a column of air. The effect is similar to turnover that is occurring at all times, keeping the water oxygenated. Making the call There were two important considerations before making a final decision on the windmill, according to Krawczyk: height and footprint. “The reservoir is located in a wooded area that is sheltered by trees,” he said. “There are not a lot of clearings. We had to keep the windmills at a relatively low height (12 feet) so that we could catch the air currents as they move across the water. Even though the reservoir is located in a bowl and there is not a whole lot of air moving in the area, just a relatively light breeze will keep the windmills spinning.” The other problem was that the reservoir was contained by a fairly narrow earthen dam, so the windmill would require a relatively small footprint. The bigger the windmill tower, the bigger the footprint, so the 12-foot tower was a good solution for both footprint and height. The city’s water department purchased five windmill aeration systems. Three were installed at the primary reservoir, and one for standby. The fifth windmill was eventually disassembled and converted to a water wheel that continuously flows and aerates water at a secondary reservoir. “We seldom run into any repairs,” said Krawczyk. “We just grease the pivots each year. We recently replaced the diaphragms and checks valves, which was simply routine service. We will probably go for two to three years without having to service them again.” PE Ed Sullivan is a writer on technology, based in Hermosa Beach, Calif. For more information, contact Superior Windmill Inc., Regina, Saskatchewan, (888) 821-5533, or visit www.superiorwindmill.com. >99% Elimination of Municipal Waste Treatment Odors No Odors. No Kidding. Ask about Duall duct, fans, PTMD chemical scrubbers, carbon adsorbers and AroBIOS™ bioscrubbers for all of your municipal and industrial odor control needs. Duall Division 1550 Industrial Drive, Owosso, Ml 48867 (989) 725-8184 • FAX: (989) 725-8188 • E-mail: info@dualldiv.com www.dualldiv.com PLE03084Bior.indd 1 PLE10084DUAL.indd 1 2/7/08 11:36:56 AM OCTOBER2008 www.pollutionengineering.com10:54:43 AM 39 9/12/08 http://www.superiorwindmill.com http://www.biorem.biz http://www.dualldiv.com http://www.biorem.biz http://www.pollutionengineering.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Pollution Engineering - October 2008

Pollution Engineering - October 2008 Contents The Editor’s Desk EnviroNews PE Events Legal Lookout Green Connections Clearing the Air Water for People There’s a New Show in Town Catching Wind for Clean Water Taking the Pressure off Blower Selection Pulsed Plasma Positive Redundancy Product Focus: Municipal Water Treatment Product Focus: Monitoring Equipment PE Products Classified Marketplace Advertisers Index State Rules

Pollution Engineering - October 2008

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