Pumps & Systems, March 2008

Soils with high concentrations of clay and silt can wreak havoc on construction sites, drain pipes, sewers and pumps. Users working with soils might want to consider geotextiles as a preventive maintenance alternative.

Soil erosion isn't just a problem for farmers, Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon. Most construction projects have to contend with the effects of water on excavations-not only as a consequence of rainfall runoff but also from ground water intrusion. The mud common to most jobsites at one point or another-tracking over roads and clogging drainage ditches and storm sewers-has lead to the need for more effective control mechanisms that are "user friendly" and low cost. Textiles have been used for centuries to try to filter out the mud and let the water drain away; some original wellpoints used lamp wick and burlap to separate the water from the soil. 

Pumps & Systems, March 2008

The installation of properly sized pulsation dampeners minimize vessel costs while protecting the pump and piping system and improving process efficiency and accuracy.

Pumps & Systems, November 2007

This past summer I received a suggestion from a Pumps & Systems reader to discuss siphons and their effect on pump head and pipeline flow. If you are like me, your first experience with one of these devices probably led to your first - and hopefully last - taste of gasoline. The siphon is an example of a natural and extremely simple machine that we take advantage of daily.

Pumps & Systems, November 2007

New heat activated epoxy-based materials are now being used to repair leaking and corroded pipe work when operations are unable to shut down.

Pumps & Systems, August 2007

How many gallons per minute are REALLY flowing out of that pump?

Perhaps the OEM pump manufacturer tested this pump at the factory - or perhaps not. You now have a pump, or perhaps it has been there for some time, and you suspect that it is no longer pushing the flow as it once did or is supposed to. The problem is there is no inline metering device to monitor the actual number of gallons. What can you do?

Last month, we discussed applications of low head axial flow pumps ("Field Testing: Theory vs. Reality," Pumping Prescriptions, May 2007). Knowing your system is very important for these types of units. For example, consider a recent application where neglecting the system caused problems.

Pumps & Systems, May 2008

In trench-type wet wells, the pump intakes are placed near the bottom of a deep, narrow trench coaxial with the inlet pipe but considerably below it (see Figure 1). The closely confining walls of the trench prevent cross currents, which creates a good hydraulic environment for the pump intakes. The trench works very well for both water and wastewater. The ramp shown in Figure 1 is omitted in clear water applications, and the row of pumps starts immediately downstream from the end of the inlet pipe. Pumping stations with capacities in the range of as little as 2.5-Mgal/d to as much as 220-Mgal/d for both water and wastewater are currently in service and performing well.  Some of these installations are more than 40 years old with no indication of poor or unacceptable pump performance.

Pumps & Systems, August 2007

Editor's Note: Due to the high number of responses from our readers for more information regarding valve applications in "Surge Control in Pumping Stations" (Pumps & Systems, March 2007), this article serves as a follow-up to that discussion.

Buying complex products and services can be just that . . . complex. Engineers like David Griffiths at New York Air Brake need to design and assemble solutions that perform under great pressure, with no room for error or downtime. Griffiths' job is to find simple, elegant solutions to complex problems in the well-established rail industry. He expects the same from his suppliers.