Simplifying the Approach to Modern Water Systems
Across water distribution and wastewater treatment facilities, electric motors power the equipment that keeps water moving. From raw water and sludge pumps to aeration mixers and ventilation systems, many of these applications experience changing conditions making variable-speed operation effective.
VIDAR’s severe duty, integrated variable-speed intelligence brings speed control directly to the equipment without the need for large drive cabinets or long cable runs. It represents a compact way to modernize water and wastewater equipment by improving process control, equipment protection, and system reliability.
Centrifugal Aeration Blowers
This high-pressure blower supplies oxygen to activated-sludge basins so microorganisms can break down dissolved organic material.
Instead of inlet throttling or blow-off control, VIDAR can finely adjust blower output to follow dissolved-oxygen (DO) demand.
Flocculation Mixers
A flocculation mixer encourages small particles to combine into larger flocs without breaking them apart. The larger and heavier a floc is, the easier it settles out of water. In drinking water mud, algae, and bacteria settles whereas in wastewater organic waste and suspended solids settle.
By using VIDAR, vary speed higher to distribute coagulants quickly then lower speed to gently grow flocs. Operation at lower speed prevents over-shearing and the destruction of formed flocs.
Boiler Feedwater Pumps
Boilers can be used simply for building heat. On the wastewater side boilers provide optimal thermal environments for bacteria in anaerobic digester heating tanks. Other uses can be for preheating service water or speeding up the sludge drying process with hotter air.
Set minimum speed limits at the minimum required flow rate for the boiler, preventing short cycling or high limit errors. No need for long cable runs or large engineered drive cabinets or space in the MCC.
Return/Waste Activated Sludge Pumps
RAS pumps move settled activated sludge from the bottom of the secondary clarifier back to the aeration basin to maintain the desired biomass concentration. Instead of recycling sludge, WAS pumps permanently remove biomass from the activated sludge process.
Programmable speed sequences, reversing capabilities, and over torque alarms can potentially help clear and alert to built-up material on suitable pump designs. Variable speed operation allows sludge recycling to track flow & clarifier conditions (RAS) while helping control solids retention time for WAS pumps.
Odor Control Blowers
Odor control blowers capture and move foul air from enclosed process areas to an odor treatment system such as a biofilter or activated-carbon adsorber.
Odor-controlled air can be corrosive especially when moisture and H2S gas are present, making VIDAR’s IEEE-841 corrosion resistant features beneficial. Use built-in PID control and analog transmitters to hold a negative pressure or airflow setpoint as other enclosures interact with the common header.
Multitude of Water Pumps
Raw, potable, wash, finished, makeup, booster, hot, chilled, condenser, filtered, and many more water pumps are great applications for variable speed control.
The luxury of VIDAR here lies in simplicity. No need to source an engineered panel or actuated control valve or space heater or power distortion filters. Give it an analog transmitter, let it hold the setpoint, and have it go to sleep when there’s no demand.
