Wastewater facility gets screw blowers30 August 2019

A bespoke compressed air solution has been delivered by Gardner Denver distributor Team Air Power to the Kinnegar wastewater treatment plant, operated by Charles Brand.

The wastewater treatment plant, based in Belfast, requires blowers to aerate the sequencing batch reactors and treat wastewater. By oxygenating the activated sludge within the reactor with aeration air, the blowers help break down organic compounds within the wastewater.

Five 132 kW oversized blowers were previously used by Charles Brand for this aeration process, but the units were 16 years old and required increased maintenance. The company’s compressors suffered three failures in as many months, with each repair costing in the order of £6,000. It therefore identified that savings could be made by upgrading its aeration system using advances in blower technology.

The solution involved replacing three of the units with 75 kW Robuschi WS 85 Robox Energy screw blowers, with a payback period of three years.

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The Robuschi Robox Energy screw blower combines a screw compressor with a permanent magnet motor, allowing for pressure up to 1000 mbar(g) and capacity up to 2,600m3/h. Its internal compressor, combined with a permanent magnet motor, is directly fitted to the conductor shaft to prevent loss of power from the belt drive.

Charles Brand can also monitor the operation of the entire unit via an HMI control panel. This can be remotely connected, meaning performance can be monitored anytime, anywhere, and help inform predictive maintenance.

The units were installed in a ‘plug-and-play’ fashion, with the Robox Energy screw blower able to offer energy savings of up to 30%, Gardner Denver concludes.

Adam Offord

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