Singer Model 106 2SC-PCO Control Valve after retrofit
SHERIDAN RETROFITS AN EXISTING CONTROL VALVE AND ENTERS THE AUTOMATED WORLD OF WATER EFFICIENCY.
By Ryan Spooner, Singer Automation & Instrumentation Engineering Manager with Mueller Water Products
Everywhere around us there are networks of water systems storing, controlling and moving water from one place to another. However, with every twist and turn of water through these distribution networks, the risk of water loss increases. Those losses accelerate with aging infrastructure, over pressurized systems and lack of maintenance.
For years, water management systems have exclusively used mechanical components. However, in recent years there has been a push to develop better methods for controlling water and having external interaction with the system. The focus of these solutions is aimed at reducing maintenance, saving water and reducing pipe breakage through remote control. By adding instrumentation and automation to existing systems, users can quite easily gain control over their entire system. Instrumentation, such as flow meters and pressure transmitters, give real time data of a system’s current working conditions. By adding automation tools such as control panels and SCADA integration, users can also manipulate and control the system. Here’s a simple example: To reduce pressures in a system during off peak hours, users can establish a sequence of control outcomes through SCADA to automatically throttle back the system. It’s a simple step that can produce major cost savings; by reducing pressure when demand is low, it can result in a significant decline in water loss – as well as less pressure stress on the system — which reduces pipe breakages and leaks.