Globalisation means the world is becoming increasingly more interconnected – not only through technologies, but also in economic and logistical terms. To hold their own in the face of global competition, African companies and players in all of Africa’s key industries must make their production processes efficient so as to commission high-quality products quickly. This is especially true for operators in the water and wastewater industries. As development cycles in the manufacturing industry become shorter, the complexity of products and associated volumes of data during the product lifecycle increases. Energy has become a significant cost factor, resources are scarcer and environmental requirements more strict.
“Service activities are demanded over the entire lifecycle and customers expect comprehensive solutions from a single source. These challenges are not new to the manufacturing and production industries in South Africa,” says Ryan Chetty, head of the sensors and communications business for Siemens in southern Africa. “It is these trends that we at Siemens keep a close eye on and react quickly to meet the demands of our customers. An example of this is our range of ultrasonic level products, specifically the Sitrans LUT400 range.
“In the water and wastewater industries we have indentified two significant challenges facing operators in Africa – energy usage and overspill detection. Throughout the treatment process, water operators strive to reduce energy usage and costs during pumping. Pump control is always a concern for water utilities, since pumps use a substantial amount of energy, especially during start-up. Premature shutoffs, before pumps reach their full pumping rate, are often responsible for excess energy use and increased expenses.”
During wastewater treatment, continuously monitoring for potential overflow is crucial to protect the surrounding environment. In order to avoid harmful consequences caused by wastewater overspill, proper monitoring of levels in local wet-wells and treatment plants is critical.
“With our new level controllers, operators can be confident of level or flow measurements thanks to LUT400’s patented filters and algorithms,” explains Chetty. “The high accuracy of these new controllers result in cost-effective operations: inventory monitoring is more precise, processes are better controlled and expensive spill cleanups can be avoided. With energy cost reduction strategies growing in importance, especially in South Africa as manufacturing and business processes are being optimised in the light of rising energy costs, the Sitrans LUT400 controllers assist water and wastewater facilities to reduce their overall energy expenses via the energy saving algorithms for reducing pump operations during peak energy periods.”
Sitrans LUT400 technology
Three models make up the series:
* Sitrans LUT420 level controller.
* Sitrans LUT430 level, pump and flow controller.
* Sitrans LUT440 high accuracy open channel monitor (OCM), which also provides a full suite of advanced level, volume and pump controls.
These controllers are a flexible solution for a world of applications: water/wastewater monitoring and pumping, inventory management, crusher control, truck load-outs, or anything in between.
High accuracy keeps operations in all of these applications cost-effective: inventory monitoring is always precise, processes can be better controlled and expensive spill cleanups can be avoided.
A reliable ultrasonic level controller reduces the need to send operators to the application for maintenance. By keeping workers out of hazardous situations altogether, users can immediately reduce the chance of accidents and the resulting consequences.
Sitrans LUT400 series features Siemens’ patented Sonic Intelligence, which continuously evaluates and adjusts for noise level and changing process conditions. The controllers have three relays combined with a suite of pump, alarm, and other control features.
All three models are compatible with the full line of Siemens Echomax transducers. These transducers feature self-cleaning faces and submergence detection, with an operating range of 0,3 to 60 metres, making them an ideal fit for a wide range of industries.
Sitrans LUT400 practical application
The results of implementing the LUT 400 solution at a municipal water company in Ontario, Canada, which serves a mix of urban and rural customers, saw sizeable energy savings and reduced wear and tear on pumps. When pumps start and stop, the sudden torque puts strain on bearings, seals, shafts, impellers and elsewhere. By cutting the number of starts and stops, the introduction of these ultrasonic controllers has decreased the amount of pump maintenance. Plus, with its real-time clock, Sitrans LUT400 helps avoid pumping during peak energy cost periods, saving on energy expenses for this municipal water company. Prevention and detection of wastewater spillage into the area’s watersheds has significant environmental implications for humans and other species living in these areas. Wastewater can contain harmful bacteria such as salmonella, viruses such as hepatitis A, and a number of other dangerous microbes. The intensive cleanup process after a wastewater spill includes restoring water quality by eliminating such bacteria and repopulating the watershed with both animal and plant species.
“By avoiding overspill into watersheds through accurate measurements with Siemens Sitrans LUT400 controllers, this municipal water company is able to avoid costly cleanup and restoration efforts and protect our environment,” concludes Chetty.
For more information contact Keshin Govender, Siemens Southern Africa, +27 (0)11 652 2412, keshin.govender@siemens.com, www.siemens.co.za
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