Grit deposition in storage tanks, pump stations and sewage overflow basins is an ongoing issue for many councils and water authorities. High specific gravity particles that are not able to be pumped away using existing pumps can settle and accumulate to the point where storage capacities are seriously impaired. The revolutionary Vaughan Floor Washing (VFW) System by Vaughan Co. (USA) has been designed to address this issue.
The VFW System uses a heavy-duty Vaughan Chopper Pump to distribute flow through one or more custom floor washer nozzles. A splashplate above each nozzle deflects flow downwards to spread nozzle flow across a wide and evenly distributed floor space. The system is designed to generate velocities high enough to assure turbulent flow for effective sand and grit suspension to allow the problem material to be drained or pumped away. If required, Vaughan Co. can conduct computer trials using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to simulate how to optimise a system for flushing grit off the floor.
ALL PILED UP: The photo to the right shows substantial sand and grit buildup on the floor of a CSO basin at Dearborn, MI, USA (prior to VFW System startup). All debris was successfully removed after only three flush cycles. The final design was formulated after detailed CFD trials.
VFW Systems can be sized to solve a range of deposition problems in small or large applications. Systems can be as simple as a 3″ submersible chopper pump with single nozzle for clearing settled debris in a pump station chamber, to large, multiple pump and nozzle systems capable of flushing material from a 50m diameter sewage storage tank. The system can be designed to work within any process or tank shape and a range of pump configurations are available. With a Vaughan Chopper Pump installed at the heart of each system, no pre-screening is required prior to the pump and all solids are chopped and conditioned to ensure that the VFW nozzles remain clog-free.
For further information on the VFW System, contact Pump Systems.
