What is a Reservoir?
A reservoir is a body of water collected and stored for community use. A reservoir can be a natural lake or an artificial lake.

Why Do We Need Reservoirs?
The vast majority of Americans rely on centralized water systems for potable water. Centralized water systems typically include:

• Watershed – A Water Source
• Collection Point – Such as a lake, river, aquifer
• Treatment – Purification and Water Treatment Facilities
• Storage – Reservoirs, Storage Tanks, Water Towers, Standpipes
• Distribution – Network of Pipes and Pump Stations

 What is a Reservoir Monitor?
Centralized water systems consist of hydrologic and hydraulic elements including a Reservoir Monitor. A Reservoir Monitor is a device used to transmit water level information from a Reservoir to a Pump Station.

Why is Reservoir Monitoring Important?
Monitoring the level of water in a reservoir is very important to the general population because it influences decisions ranging from water appropriation to agriculture to hydropower generation. In addition, during times of heavy rainfall, water level information is crucial to planning and flood avoidance.

This growing need for optimizing the use and management water can be met by MultiTrode’s Remote Reservoir Monitor (MTRRM), which gathers water level and I/O data from a Reservoir to be used in a Pump Station at a different location.

MultiTrode’s Remote Reservoir Monitor (MTRRM)
MultiTrode’s Remote Reservoir Monitor (MTRRM) has two analog inputs, one analogue output, six digital inputs, three digital outputs and an input for monitoring the DC supply voltage. The MTRRM can link to a Pump Station via a SCADA system, or in a stand-alone configuration.

In a SCADA network, the CMF (Central Monitoring Facility) typically makes the decisions on activation of pumps. However, when the CMF is not operational for any reason, the MTRRM and remote Pump Station sense this and transmit in a peer-to-peer configuration, increasing water supply reliability. (When the MTRRM detects that the SCADA system is running again, it will revert back to normal operation via the CMF).

The MTRRM can also be used as a forwarding site for messages from SCADA to other units. This is useful for getting information to sites that cannot communicate directly with the SCADA system. Read more…

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A variable-frequency drive (VFD) is a system for controlling the rotational speed of an alternating current electric motor by controlling the frequency of the electrical power supplied to the motor. Variable-frequency drives allow operators to fine-tune their processes while reducing the cost of energy and equipment maintenance. 

VFD’s are quite useful to the water and wastewater industries because they can be used with the pumps, conveyors and drives involved in pumping and aeration applications. For instance, pumping uses excessive energy and cause significant wear-and-tear on equipment. Use of VFD drives enables pumps to accommodate fluctuating demand, running pumps at lower speeds and drawing less energy while meeting demand.

MultiTrode has developed an innovative VFD algorithm which makes it very easy to setup a VFD station. The standard application uses one 4-20mA control loop through each drive. The MultiSmart Pump Station Manager algorithm then provides a smooth power curve as levels are increased and decreased regardless of how many pumps come online.

For example, the lead (duty) pump starts at 50%, and at the level where it is running at 100% the lag (standby) pump starts. A lot of applications would start the lag pump at 50% and keep the lead pump at 100%. What the MultiSmart VFD algorithm does is start the lag pump and bring the speed of both to 75%. (And note that all of these parameters like start speed and level for 100% speed are user adjustable)

Therefore, multiple pumps will always be running at the same speed, and the speed will be adjusted depending on how many pumps are running.

Setup of this module is simple, with only the following values needing to be setup for each pump:

• Start speed, %
• Level at 100% speed

Some additional features help to optimize the station:

• Manual (hand) speed (to ensure that pumps run at full speed for manual/hand mode)
• Fixed speed value and duration if required, e.g. to clear pipes by running pumps at 100% for 10 seconds initially

Read more…

In the well MultiSmart, pump station, Variable-Frequency Drives, VFD, wastewater, water

MultiTrode will be on the road in April…

Texas Water 2010
American Bank Center
1901 N. Shoreline Boulevard
Corpus Christi, TX  78403
4/13/2010 – 4/16/2010
Booth #818

Design-Build for Water and Wastewater
Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center
1501 Gaylord Trail
Grapevine, TX  76051
4/19/2010 – 4/23/2010
Booth #208

APWA /OWEA Show
Renaissance Tulsa Hotel & Convention Center
6808 S. 107th East Avenue
Tulsa, OK
4/19/2010 – 4/21/2010
Attending with Automatic Engineering

79th Annual Conference, Short School, and Expo
Hot Springs Convention Center
400 Convention Boulevard
Hot Springs, AR 71901
4/30/2010 – 5/5/2010
Attending with ISI

Please stop by our booths. There you can find out more about MultiTrode Products.

Featuring:

• MultiSmart – The world’s first Pump Station Manager
• The Probe – The most reliable and cost effective liquid level sensor
• SafeSmart Backup Controllers – A complete backup solution

Read more…

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On behalf of the entire MultiTrode Team – we invite you to attend our new educational webinar series.

Current class offerings include:

• Latest Advances in Pump Station Management
• Introduction to the MultiSmart: the World’s 1st Pump Station Manager
• Introduction to Backup Controllers for Lift Stations
• Customized classes also available

Hurry – Space is filling fast!

To take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity, contact Sandy Santiago at 561-994-8090 or sandys@multitrode.com.

After making your reservation, you will receive an email Webinar Invitation with simply to follow instructions. Then sit back in the comfort of your own office while the MultiTrode Team entertain you with tales of technological advancements and features that will make every day in the field seem like a walk in the park! Read more…

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Maintenance is defined as “actions performed to keep some machine or system functioning or in good working order.”

The design life of most equipment requires periodic maintenance: adjustments, alignments, lubrication, rotating, parts replacement, etc. Every time we fail to perform routine maintenance, we shorten the equipment’s design life.

Maintenance Approaches

Reactive Maintenance

Defined – Run it until you break it! No effort is made to maintain equipment; manufacturer recommendations are ignored. Also called “Crisis Maintenance” or “Hysterical Maintenance”.

Pros - No manpower hours are expended. No maintenance costs are incurred.

Cons – You may think you’re saving money, but you’re not.  Shortening the equipment’s design life may result in higher replacement costs. You may have an additional expense if you’ve worn down your secondary/backup equipment. Then, there is the element of chance – there is no guarantee that a critical piece of equipment will not fail during peak demand, or during weekend/holiday time.

Preventive Maintenance

Defined - Actions performed on a set schedule that detects, precludes or mitigates degradation of a component or system with the aim of sustaining or extending its design life. Also known as Condition Based Monitoring.

Pros – Although it is not the optimum maintenance program, it is a vast improvement over Reactive Maintenance. Performing manufacturer recommended preventative maintenance will maximize the equipment’s design life. Money will be saved by ensuring the equipment runs as efficiently as possible.

Cons - Risk is increased by human error during the performance of maintenance. You may find yourself conducting unneeded (but scheduled) maintenance. Although the risk of failure is reduced, it will not be eliminated.

Predictive Maintenance

Defined – Actions that detect the onset of failure, thereby allowing causal stressors to be eliminated or controlled prior to deterioration of the equipment. Predictive Maintenance differs from Preventive Maintenance by basing maintenance on need rather than a preset schedule.

Pros – A well-organized Predictive Maintenance program will all but eliminate catastrophic failures. The ability to plan ahead will facilitate inventory/part ordering and avoid overtime cost. Equipment operation can be optimized, energy costs can be reduced and system reliability increased.

Cons – Requires staff training and investment in technology.

MultiTrode Can Help

At MultiTrode, we believe Predictive Maintenance guarantees the best results. Predictive Maintenance, also known as Condition Based Monitoring, is the ideal maintenance strategy because it identifies when assets need to be replaced – allowing the utility to plan cost-effective maintenance.

To ensure that the hydraulic and electrical state of the pump and motor can be clearly monitored, the MultiSmart Pump Station Manager measures the following:

• Flow rates per pump, total volume per pump
• Energy used per pump
• Pup efficiency in gals/kWhr or liters/kWhr
• Insulation resistance per pump
• Supply voltage (all 3-phases)
• Current monitoring (all 3-phases)
• Detailed fault analysis for each pump

For a free MultiSmart demo, email UsSales@multitrode.com.

Learn more about the innovative Level Sensing Probe and intuitive MultiSmart Pump Station Manager at www.multitrode.com. Read more…

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MultiTrode is headed to Orlando, Florida. We will be exhibiting at the FSAWWA Florida Section Fall Conference from November 29th through December 2nd. Please stop by booth #525 to visit with sales team members. 

There, you will have the opportunity to check out the latest versions of MultiSmart and the new SafeSmart Backup Controllers, Safe-FS and Safe-TL.

The featured Safe-FS,  SafeSmart’s failsafe level alarm relay, is the next generation of ultra-reliable high level alarming for lift and pump stations. While the Safe-TL, provides an independent backup control system for level device fails. Read more…

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