Flovac pump stations are fitted with leading edge technology to ensure your green vacuum sewer system works efficiently and effectively. Each station accommodates the Flovac collection tank and minimise odours due to our innovative bio-filters.
The Vacuum Pump Station (VPS) houses a collection tank of the collected sewage; discharge pumps to send the sewage to the treatment plant; system controls that automate the station and vacuum pumps which create a negative pressure in the vacuum mains. (-0.5 -0.7 bar).
Here is an overview of Flovac’s Vacuum Pump Stations
When it becomes time to upgrade any Vacuum Pump Station equipment then it’s best to consult Flovac first, as important considerations need to be made. For example, changes to pumps may affect temperatures in your VPS, as well as controls in the station.
Upgrades of a VPS may solve any current system problems or it can be an opportunity to add more connections to the catchment area. If you’re considering changes to your VPS, please Contact Flovac’s Engineers or Operators.
Previously collection tanks were made from mild steel and fiberglass. However the majority of Flovac’s Collection Tanks are now made of Stainless Steel 316 to combat wastewater’s corrosive nature and the seaside atmospheric conditions as Flovac has many vacuum systems in close proximity to saltwater seas and oceans.
Depending on the vacuum pump station’s location, Flovac’s Collection Tanks can be either vertical or horizontal. Both versions have an operating volume, and buffer volume.
All sewage from the vacuum network enters the collection tank which is under a negative pressure. It’s held here until the tank is 2/3rds full of liquid, at which time the sewage pumps discharge the sewage to the Treatment Plant.
Non-clog centrifugal pumps are used with a through clearance of 90mm (3 inches). Horizontal pumps are more commonly used to allow for self-priming without equalization lines.
Designers need to account for NPSH as the system will be pumping against a negative pressure in the collection tank. If this is not accounted for correctly, then cavitation will occur. VSD’s are often used to allow for staging of developments or variable conditions.
Typically, Rotary Vane or Dry Claw Pumps are used but Liquid Ring pumps are also used. The operating level of the vacuum pumps is between -60 to-75 kPa (16-21 inches of Hg). This allows pump operational times to be reduced in a well-tuned system.
We typically expect the vacuum pumps to run approximately 4-6 hours per day and the monitoring of the air to liquid ratio is an important operational function. If you are thinking of upgrading your pumps, please read this first and contact us.
Although Flovac supplies monitoring systems for both the vacuum network and the vacuum pump station, many clients also require an integration with their own SCADA networks. For more on Flovac’s Remote Monitoring Systems, click here.
Odours rarely exist with vacuum sewerage systems, as the sewage is never settled for enough time for septicity to occur. As a matter of course, all air coming via the vacuum pumps is treated by a bio filter in the form of a mulch bed.
The sizing and maintenance of this is critical to ensure that back pressure does not impact on the system. Flovac rarely uses charcoal with its vacuum sewage systems due to the warm moist air that comes from the system making it less effective than the mulch bed.
Vacuum Pump Station buildings can be easily designed to blend into the local area.
The space required can be as small as a 10 foot shipping container or as large as a normal house block.
Designers need to account for truck access, a generator hard stand and odour control in their plans.
