Fluid Handling magazine January/February 2018

HELPING TO KEEP YOUR BUSINESS FLOWING

Issue 1 Volume 6

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

The leak detection frontier

A closer look at a sector that protects one of the world’s most precious resources

Cutting costs through data Knowing is half the battle

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COMMENT & CONTENTS

Contents 2

January/February 2018 ISSUE 1 • VOLUME 6

Woodcote Media Ltd Marshall House 124 Middleton Road, Morden, Surrey SM4 6RW, UK www.fluidhandlingmag.com MANAGING DIRECTOR Peter Patterson Tel: +44(0)20 8648 7082 peter@woodcotemedia.com

DEPUTY EDITOR Daryl Worthington Tel: +44 (0)20 8687 4146 daryl@woodcotemedia.com ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Fraser Owen Tel: +44 (0)20 8648 7092 fraser@fluidhandlingmag.com PRODUCTION Alison Balmer Tel: +44 (0)1673 876143 alisonbalmer@btconnect.com SUBSCRIPTION RATES A one-year, 6-issue subscription costs £160 (approximately €225/$270 depending on daily exchange rates). Individual back issues can be purchased at a cost of £30 each Contact: Lisa Lee Tel: +44 (0)20 8687 4160 Fax: +44 (0)20 8687 4130 marketing@woodcotemedia.com

Join Fluid Handling International on Linkedin to discuss important issues Follow us on Twitter: @FluidHandIntl No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in any form by any mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or other means without the prior written consent of the publisher. Whilst the information and articles in Fluid Handling are published in good faith and every effort is made to check accuracy, readers should verify facts and statements direct with official sources before acting on them as the publisher can accept no responsibility in this respect. Any opinions expressed in this magazine should not be construed as those of the publisher.

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Cartridge seals: standard for a reason Why this seal, developed for the most difficult tasks, is seeing use beyond its original purpose

27

The future of pumps according to Atlas Copco Fluid Handling International talked to two men from the company about the future of the industry and what next steps are for the company

28

Eye in the sky: seeing leaks from space This Israeli company is using technology designed to find extra-terrestrial life to help save water

Optimising pumps for extreme slurry How to move from a conveyor to a pipeline system for best performance

30

Listening to the pipes Fluid Handling International spoke to Mark Nicol from acoustic leak detector, Echologics

Extracting more oil for less New synthetic water treatment media shows big potential to reduce costs of treating produced water from polymer flooding

32

BPMA president on being productive in a challenging economy Although less visible than in the consumer industries, counterfeiting has also been a problem in this sector. For The leak detection frontier Duncan Lewis, not enough is being Cutting costs through data done

10 Protecting equipment from hostile environments

How to prolong the operational lives of pumps beyond expectations with polymetric materials 11

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EDITOR Luke Acton Tel: +44 (0)20 8687 4183 luke@woodcotemedia.com

Latest news

Robots vs water wastage The autonomous machines that could watch our entire water infrastructure all the time

New production processes, new opportunities for the pump industry Emerging techniques in laser welding and 3D printing are expanding what’s possible

HELPING TO KEEP YOUR BUSINESS FLOWING

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

22

Your plant is telling you what’s wrong. Are you listening?

Applying automation diagnostics for predictive safety management

Don’t miss out on future editions. Head to www.fluidhandlingmag.com to subscribe to Fluid Handling International, and read a free copy online

Issue 1 Volume 6

A closer look at a sector that protects one of the world’s most precious resources

Knowing is half the battle

Picture from bigstockphoto.com © kodda.

Comment

Automation and the increasing integration of data are persistent trends across the economy.

For industries that deal with water, these advances are essential to improving the systems that manage one of the world’s most valuable resources. A 2016 World Bank report indicates that water scarcity is directly correlated with civil violence, a fact that underscores the need for these solutions.

There are improvements in more conventional, acoustic, leak detectors, like with Echologics’ ePulse system, but the most striking developments are in the use of new vehicles for managing water wastage: robots and satellites (go from page 12 to read about all of these approaches).

Through various sensors that range from a skirt that detects suction to microwave emitters, these platforms are pushing our capacity to conserve as much water as physically possible.

Despite differences in approach, what all of these systems share is their effort to provide network operators with up-to-date information on their assets in the most efficient and accurate way possible. This is a goal that neatly intersects with the wider drive towards ‘smart cities’ that can use data to optimise public utilities and services. Public and private entities are looking for ways to adapt to financial, political and social changes in the most economical way possible.

And while these technologies and automation are made to reduce the need for human activity, they still require operation by people. On page 22 Emerson’s Vimal Ghumman explains how to manage assets and keep plant operators in the loop when running advanced systems.

On the opposite end of the manufacturing scale from mass, automated plants, on page 22 KSB looks at how 3D printing and other methods have made small-run bespoke manufacturing viable and profitable.

In all, this edition of Fluid Handling International, whether it is for the environment, money, or both, is about how technology can help the industry perform at its best when it is applied correctly. Please enjoy, Luke Acton, editor

ISSN 2399-5602 1

FLOWMETER NEWS

Coriolis flowmeter wins Swiss Technology Award

Endress+Hauser has won the Swiss Technology Award, Innovations Leaders category, for its Promass Q flowmeter.

The Coriolis-based flowmeter, developed with applications in the oil & gas and food & beverage industries in mind, was cited by the Swiss Technology Award panellists for its accuracy in difficult conditions. The prize was awarded during the Swiss Innovation Forum.

Endress+Hauser designed the Promass Q to be able to measure mass flow, volume flow and density under fluctuating process conditions. According to the company, many other measuring devices require an ideal environment with stable process conditions and single-phase, homogenous media.

The Promass Q also features Endress+Hauser’s multifrequency technology, which allows active compensation for measurement errors caused by entrained gas trapped in the medium, all in real-time. The flowmeter also includes integrated diagnostics and Heartbeat technology, enabling verification of the sensors, measurement tubes and measurement electronics while the process is running.

The Swiss Technology Award has been awarded by organisers of the Swiss Economic Forum since 2007. It aims to identify technology innovations and developments that make an important contribution to industry and society. z

New Titan OG5 1.5” variant

Titan Enterprises reports that it has developed an adapted version of its OG5 flowmeter for a leading supplier of mobile rock crushers to monitor oil flow to the rotating cylinder bearing mechanism at the heart of their system.

Industrial crushers are used in a wide range of materials processing sectors which include aggregates, landscaping, infrastructure and road building, construction and demolition, mining, waste management and recycling.

To ensure reliable operation, monitoring of lubricating oil flow and pressure to the main drive bearings in crusher units is critical. The specification for the flowmeter included that it could not impede lubricant flow and had to have a low pressure drop even at full flow with cold, thick oil. While Titan Enterprises’ standard OG5 flowmeter met the flow requirements, the standard 1-inch diameter flow pathway was considered too small as it may restrict lubricant flow.

After initial successful proof of concept trials with the standard OG5 flowmeter, Titan redesigned the aluminium version of the meter to have 1.25-inch diameter connections to reduce the pressure drop at minimum operating temperature and maximum flow. In addition, a transparent cover was fitted to the flowmeter so that the operator could visually verify oil flow. Further customisation allowed the flowmeter to be plugged directly into the customer’s wiring loom. z

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www.global-leakage-summit.com 2

FLUID HANDLING INTERNATIONAL l JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

PUMP NEWS

Watson-Marlow introduces new pump to Qdos 20 range

A new addition to the Qdos range of chemical metering pumps, the pump is designed with maintenance reduction in mind.

It has been developed to offer enhanced accuracy for sodium hypochlorite metering in disinfection applications with flow rates to 20 litres per hours at a maximum of 7 bar pressure. It is suited for applications at the well sites of many smaller water treatment plants, where operators are often injecting into water lines at higher pressure.

Qdos 20 features the same interface and control options so that users have continuity with any existing Qdos applications. Aimed at low total cost of ownership, the new model is designed as a drop-in replacement for diaphragm pumps. Qdos pumps also include the ReNu pumphead for single, no-tools maintenance.

The Qdos 20 peristaltic pump technology uses two tube channels; where the channels are operated out of phase.

Although peristaltic pumps are generally lower in pulsation than other positive displacement pumps, Qdos 20 reduces this pulsation further by alternate tube compressions ensuring pulsation is balanced out. According to Watson-Marlow, this results in almost continual positive fluid displacement, and consistent metering of chemical into the application.

Process uptime is maximised by facilitating quick, safe and easy pumphead removal and replacement, with no need for tools, no specialist training and no maintenance technicians needed on site. The contained pumphead design with integral leak detection reduces wastage and eliminates operator exposure to chemicals. z

Netzsch Nemo progressive cavity pumps

Netzsch has expanded its line of full service-in-place (FSIP) industry-leading Nemo progressive cavity pumps. The maintenance-friendly FSIP design has been re-engineered to provide access to all the pumps’ rotating parts. Users can open the inspection cover of the pump housing, dismantle all rotating parts and simply install them again without having to remove the pump from the pipe assembly or having to disconnect wiring. The Nemo’s rotor-stator unit can be lifted out after opening the newly designed inspection cover on the pump housing without the need for specialised tools. The company says that this reduces installation and maintenance time.

With the FSIP pump, all wearing parts can easily be replaced when opening the pump, a design intended for ease of installation.

Nemo progressive capacity pumps are designed with the intention to enable continuous, pressure-stable, gentle and low-pulsation conveyance of process fluid without being affected by fluctuations in pressure and viscosity. The pump is available in multiple styles, with four rotor/stator geometries and a selection of engineered joints and sealings that can be tailored to suit specific applications. z

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FLUID HANDLING INTERNATIONAL l JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

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VALVE NEWS

Sofis to supply 4,500 valve interlocks to Kuwait Sofis is to supply 4,500 Netherlock valve interlocks to an EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contractor in Kuwait. It is ‘one of the largest’ valve interlock orders of the last ten years, according to a press release from the valve operations specialist.

The EPC contractor is delivering the first phase of a heavy oil development programme for the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC). The interlocks will mainly be fitted to pressure safety valves and pig traps.

Sofis’ local engineering support capability was apparently a key consideration when the company was chosen for the project.

Sofis has a regional office in Dubai, allowing close coordination between it and other project teams on the heavy oil development programme.

The Kuwait Oil Company project covers greenfield and brownfield facilities, including engineering, procurement, construction, pre-commissioning, commissioning, start-up, and operations and maintenance work for the main central processing facility (CPF) and associated infrastructure, as well as the production support complex. This includes a 162-km pipeline to transport the heavy crude from the CPF to the South Tank Farm located in Ahmadi. z

Valve access issue solved at Kansas water treatment plant

A water treatment facility in Olathe, Kansas, has deployed a novel solution to a valve access problem.

The gravity filter plant houses 18 butterfly valves in an area beneath a walkway, making access and operation of the actuators a complicated task. Recent rehabilitation work at the facility has included the installation of Rotork IQ3 intelligent electric valve actuators, replacing the electric valve actuators from a different manufacturer and helping address the access problem.

According to a Rotork The Rotork RHS mounted on the walkway enables the user to conveniently and safely operate, statement, Remote Hand interrogate and configure the IQ3 actuators below Stations (RHS) have been installed alongside the new actuators. These RHS provide an exact duplicate of the actuator switches, display window and control interface. The devices are mounted on the walkway to enable the user to safely operate, interrogate and configure the actuators below.

Each RHS is powered by the actuator, with which the unit shares all the benefits of the same O-ring sealed IP68 double-sealed environmental enclosure. Rotork claims that standard comms wiring suitable for the operating environment is all that is required between the actuator and the RHS, which can be installed at a distance of up to 100 metres (328ft) from the valve.

Using the Rotork hand-held setting tool with its secure wireless Bluetooth link, this information can be downloaded and transferred to a PC for analysis using Rotork Insight2 diagnostic software to fulfil asset management requirements. z

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FLUID HANDLING INTERNATIONAL l JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Siemens launches Pipelines 4.0, aims at North American midstream operators Siemens has launched Pipelines 4.0, an integrated approach to the engineering, supply and life cycle optimisation of pipeline assets, tailored to meet the needs of North American operators. It combines equipment and turnkey packages for pipeline stations with data analytics, life cycle service and cyber security.

The company is looking to streamline the oil industry’s means to move oil.

Despite the pressing demand for pipelines, operators face a number of challenges of their own. These include a potentially ‘lower for longer’ price of oil and gas, intense competition, the need to reduce capital expenses and operating expenses, ageing assets, the effective management of large amounts of data, cyber security concerns, tightening legislation and the looming retirement of highly experienced personnel.

Pipelines 4.0 is Siemens’ attempt to answer these problems. It comprises

solutions for pump and compressor stations to enhance efficiency, data analytics and life cycle services to manage critical asset performance, cyber security services to protect information and ‘smart’ equipment, and support teams to facilitate inter-company communications.

A major supplier on multiple largescale projects, Siemens supports liquids and natural gas pipelines, with a focus on pump and compressor stations, as well as tank farms, terminals and storage facilities.

Relating to data analytics, the company developed ‘Smart Pump’ to optimise the power consumption of pipeline pump stations. According to Siemens, the company has invested more than €10 billion in software in the last 10 years. Their software-based solutions include the use of digital twins and the company’s internet of things platform, MindSphere, to optimise pipeline asset performance. z

rmation : Additional Info

California university develops pipe-assessing robot PipeFish is designed to log the condition of pipe interiors and find damage before it becomes an issue.

The University of Southern California’s Polymorphic Robotics Lab, led by director Wei-Min Shen, made the robot to be as undisruptive as possible, being inserted via fire hydrants instead of having to dig-out the pipes and manually inspecting them or using externallyapplied devices. The robot uses video and other sensors aimed at detecting “flow rate, gas space, illegally dumped chemicals and flammable materials” to capture data while logging its position.

Using the robot, there is no need to stem water supply during deployment as it travels passively with the flow, and the robot’s data allows for efficient identification and replacement of problem pipes.

In a statement from the university, Ray Hardjadinata, associate engineer with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, said: “The ability to perform accurate and efficient condition assessments on buried pipes will tremendously help Los Angeles and other cities with ageing infrastructures”.

Parts of Los Angeles’ water infrastructure is over 60 years old, determining which pipes need replacing in this ageing network is a constant effort.

Talking about the future of the project, Shen said: “The plan is to eventually send PipeFish through every major water pipe in L.A. to identify risk and help officials prioritise which pipes need to be repaired or replaced first.”

For more information, see our feature on PipeFish and another robot on page 12. z

FLUID HANDLING INTERNATIONAL l JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

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TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Digging data not ditches A OneBridge-Phillips 66 joint development project is set to advance digital management and machine learning for pipelines into the cloud.

The US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration reports that since 1997, in natural gas pipelines alone incidents have resulted in 322 deaths and damages totalling to over $7 billion. Ageing infrastructure and increased public scrutiny on how energy companies conduct their business means that being able to know what a pipeline looks like and where the problems are is only becoming more important.

In September 2017 OneBridge, a software company out of Alberta, Canada, supplied the Houston-based diversified company, Phillips 66 with something to address this issue: a machine learning and data science system called the cognitive integrity management (CIM) solution.

Now both companies are looking to build on the system by moving the software into an online app, dubbing it the ‘integrity management solution’ (IMP).

The IMP is now in development, and is aimed at catering to the needs of major pipeline operators.

The previous pipeline management solution was a combination of the CIM and Phillips 66’s pipeline data management system (PT-DMS). Phillips 66’s system was developed to be a comprehensive solution to manage its pipelines, combining functions including assessment team scheduling, analyses of data integrity and anomaly worklist tracking.

The CIM built on this by providing data normalisation and alignment, and applying machine learning technology to identify threats to the pipeline. In a statement, the software company said that they reduced the time it took to analyse the data from ten weeks, to two hours. CIM also allowed all of the data to be assessed whereas the previous manual process could only process 5% of data collected.

OneBridge has patented this machine learning technique.

The resulting boost in awareness of pipeline condition allows companies to streamline their maintenance programme and allow engineers to spend more time on more substantial tasks like risk analysis and corrosion modelling.

OneBridge is also preparing to use Microsoft’s HoloLens to enhance pipeline assessment.

In a press release, OneBridge President Tim Edward said: “This development project with Phillips 66 represents an important milestone for OneBridge…

Our vision at the outset was to develop a cloud application that enables pipeline operators to manage their pipeline assets as smart infrastructure.”

CTO Brandon Taylor added: “PT-DMS is one of the most comprehensive and sophisticated pipeline management solutions within the industry today, which will ease migration to the cloud and reduce time-to-market for IMP.” z

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Trelleborg collaborates with LNG companies on jettyless gas transfers Trelleborg has announced the successful test of the Universal Transfer System (UTS) conducted with Connect LNG and Gas Natural Fenosa, and says it provides evidence of the new applications that its suite of products for jettyless LNG transfer can unlock in the field.

The UTS transferred LNG from the Skangas-chartered LNG carrier Coral Energy to the onshore terminal at the Norwegian port of Herøya on October 7 and is now in commercial operation. Calling it a ‘plug and play’ solution, Trelleborg says that UTS requires no modifications to the LNG carrier. Instead, the platform manoeuvre offshore to meet a vessel, removing the need for costly and environmentally intensive dedicated small/medium-scale LNG vessel harbours and jetty structures.

The system consists of Trelleborg’s Cryoline LNG hoses, attached to a floating platform, which incorporates Trelleborg’s ship-shore link technology and a selection of its marine fender systems.

Vincent Lagarrigue, Director of Trelleborg’s oil and marine operation, commented: “The UTS shows that LNG infrastructure doesn’t need to be bound by the same thinking that underpins transfer solutions for fossil-based energy. Instead, it demonstrates how new ideas are creating the foundations for safe, efficient and convenient infrastructure that can keep pace with the rapid evolution of the LNG market, both as a power source and marine fuel.”

The company says that the UTS’ hose and platform can be retracted when not needed, or when harsh weather conditions would present hazards to the LNG platform. Trelleborg offers these platformbased solutions either as a standalone unit, or to enhance a larger terminal’s ability to handle deliveries to and from a broader range of vessels.

Multiple technologies are incorporated into the system. Cryoline is the first floating hose of its kind to receive EN1474-2 accreditation, using flexible rubber-bonded hose technology designed to minimise boil-off and withstand difficult environmental conditions. The safety of the system is provided by an integrated monitoring system using fibreoptic technology. z

FLUID HANDLING INTERNATIONAL l JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

New approach can save up to 95% of energy used for pipelines

A study shows that pipeline turbulence can be destabilised in a way that returns it to a more efficient flow.

Scientists who work out of the Institute of Science and Technology in Austria, developed the technique as an alternative to only minimising the effects of turbulence. According to the article, the energy used to pump fluids, from water to crude oil, accounts for about 10% of electrical energy consumption globally.

In order to return to the most efficient flow (called a laminar flow, where fluid travels in layers that don’t mix), turbulence is initially increased to destabilise the current in such a way that it naturally reverts to a laminar flow.

“Nobody knew that it was possible to get rid of turbulence in practice. We have now proven that it can be done. This opens up new possibilities to develop applications for pipelines,” said Jakob Kühnen, co-first author of the study.

One cause of turbulence is the difference in the velocity of liquid next to the pipe wall to that in the centre due to friction between the pipe and the liquid.

The researchers managed this effect by placing rotors in the flow that reduce the difference between the speed of the liquid at the centre of the pipe and at the edge.

Another method was to inject fluid through the pipe wall to alter the velocity of the liquid.

Although their techniques have been shown only at relatively low velocities, the group is confident of scaling-up to meet industrial requirements: “In computer simulations, we have tested the impact of the flat velocity profile for Reynolds numbers up to 100.000, and it has worked absolutely everywhere. The next step is now to make it work also for high speeds in the experiments,” said Björn Hof, another co-first author. z

2D flow visualisation tech could improve understanding of multiphase flow

Flow measurement specialist NEL is investing in 2D flow visualisation technology; the Scottish company claims to be the first in the world to do so.

According to a statement, the new technology uses 2D x-ray tomography to produce high-definition images of complex multiphase flows, which cannot be captured with conventional instruments. This is apparently a more precise reproduction of flow patterns, which will optimise meter design for specific operating conditions, in turn ensuring greater measurement accuracy, reducing uncertainty and minimising operators’ financial exposure.

“A global first for the oil and gas industry, this new technology will allow us to look in unprecedented detail at meter performance versus flow dynamic structures,” said Multiphase Domain senior advisor at NEL, Dr. Bruno Pinguet.

“This will help us to advance our understanding of how complex multiphase fluids behave, so that the quality of factory acceptance testing for multiphase meters will improve significantly.”

NEL’s system is designed primarily for measuring multiphase flows in horizontal and vertical pipes, and will be capable of determining the 2D phase fractions within a multiphase pipe flow in real-time. It also offers extremely high-frequency data capture of over 150 frames per second, delivering detailed tomographic reproduction of the cross sectional phase distribution (oil, gas, water) within the flow regime.

NEL says that 2D x-ray tomography eliminates many of the limitations currently experienced with established flow measurement approaches, such as poor image resolution and high-sensitivity to errors caused by the addition of process fluids. It therefore remains unaffected in conditions where traditional electrical technologies would fail. z FLUID HANDLING INTERNATIONAL l JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

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BUSINESS AND POLICY NEWS

Tax for oil spill clean-up expires

Emerson buys productivity software company ProSys

Fluid Handling International reported at the end of last year that the tax supplying the Coast Guardadministered fund was about to expire.

It has now expired and is accompanied by a broad liberalisation of drilling regulations.

Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund was maintained with a $0.09 per-barrel tax.

The balance of the fund is estimated to be at $5.7 billion (€4.6 billion), with at least $225 million (€180 million) spent in disbursements over $250,000 (€200,000) in 2015 alone.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has proposed expanding the scope of domestic drilling and scaling-back safety regulations.

Last year, President Trump’s 28 April executive order directed that “It shall be the policy of the United States to encourage energy exploration and production, including on the Outer Continental Shelf,” citing leadership in global energy production and energy security as the rationale. This statement added that the government should ensure that “such activity is safe and environmentally responsible”.

The executive order has been followed by The Department of the Interior’s (DoI) Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement introducing a proposed rule that would release oil companies from their obligation to get critical safety and anti-pollution measures vetted by an independent third party.

4 January this year the Department of the Interior (DoI) published a report outlining a five-year lease programme for drilling operations on the outer continental shelf.

However, the Los Angeles Times has pointed to problems with the President’s proposals: uncertainty about oil prices discouraging additional drilling, states’ ability to obstruct possible leasing for offshore operations, and widespread local opposition to new oil operations being a few.

The plan has also met resistance on the east coast. After proposing the plan for expanded OCS drilling, Secretary for the Interior Ryan Zinke said that oil operations would not be expanding in Florida, after opposition from Republican Governor Rick Scott. z

Emerson announced 18 January that it has acquired ProSys, a supplier of software and services aimed at increasing productivity and safety across a range of refining industries. The goal for the company is to make operations and response to abnormalities easier.

“Adding ProSys’ differentiated technologies and expertise allows us to help our customers improve plant performance, safety and profitability by optimising their human and automation resources,” said Mike Train, executive president, Emerson Automation Solutions.

“With ProSys, we can provide innovative control and operator performance capabilities to make control room operators far more effective.”

“Our specialisation in software and services that increase operator performance builds on Emerson’s market leadership in automation control systems,” said Dustin Beebe, president and CEO at ProSys. “By working together as one, we can provide even more operational and

8

financial value to customers.” Beebe will join Emerson as vice president of control and operator performance.

The company said in a press release that the addition will enhance Emerson’s ‘Operational Certainty’ programme, which it described as a way to “help industrial companies achieve Top Quartile performance in areas of safety, reliability, and production.”

PyroSys’ inventory includes products designed to manage alarms that are essential to plant production and safety, on top of handling dynamic plant states. The company has also developed graphic interfaces to assist inter-operator communication.

In May 2017, Emerson purchased Mynah Technologies, a provider of dynamic simulation and operator training software. Emerson hopes that these two acquisitions will complement each other in their ability to keep operators abreast of technological developments and working in the most efficient way possible. z

Construction preparation begins on Keystone XL The company has secured enough 20 year order commitments to proceed to the next stage of the project. The orders represent a supply of 500,000 barrels per day. TransCanada, the owner of the pipeline, is continuing to look for further longterm supply contracts.

As well as private contracts, the Alberta Government has agreed to ship 50,000 barrels of regionally produced oil per day through the pipeline, according to local press. At capacity, Keystone XL is expected to be able to transport 830,000 barrels per day.

The company said in a statement that it was working with land owners to secure the necessary easements along the approved route. Preparation for work has begun and will increase as the necessary permit process progresses in 2018.

Construction proper is expected to begin in 2019.

TransCanada’s president and CEO said in a press release: “Over the past 12 months, the Keystone XL project has achieved several milestones that move us significantly closer to constructing this critical energy infrastructure for North America.” He also said that he was grateful to the Trump administration as well as regional government support from Nebraska and Alberta.

The pipeline extension has become a bitterly contested project, with environmentalists, Native Americans and some landowners and ranchers opposing construction. If completed, it will transport oil from Canada’s tar sands (another source of contention, as tar sands are often seen as one of the dirtier energy sources) in Alberta to markets in the US. The Obama administration had withdrawn approval for Keystone XL (the fourth phase of the Keystone project) in 2015, which was then overturned by President Trump in 2017. z

FLUID HANDLING INTERNATIONAL l JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

BUSINESS AND POLICY NEWS

AxFlow to be new industrial sector distributor for Hidrostal Hidrostal has made AxFlow a ‘key’ UK distributor for their range of screw centrifugal pumps for the industrial and process sectors.

According to AxFlow, they are the UK’s largest distributor of process pumps, which they supplement with a network of service support facilities. Hidrostal believe that AxFlow’s process experience will Hidrostal Blue End Suction pump, open up opportunities and image courtesy of AxFlow applications for their pumps within the marketplace.

AxFlow said that: “the addition of Hidrostal’s screw centrifugal pumps to their product portfolio is an important development that allows them to offer a well-engineered, low shear pump design capable of handling liquids with high solid contents for medium to large transfer volumes and in situations with low NPSHa.” z

Metso appoints interim president and CEO The Finnish company has said that current CFO Eeva Sipilä will take over from out-going president and CEO, Nico Delvaux, 3 February.

It was previously thought that Delvaux might leave the company as late as June 2018. Metso said that the search for a permanent CEO is ongoing.

The appointee, Eeva Sipilä, has been CFO since 2016, after working at port machinery manufacturer CargoTec, also as CFO. Delvaux announced his departure from Metso 14 December last year after less than six months in the job, having arrived in August.

He is moving to Swedish lock maker Assa Abloy, saying that their offer was a ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’.

Metso manufactures industrial machinery for several industries and is listed on the NASDAQ OMX in Eeva Sipilä will take over as interim president and CEO of Metso 3 February Helsinki, Finland. z

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FLUID HANDLING INTERNATIONAL l JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

9

COATINGS

Protecting equipment from hostile environments How to prolong the operational lives of pumps beyond expectations with polymetric materials

Pumps are at the heart of any fluid handling system and the second most common piece of machinery used in general industry.

Heavy use of pumps coupled with the detrimental effects of erosion and corrosion can deteriorate efficiency over years of service, resulting in increased energy costs. In-service deterioration cannot be negated completely. However, through the use of protective polymeric coatings, which provide an additional barrier against the effects of corrosion, erosion and cavitation, pumps can significantly exceed their expected design life.

In some instances, the lifespan of pumps that have been coated using polymeric systems have been dramatically extended.

Notably, cooling water pumps at Vales Point Power Station in New South Wales, Australia, are still functioning efficiently after being initially repaired and coated using polymeric systems back in 1980, spanning an in-service period of 37 years.

Exposing the galvanic nightmare Towards the end of 1978, two of the main cooling water pumps at the power station were examined following a turbine failure. The inspection revealed a vast amount of damage. Together, the high velocity salt water, alongside prolonged immersion in a solution featuring hydrogen sulphide, methane and considerable decaying marine life, had created a severely corrosive environment.

In addition, the pump’s composition included an assortment of stainless steel castings, austenitic cast iron, standard grey cast iron and a small amount of phosphor bronze. This contributed to a galvanic corrosion nightmare. Furthermore, some of the marine growth, including crustaceans, had penetrated up to 0.5 inches (12.7mm) into the cast iron. At this stage, temporary repairs were made by fitting false flanges and using a tar epoxy coating. The pumps were put back into service and the power station made immediate enquiries into replacement components.

Polymeric solution offers viable alternative

Pump inspection revealed severe internal and external deterioration

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Pump restored, coated and reassembled before returning to service

Amid enquiries at the beginning of 1980, senior maintenance engineers from the power plant consulted Belzona’s Australian Distributor, Rezitech, to discuss the repair and protection of the cooling water pumps with polymeric solutions. Previous pump applications using polymeric materials pointed to answers for the power station.

Interest culminated in a request to inspect the pumps and advise on the possibility of repairs. Shortly after, partial restoration of one of the main cooling water pumps began, with the work being completed in 12 days and the pump returned to service. Impressed with the visual results, it was decided to carry out a full reclamation on the next pump.

Each pump measured a total of 52ft (15.8m) in height, dictating that the repairs were completed in a quarry off-site; in part, due to local regulations restricting gritblasting in an industrial area. Following the appropriate surface preparation, the extent

FLUID HANDLING INTERNATIONAL l JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

COATINGS Heavily graphitised areas at the junctions between the diffuser vanes and hub

Partial restoration of pump flanges indicated the potential for restoration

of the metal loss was revealed to be extreme, particularly due to vastly graphitised areas deteriorating the metal work further. Using a ceramic-filled epoxy-based repair composite, efforts began to rebuild the pump components, including the suction bell, diffuser, impeller and drive shaft. Due to the ceramic composition of the repair material, it offered significant erosion-corrosion protection versus welding new metal into place. In addition, the cold-applied systems ensured the elimination of hot work, which could potentially cause further weaknesses in the already vulnerable metal.

This material was ideally suited to be over coated with a ceramic-filled coating to ensure long-lasting performance in the face of erosion-corrosion and chemical attack. Applicators ensured maximum protection by coating each component internally and externally, providing the pumps with a further barrier against aggressive marine growth. The pumps were inspected every month thereafter and seventeen months later, a diver’s report indicated that the pumps were still in perfect condition.

Maintenance remains the key to longevity Since then these pumps have been maintained on a regular basis using Belzona systems. Over time, product selection has since changed, with the original materials being replaced by an internal coating of Belzona 1321 (Ceramic S-Metal) and external protection achieved using Belzona 1341 (Supermetalglide). The full lifespan of the pumps was estimated at ten years and this has been exceeded dramatically without the need to replace, highlighting the longevity which polymeric coatings can provide. z More information

This article was written by Tom Belli, marketing executive at Belzona Polymetrics.

Visit: www.belzona.com

FLUID HANDLING INTERNATIONAL l JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 11

UTILITIES

How to manage stormwater conveyance assets

This water NGO explains how to keep essential infrastructure in shape Asset management is a valuable tool for utilities to understand all levels of infrastructure assets throughout the organisation and identify acceptable levels of risk. Traditionally, asset management accounts for pipes, junctions/chambers, and pumps, but this can also be applied to stormwater infrastructure assets which act as conveyance systems. They include best management practices (BMPs) and green infrastructure. Water and wastewater utilities, municipalities, and departments of transportation with stormwater programmes that have been building and operating stormwater infrastructure do not have a systematic approach to collecting maintenance and performance data.

Risk-based asset management can address water quality and data needs in stormwater and green infrastructure.

The Water Environment & Reuse Foundation (WE&RF), now known as The Water Research Foundation, is advancing the science of water to protect public health and the environment. This research project, Stormwater Strategic Asset Management – Tools and Guidance, will be a continuation of previous research efforts and advance the understanding and use of asset management concepts for surface stormwater-fluid handling infrastructure, and provide tools and guidance for strategic asset management developed specifically for stormwater-fluids infrastructure assets. WE&RF started developing and supporting risk-based asset management under the Strategic Asset Management (SAM) implementation and communication research programme, and developed the Sustainable Infrastructure Management Program 12

Learning Environment (SIMPLE). SIMPLE is a web-based asset management learning environment that assists organisations in implementing appropriate life-cycle asset management programmes, and helps them better direct limited budget resources toward sustaining performance of those assets. This tool presents a great opportunity to leverage the investment already made and translate this knowledge to stormwater.

Historically, stormwater management has been regulatory or data driven. In addition, stormwater infrastructure is ageing and consequently requires better ways to manage and understand the long-term costs of maintenance and replacement, all while the use of green infrastructure is accelerating. Communities with stormwater are required to meet a water quality standard by meeting municipal separate stormwater sewer system (MS4s) permitting regulations that require meeting a standard for total maximum daily loads, discharge, runoff, and other qualities. MS4 permits and other monitoring systems focus on system operation and maintenance.

A systematic approach to risk-based asset management allows utilities and municipalities to address water quality data needs and have a holistic focus on the triple bottom line.

Utilising asset management in stormwater programmes can result in real organisational savings through improved efficiency, services, and demonstrated social responsibility. For example, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association estimates an average of $8.2 billion (â‚Ź6.6 billion) is lost in damages from flooding each year. Asset management can help minimise damages from extreme weather events that come from improper

maintenance or inadequate infrastructure.

Green infrastructure can benefit from guidelines for asset condition and a definition of failure to help facilities monitor conditions and improve performance.

The main goal of the project is to identify gaps and the current state of the industry, develop and identify tools related to data needs to address the gaps, develop a standardised approach to stormwater asset management, and share results among participants. The results will help managers and decisionmakers at stormwater agencies, utilities, and companies that are concerned about sustainable management of their stormwater assets and infrastructure and are interested in implementing an asset management approach.

Stormwater asset management offers many benefits to utilities to monitor green infrastructure’s sustainability and effectiveness. These assets include detention basins, retention basins, storm filters, underground pipes, streams/ channels. The focus of this research is on BMPs. There are several types of stormwater assets where physical condition can be assessed in the field, but green infrastructure methods and guidelines can be improved to help more appropriately assess condition and account for natural components that need to be managed. The results will help bridge the gap of knowledge between stormwater professionals and asset managers by providing examples of how this practice could be incorporated in facilities that have or are interested in implementing stormwater programmes. z More information:

Kelsey Beveridge is a technical writer for The Water Environment and Reuse Foundation.

Visit: www.werf.org

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LEAK DETECTION

Water is becoming an increasingly valuable resource, and with that, leak detection is becoming an increasingly sophisticated industry. The most recent answers to the problem of leakage are two tetherless robots, both developed by university researchers in the United States: PipeGuard and PipeFish.

Below are interviews with the inventors of these robots, who think they have a key role to play in the war against wastage

Robots vs water wastage You Wu – PipeGuard Robotics You Wu is the founder of PipeGuard Robotics and the inventor of its core product, Robot Daisy. The robot is designed to insert into pipes and find leaks early and accurately. You Wu is a fourth year PhD candidate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and has appeared in Forbes’ 2018 ‘30 Under 30’ in the Manufacturing and Industry Category.

Trained as a mechanical engineer and robotics scientist, he has been working on pipe leak detection since starting his Master’s degree at MIT in 2012. He describes his experience as mainly in the area of pipeline robots, soft matter devices, wearables and augmented reality.

The PipeGuard team has partnered with organisations across the globe to develop the robot, including in Saudi Arabia, where currently 20% of processed drinking water is lost, and Monterrey, Mexico.

PipeGuard’s prototype, Robot Daisy, took You less than 8 hours and $350 (€280) to make. The robot is inserted through hydrants and tracks its position, logging leaks to Google Maps as it finds them.

PipeGuard uses the suction created by leaks to detect them, as they pull on the robot’s ‘skirt’. The robot differentiates between leaks and small obstacles pulling on the skirt by comparing the pull and the compression of the robot. An obstacle will compress the robot, a leak will not.

PipeTech in Saudi Arabia. They provided a test facility as well as the minimum design requirement for the robot to be used in their facility. Then through iterations, my team experimented with various materials and designs of the robot, tested them in a laboratory setting and converged to the idea of a soft matter robot for inspecting leaks from inside the pipe. We had two field tests in the last two years at PipeTech; the first one failed and we learnt a lot.

After a few more iterations of redesign, we settled on the current form of Robot Daisy. It successfully completed the field test during my second visit to PipeTech.”

What was the development process of PipeGuard?

“The first working prototype of PipeGuard is named Daisy, and it was developed through 11 iterations and two field tests over the course of three years. In the process, we had an industrial partner,

What drew you to the issue of water wastage?

“It was my personal experience and the right opportunity that led me to work on water leak detection. I grew up on the East Coast of China, in a city called Changzhou outside Shanghai. Through

Inventor You Wu with Robot Daisy

my childhood, I saw the overwhelmingly rapid development in China, as well as the constant stress from energy and resource shortage. I call the stress “One-Day Weekend”. The factory my parents worked in was required by the government to stagger work hours to accommodate the power grid and offset its peak load. Thus my parents had to take Sunday and Monday off, and I could have only one day of family time each weekend with them. One-day weekend was what a shortage of resource felt like to me. I fear that as population grows, one day more parents may need to sacrifice their family time with their kids so that some other families will have the energy and water to live. I am devoting myself to prevent this from happening.

“Then when I came to MIT for grad school in 2012, I found the opportunity to work on a leak detection robot. It was a collaborative effort between MIT

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LEAK DETECTION

Robot Daisy

This is how Robot Daisy finds leaks

and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Mineral (KFUPM) in Saudi Arabia, with the goal to help the kingdom eliminate their 33% clean water loss due to leaks. I jumped on this project right away as I knew this is the right opportunity for me to fulfil my motivation to make the world a more sustainable place... No more one-day weekends.”

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the technology?

“Finding leaks early is something water companies have long dreamed of.

Limited by the state-of-the-art, water companies wait until water pipe bursts to respond and fix leaks. Those technologies, provided by Xylem, Pure Technology and a few others, all use acoustic technology to find leaks. When those technologies identify a leak, they tell you the leak is within this 100ft range, about the size of a big lecture hall. When our robot finds a leak, it tells you the leak is within 1ft, 100 times more accurate. The current technology can only detect leaks after the leaks are big enough. The smallest leak they can detect is losing about 10 gallons of water a minute. That is twice as fast as a person can use water during a shower. Robot Daisy can detect leaks losing only 1 gallon of water a minute, 10 times smaller. This allows water companies to find leaks when they are small, many months before the leaks burst and do damage to the infrastructure.

“The other [strength] of PipeGuard’s technology is that it can find leaks equally well on both metallic and non-metallic pipes. Acoustic technologies can work well only on metallic pipes but not plastic 14

pipes, because plastics do not transmit sound well. Our robot’s mechanical sensor can detect leaks in pipes of any material, as long as the pipe is pressurised above a fraction of one bar. With its capability to find leaks reliably on plastic pipes, we have drawn interest from Mexico, Brazil, China and many other countries and regions with large amount of plastic water pipes.

“At current stage, the most significant risk is that the robot is not so easy-to-use.

Our goal is to deploy the robots for leak inspection without shutting down the water service. Most current robotic leak detection solutions are only used while the water service is interfered. We have only validated the deployment and retrieval of our robot from the water pipes while the water pipes are operating on easy-toaccess sections of a pipeline, which is only available in industrial zones. We do need to improve the methods and make the robot deployable in a low cost way even in a hard-to-access underground pipeline, which is very common in urbanised areas.”

What’s the future for the project?

Where do you ultimately see it going? What are your goals for it?

“We are currently building up [the company] to make this technology widely accessible to water companies around the world. Right now, the World Bank estimates that more than 20% of the clean water produced in the world is lost due to leaks1. My overarching goal is to help cities around the world to reduce their water leak losses by more than half. A more definitive goal is to help each client city reduce their water loss by half in three years. To do so, we have the option to either partner with existing service companies, or empower the water companies directly. They provide the ground force and we provide the new tool. Together we are saving water and protecting the infrastructure.”

Could the robot find leaks in pipes carrying liquids other than water (oil, for example)?

“The technology also works in gas pipes.

In 2012, my lab at MIT, Mechatronics Research Lab, demonstrated an earlier version of the robot detecting leaks in gas pipes in lab. We are actively seeking partners to advance the development of the gas version of the robot and make them field ready. The science and analysis shows that the same technology works in oil pipes too, but we need to conduct experiments and validations.”

How have you found the process of being a start-up and working with larger organisations to develop PipeGuard?

“The process of working with a larger organisation as a start-up is known to be challenging and slow. We were very lucky this process was working relatively fast for us, maybe due to two reasons. One, we do have a new technology that can solve our clients’ pain points 10x better than the competition’s. Two, our technology is at a stage advanced enough to be used in the field. Moreover, since this technology originates from my work at MIT, we were able to leverage the MIT community and resources to reach out to big companies such as state level water companies and major pipe manufacturers in a few countries. We have a few pilot projects set up with them. Our plan is to obtain and demonstrate the actual data to those partners and clients and from there on co-develop regionally customised, viable commercialisation plans with them.”

Professor Wei Min Shen – Pipefish Pipefish has been in the works for over a decade. Professor Wei Min Shen of the Polymorphic Robotics Institute at the University of Sothern California (USC) is distinctly aware of LA’s infrastructure problem. According to the Los Angeles Times, to replace ‘at-risk’ water mains by 2025 will cost the city over one billion dollars. Meanwhile, the American Water Works Association claims that over the next twenty five years the US will have to spend over $1 trillion just maintaining its ageing water infrastructure.

With expenses of this magnitude, the efficiency of the related operations will have to be honed.

Professor Shen grew up in China during the rule of Chairman Mao, working on rice farms after leaving school and only attending university after the chairman’s death in 1976. He then went to Beijing for his bachelor’s and then on to the Automation Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences after coming first in national examinations. Completing his Ph.D. from the Computer Science Department at Carnegie-Mellon University in 1989, he is now the principal investigator for Self-Reconfigurable Robots, Digital Hormones, Autonomous Learning Agents, and Data Mining at both DARPA and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

With the help of a local millionaire, he hopes to make LA, and every city,

FLUID HANDLING INTERNATIONAL l JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

LEAK DETECTION better equipped to address crumbling pipes. The robot uses sensors to log the condition of the pipe, including recording video, logging its location and testing the chemical composition of the water. With this small, cylindrical collection of electronics and sensors, Shen hopes to give some intelligence to the way municipalities go about keeping the water running.

What was the biggest problem in the development process?

“There were a lot of problems [laughs].

The water there [in public pipes] is pretty challenging: they’re at 200psi – high pressure. The speed varies: it could be still or as fast as 8ft per second. The biggest problem is deciding what kind of sensor to use. They’re metal pipes with cement inside, so it’s very hard to tell whether something is going wrong.”

What drew you to the issue of water wastage?

“I’m the director of the Polymorphic Robotics Lab at USC and we do a lot of robots – autonomous robots – for many different applications, including space, military and other very cutting edge [industries]. LA is a city that has very old underground infrastructure, so actually we started more than ten years ago working with the sewage pipes. Because certain sewage pipes are nearly one hundred years old, nobody pays attention to them, they’re dirty and sometimes they collapse and traffic is stopped. So we started working on that and then, in 2016, there was a local millionaire who is interested in water pipes and he gave us some initial funding. We started picking up the sewage pipe robot and moving it into the clean water [application].”

What are the main strengths and weaknesses of your solution?

“The main strength is that we don’t require the [water] system to be shut down… Our solution is [designed] to be able to go into any fire hydrant and… pick it up from the next”.

“There’s also no tether for the robot, nor is it dependent on material [of the pipe] to operate. All it needs is some kind of medium.”

Professor Shen identified the battery as a potential weak point for Pipefish, as well as the ability to control the movement of the robot: “When the water is fast and you want to make a ninety degree turn, that’s tough”

Professor Shen holding PipeFish. Photo by Caitlin Dawson

“I wouldn’t say it’s a weakness, it’s a challenge because no one has solved this problem yet: the manipulation [of a robot] in a complex underwater pipe system.

Typically, in an existing solution, they shut down the water and then they open the pipe and they have a tethered robot go from there and they retrieve it from [the same place]. So, we want to go away from that and eventually… simultaneously launch many, many of these robots across the city.”

“The challenge… is the condition inside [the pumps] and maybe if something goes wrong then this robot would go to La La Land [laughs].”

What’s the future for the robot?

“I want to see the project all the way through, and make a product that any city can purchase and benefit [from]… I want to move it from fundamental, basic research and apply it to something useful.”

The robot does not detect pipe leaks, it monitors the pipe’s interior condition.

Despite this, Shen said: “When it starts leaking, no matter how small it is, that means the pipe’s condition is already pretty bad, it’s not like someone drilled a tiny hole into the pipe. It’s all related: the symptom is the leaking, but before the symptom happens there are lots of things going on already.”

Although the robot is currently only being tested in water pipes, the professor said that it can be deployed in any pipe that contains a transparent medium, opening the possibility of use in LNG pipes: “Eventually, when we have new sensors developed, then we can go for some other [applications, like oil].”

“Right now the city, how they deal with the old pipe, is very dumb. They pick a street and say: ‘Okay, this pipe is ninety

years old, we need to replace it. So they dig a trench, bury a new pipe and then switch the water to the new pipe and leave the old pipe there. They don’t know how bad or how good the old pipe is, they just blindly [replace] it, and because of that accidents do happen and there’s a lot of wasted effort.”

For Shen, changing this method will be the biggest benefit of Pipefish: “Different teams can go to different sections over the city and before they blindly replace [a pipe], they can say ‘Let’s have the robot go through’ and have it retrieve data and do analysis, saying ‘Whoa, this is a bad one, we’d better replace it’, or they say ‘No, it’s pretty good, so we’ll leave it alone.’”

As researchers addressing a citywide problem, Shen approached LA’s Department for Water and Power to get data from practical simulations: “They have old pipes, new pipes, so we can use them to verify the sensor’s effectiveness. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to do it.”

“We’re neighbours, we’re both in downtown Los Angeles and I have a relationship with the sewage department.

Water and Sewage, even though they don’t talk much, they’re all related.

So I asked them, saying ‘Look, we’re doing this, would you be interested?’, they said ‘Sure!’ and they organised an internal meeting and a lot of people show up so [now] we’ve got a lot of people involved in that department.” z Reference

1 According to analysis of numbers in the 2006 World Bank report titled ‘The Challenge of Reducing Non-Revenue Water (NRW) in Developing Countries, How the Private Sector Can Help: A Look at Performance-Based Service Contracting’.

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LEAK DETECTION

This Israeli company is using technology designed to find extra-terrestrial life to help save water

Eye in the sky: seeing leaks from space In June 2017, Yorkshire Water approached Utilis and its partner, Suez, to trial a satellite-based leak detection system. The utility provides 1.24 billion litres of drinking water daily, a service on this scale requires efficiency. Technology in the leak detection sector is becoming increasingly sophisticated: Utilis’ system uses techniques initially developed to find water on other planets.

The trial lasted four weeks and in that time the system identified 44 leaks from 79 points of interest. This allowed technicians to find more than six leaks per day (up from less than two), equating to one leak found for every 0.3km surveyed.

Yorkshire Water stated that water saved from activities related to the trial amounted to 330,000 litres of water per day.

Below is an article by Utilis sales VP Eddy Segal, followed by an interview with the man about the origins and future of the technology:

By 2050, the global demand for freshwater will rise by 40%, meaning water companies should act now. One study estimates a 32 billion cubic metre loss of treated water each year globally, of which half occurs in developing countries where large sections of the population do not have access to potable water.

Non-revenue water (NRW) is defined as water that has been produced and lost before it reaches the customer. Losses can be in the form of leakages (real losses), or can occur from theft or inaccuracies in metering (apparent losses).

The costs associated with capturing, processing, treating, and distributing water are substantial and reducing water loss within networks has proven to be challenging.

Two techniques currently used around the world for managing NRW are smart water management systems and acoustic leak detection. Most water manager’s use these technologies because they are the best solutions available. However, these approaches are time consuming and expensive, and require substantial upfront investment on infrastructure and equipment.

A quick assessment of NRW management in most cities around the world indicates that most are simply reacting to anomalies identified in their water management systems, such as drops in pressure or increments in flow, or a distress call from a customer advising that there’s a fountain of water in their local street from a burst pipe.

Utilis, a satellite technology company based in Israel, has developed a new way of detecting NRW leaks by analysing radar images from satellites. This technology has been adapted from academic research originally designed to look for water on other planets. Utilis was founded in 2013 and for two years the technology was adapted to be used on Earth to find leaks in water distribution networks. A patent for this method was granted.

Utilis’ satellite-based leak detection consists of acquiring images from a satellite in low orbit that re-visits the same point on Earth every two weeks (for recurrent analysis). On the satellite, a radar sends microwaves to earth at a long wavelength with a parameter sensitive to water. The sensor then records the returning (backscattered) signals. Due to its physical characteristics, this wave can penetrate clouds, foliage, and the ground to some depth, to reach the water accumulated outside a 16

leaking pipe. Utilis patented algorithm analyses the recorded backscattered image to look for the “spectral signature” of treated water in contact with soil. This formula helps reduce false readings of treated water in the open air with “legitimate” use, such as fountains, pools, water tanks and so on.

Utilis’ satellite-based leak detection consists of periodic leakage reports delivered every three, four or six months in the form a web based application, a SHP file and Leak Sheets (one per finding in PDF format).

Specific issues that Utilis’ satellite-based leak detection is designed to address include: • Reduction of “background leakage”. In the late 1990s the term “unavoidable background leakage” was devised to classify those underground leaks that cannot be detected with standard methods. Now, combining satellite leakage report with acoustics enables the discovery of these hidden leaks.

• Increase the number of leaks found per day. In any given water network, the rate of new leaks being created (failures frequency) is 20-50 per 100km per year. If leaks are not detected and repaired at this rate a backlog is created and NRW increases.

Using the satellite leakage report, acoustic technicians walk less to find leaks, enabling them to fine more leaks per day.

• Focused survey of [transmission] pipes in remote and rural areas. Often these pipes are not proactively surveyed as it does not make economic sense. However, with the satellite leakage report being guidance specific, suspected locations can be inspected and major leaks located.

Utilis’ satellite-based leak detection is already in use in more than 20 countries and nearly 100 water utilities.

Speaking with Eddy Segal, VP of Sales at Utilis How did this technology move from detecting water on other planets, to finding leaks? Who had this idea?

“His name is Lauren Guy [Utilis’ founder and COO], he was doing his masters in geophysics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. When he graduated, he went to work for a water utility in Israel, and then he came across the problem of water leakage. He went to work for the water utility and FLUID HANDLING INTERNATIONAL l JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

LEAK DETECTION that use the basic algorithm. In terms of leak detection, we’re moving in two directions in parallel. We are improving the algorithm (performance is getting better all the time) and we are developing the capability to use, instead of satellites, an airborne system. An airborne system will give us more flexibility… and higher accuracy because an airplane will fly at 10,000 ft [in comparison to a satellite] and get a more precise result.”

Asked when he expects Utilis to transition to an airborne system, Segal said that he expects the company to make the move in early 2019.

The green box represents the size of an image taken by the satellite.

The trial for Yorkshire Water focused on areas highlighted in red around Huddersfield and Halifax

Could the technology ever be adapted to use UAVs? “UAVs, unless they are military grade, have limitations in terms of the payload that they can carry. The sensor we use, unfortunately, is a bit heavy for a drone. Also, drones have regulatory limitations: they cannot fly in urban areas.”

How much more imaging would you be able to do with an airborne rather than an orbital system?

“Today, the frequency of delivering leakage reports to water utilities depends, mainly, on the ability of the water utility to use the leakage report. Meaning: to go out to the field, find the leaks and repair them. With the satellite today, in theory we could deliver a new leakage report every two weeks, but that would be too much information. An airborne facility will give us more flexibility, more accuracy and a quicker response time. Today we have to programme the satellite two weeks in advance to get an image, having a sensor on an airplane, the turnaround will be faster.”

This image highlights the number of potential leaks within the area selected by the client

One of the actual leaks that was discovered in the area with satellite leak detection

discovered the problem of water leakage and he decided that it’s worthwhile to try this idea [of satellite-based leak detection] and two years later we have a patent and a product.”

What was the development process like?

“The first thing was to develop the algorithm, the basic algorithm, and then to get someone in Israel to… create some leaks so when the satellite comes we know where the leaks are and we can reverse engineer. We know where the leaks are, we start looking for the pattern of the leak in the image, a few iterations of that until we found that the algorithm was fine [to launch commercially].”

What is the smallest leak it can detect?

“The smallest leak is 0.1 litres per second. We can see very small leaks, but we can also see very big leaks. The whole range is open to us.”

What is a weakness for the system?

“It’s not fully independent: it still needs the traditional acoustic method to pin-point the exact location of the leaks.”

“Right now, the indication we provide is within an area of between fifty and one hundred meters. To pin-point the exact location where to excavate for repair, we need to know the exact point, which is verified using the current [acoustic] technology.”

What’s the next move for Utilis?

“As a company, we’re working on additional applications

What do you expect from 2018?

“We expect a massive adoption of the technology as a standard tool for leak detection for water utilities. Today, the standard tools are twenty years old in terms of technology. We are bringing a new technology, which, very soon, will become a standard layer of information for every organisation that is concerned with managing water loss.”

Do you see Utilis’ technology as a part of the wider trend of ‘smart cities’?

Yes I do and I’ll give you an example. Today, [you have] a GIS, a geographic information system, having all the assets (the pipes, the hydrants, the valves) on a computer system where you can manage your network and your assets… The next step is to have the [Utilis] leakage report also in a computer as a layer and this will make the leak detection process more efficient. That’s the idea. New leaks are [occurring] all the time, the network never rests: there are always new leaks coming and if you are not finding and repairing those leaks as fast as they are created, you are behind the game.”

You’ve partnered with Suez to operate a leak detection trial for Yorkshire Water, what do you look for in partners?

“With Suez we have a global agreement with their headquarters in Paris, and specifically in the UK we are working with Suez Advanced Solutions UK. We choose our partners because they have the ability to deliver and they have already established business with the water utilities. For example, Suez UK is already an approved supplier to many water utilities, which makes the commercial transaction… much smoother.

They have the staff that helps deliver our solution to our customers in a smooth way: we don’t have to train them, we don’t have to explain too much, they know their job.” z

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LEAK DETECTION

Listening to the pipes Fears over scarcity and worn infrastructure are increasing.

Technologies that supply accurate and actionable information are in high demand as the prolific need to replace ageing pipes becomes apparent

Mark Nicol, senior director, international sales and operation, Echologics

18

With increased focus on resource security globally and increased awareness of ageing water infrastructure, water management technology has developed significantly. In the UK alone, Water UK, a trade association for British water and wastewater service providers, estimates that £5 billion (€5.7 billion) will go into water infrastructure over the next five years. Making the replacement and maintenance process as efficient as possible will be essential to the programmes aimed at keeping water flowing.

Mark Nicol is Echologics’ senior director of international sales and operations.

Before his time in Echologics he received his master’s in water modelling and management from the University of Reading, before heading to Thames Water and working for consultants like AECOM. At Echologics, Nicol was initially the business development manager for Asia: “I saw a real need in this region to empower utilities with improved knowledge of their water pipelines to help address and resolve non-revenue water challenges.” Improving visibility of water network systems has been a point of pride for the company and its non-invasive technology. The results are “more efficient and effective operations” for clients.

“The market opportunities that lie ahead in fixed leak detection and pipe condition assessment are already huge and will only increase with ageing infrastructure and population growth.” Nicol said that in the face of these problems, utilities and water distribution companies are becoming more proactive: knowing the condition of different sections of pipe systems is essential for a costeffective maintenance programme.

“Requests are coming in to conduct pilot tests for pipe condition assessment and our fixed leak detection systems are being deployed in many large cities around the world.” ePulse is Echologics’ response to ageing pipeline infrastructure. Sensors are attached to a contact point, like a fire hydrant, valve or directly connected to the pipe. A soundwave is introduced to the pipeline and then technicians use the time it takes the wave to travel

between sensors and the distance between them to measure velocity of the sound. Speed indicates the condition of the pipe wall: fast is good condition, slow is poor. As well as assessing condition, ePulse also checks for leaks.

Talking about the system, Nicol said: “One of the challenges of maintaining water supply systems is that a huge part of the process takes place underground, out of view. Unlike pigging a line or cutting a section of pipe out to assess its condition, where both will result in service disruption, Echologics acoustic technology offers a non-invasive pipe condition assessment method that provides water utilities with an accurate measurement of the remaining wall thickness of selected pipes in their water systems.”

“As the sound wave travels, it pushes water molecules toward each other.

Because water is incompressible, the molecules push outward on the pipe wall. This places a microscopic flex on the pipe wall – and the greater the flex, the weaker the pipe. Through this method, ePulse measures the actual strength of the pipe wall which is an ideal measure of actual pipe condition.”

This product has already been successfully deployed globally. ePulse was used to assess the condition of pipes for a water utility that covers the second largest area in the UK. “They manage a water distribution network of over 35,000km, supplying water to 4.3 million customers and water recycling services to 5.5 million,” Nicol explains.

“Over a five-year asset management period (AMP), our client was due to replace 402km of water mains in a drive to optimise financial returns for its pipeline replacement programme. Echologics’ ePulse condition assessment was used to help determine if and when certain sections of pipe needed replacement.

“We found that a 198m section on the replacement plan was actually in good condition and did not need to be replaced. As this section ran under an environmental protection area, complexity of the work and risk of negative environmental impact would have added to the cost. This led to a direct cost saving of over US$150,000

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LEAK DETECTION Nations World Water Development Report, which says that three in four jobs globally are dependent on water, Nicol pointed to the importance of conserving the commodity. “Water scarcity is not just a threat to us as individuals, but also to societies’ economic, political and social stability and wellbeing.”

“Against this backdrop, we are seeing big data – the internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) – progressively making its way in, pushing the envelope into water’s digital future. Here is where the challenge lies: As exciting and promising as this sounds, the adoption of these digital technologies has not been fast enough in part because of society’s “out of sight, out of mind” mentality.”

However, he did note that some clients were on the progressive side of adopting these technologies, whether it’s because of regulations, customer expectations, or the need to improve performance.

Echologics leak detection systems in action

(€120,000), along with the added benefits of reducing the environmental impact, carbon footprint and disruption to local customers’ daily life.”

Listening for problems The development of the technology was sped up by a shift from passive to proactive decision making by asset managers, according to Nicol.

“Without going too much into the detail, Echologics’ founder and general manager, Marc Bracken, became aware of pipe condition assessment and leak detection technology in the early 2000s when he was working with the National Research Council of Canada (NRCC) and Aercoustics, focusing on the study of ground-borne vibrations.

During this time, Osama Hunaidi, a researcher from NRCC was working on a study for the American Water Works Association (AWWA), investigating the reasons why available leak detection methods did not work on plastic pipes.” ePulse is not currently effective with PE or PVC pipes, something that Echologics has addressed by committing resources to research and development: “Our R&D site in northern Ontario, Canada aims at advancing innovations in water main leak detection and pipeline assessment technologies. With more than 600 metres of plastic and metallic water mains, trainers, researchers and staff are given the room to replicate real-world conditions that can affect leak detection and pipeline condition assessment.”

Citing data from the 2016 United

Echologics’ technology is in line with a wider trend in developing ‘smart cities’: urban areas with infrastructure that is digitally interconnected, monitored and controlled.

“In my opinion, the ultimate goal of smart cities is to warrant a sustainable future for generations to come, through an effective and efficient use of limited resources such as water, energy and safe housing, just to name a few. The increase in interconnected infrastructure network is a natural progress of the implementation of this goal. For the water industry, the disruption from IoT, cloud computing and big data analytics have helped to break down siloed operation, whilst integrating information and communication technologies (ICT) into the management of the water distribution system - forming the backbone of a smart water grid system. The key aspects of a smart water grid involve improving operations and processes through automation for water distribution system data to enable better decisions to be made.

“Simply put, this is happening to ensure good quality water is supplied to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” z

For more information:

Mark Nicol is Echologics senior director of international sales and operations. Echologics is a subsidiary of Mueller Water Products, a manufacturer and marketer of products and services used in the transmission, distribution and measurement of water in North America.

Website: www.echologics.com

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PUMPS

Figure 1: Long exposure image of the printing of a component in the powder bed of a laser melting system

New production processes, new opportunities for the pump industry Emerging techniques in laser welding and 3D printing are expanding what’s possible

20

Since the end of the 19th century, industry has focused on products that can be mass-produced. Whether classic transfer lines or automated machining centres were used, the parameters were always the same: It was not worth investing in expensive automated systems unless these were justified by large lot sizes. The look of a product was determined by those who bought or sold it in large quantities.

However, in order to offer users optimum products designed to fulfil individual operating criteria, KSB engineers began developing selection charts back in the 1930s. The drawback of this system for the manufacturer is that it requires highly efficient complexity management in order to be economically successful. The standardised Etanorm water pumps are available for more than 40 different casing sizes. They are complemented by a range of material and shaft seal variants. The current average lot size for the Etanorm production is approx. 1.4 units and a look at today’s KSB Web-Shop, reveals just

how many different centrifugal pump configurations are available to customers.

And yet the pump factory of the future will go even further. It will allow many deviations from the standardised design, both large and small. New technologies will offer additional functionalities capable of transforming a pump’s potential. In the future, production of tailor-made pumps will require only minimal engineering at each step from contract award, to order processing, to final commissioning. In extreme cases, a single unit of such a tailor-made pump might be built for a specific system requiring a lot size of “one”. However, tailor-made pumps should not be confused with untested prototypes. The experience gained while producing successful models combined with modern development tools make such tailormade pumps reliable and efficient.

Typically, the demands placed on this type of one-off product are somewhat contradictory. While quality and reliability

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PUMPS must be high, manufacturing costs must stay low and delivery periods short.

And strong competition among pump manufacturers means that the latter are becoming more and more important.

Laser melting is one of several patternless manufacturing methods which could play an important role in the future. The method involves building up the element to be manufactured layer by layer via micro-welding using metal powder. The result is a physically dense component with excellent contour accuracy produced in a powder bed. The geometric design data is generated via computer-aided design (CAD) software, and the 3D printing process itself is completely silent.

The procedure excels through its economical use of energy and materials, since only the metal actually needed to create the product is thermally treated and consumed. Internal calculations at KSB have shown that savings in materials of 50 to 70% are possible when existing parts are newly calculated, newly designed and optimised for the respective production process. This is due to the fact that almost no waste is generated in 3D printing and all excess powder can be reused. The entire production process takes place in a controlled inert gas atmosphere which ensures that the materials sensitive to oxidation during re-melting are protected. A final product created via 3D printing differs from its conventionally

manufactured counterpart in its metallographic microstructure, but not in terms of the metal powder composition which was used to weld it together.

Since the end of 2014, two powerful laser melting systems have been in operation at KSB’s Pegnitz factory (figure 2). The company’s materials specialists are examining the potential of 3D printing for development and production by trialling the production of various suitable metal components using CAD data. One question the specialists are still looking to answer is whether the new metal powder-based workpieces offer the same strength and material properties as those produced using traditional methods.

As laser melting is a new field of work in pump and valve production, it is also necessary to prepare new design guidelines. However, the level of design freedom and the availability of components at any place and any time encourage new approaches to development, production and logistics.

Today’s 3D printing methods still suffer from technological and economic limitations in terms of the size of printable parts and the speed of production.

But the world’s largest laser melting systems already feature build chambers with volumes of 160 litres. Given how rapidly this technology is developing, larger printers will not be far off. The cost efficiency of this manufacturing method is essentially determined by the quantity of molten material required.

The manufacture of large, dense parts is thus only economically viable for parts unavailable by other means or prototypes required for the design process.

This has already proved successful for applications including the production of spare parts for old cars, motorcycles and aeroplanes. For the pump manufacturer, exploiting the advantages of the new production process represents an important step towards Industry 4.0 and the maximisation of its potential in design and production. Some of 3D printing’s strengths are already clear: It excels in producing small, individual components deviating from the standard or large quantities of parts when they can be manufactured in a single process.

Very large, dense components will in the long run continue to be produced via other manufacturing methods.

Exactly which innovations the freedom offered by 3D printing will herald remains one of the most interesting questions for the future. The availability of CAD data allows the production of parts at any place in the world. This means that laser melting will definitely have an impact on the availability of components worldwide and will allow pumps to be individualised in a way that we can hardly imagine today. z

More information:

This article was written by Christoph Pauly, press officer at KSB. Visit: www.ksb.com

Figure 2: Since the end of 2014, KSB has installed two laser melting systems at its Pegnitz factory

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PLANT DESIGN

Applying automation diagnostics for predictive safety management

Your plant is telling you what’s wrong. Are you listening?

Industrial automation – raising the red flag Automation technology developed for industrial applications is continuously being improved to achieve enduser requirements for efficiency and safety around the world.

In the case of predictive maintenance, it is relatively easy to calculate the expected financial impact of a single or cascaded failure in an industrial operation and then formulate an economic cost.

However, since future events could jeopardise the safety of personnel and the surrounding community, the need arises to forecast such events with actionable precision. Preventing a failure event is always better than dealing with the consequences that can ensue after such an event. Thus, one of the best practices available is to have access to credible, dynamic asset information and the means for predicting future failure events with considerable accuracy.

Predictive safety management can be achieved by monitoring online devices and identifying any shifts or changes in key operating parameters that can indicate potential safety issues. In the case of rotating equipment, changes in these parameters may even cause secondary collateral damage. With the understanding that risk mitigation, reduced downtime and cost savings can be achieved by predictive safety management, it must be viewed as a direct profit-impacting function by operators. In addition to these bottomline benefits, operations personnel can also use dynamic asset information to implement steps and adjust existing processes to avoid future safety events.

The current situation and risks Today’s industrial environment still views preventive maintenance as the primary remedy to keep a plant and its operations in top condition and considers it the preferred method for mitigating risks. However, this method depends 22

on strict adherence to the scheduled plans and trusts that the existing process will be effective in averting any major safety mishaps. For many end users who have adopted automation diagnostics, either the asset information is used as historical offline data that is seldom analysed, or the operating staff shuts off or bypasses most of the advanced features of expensive state-of-the-art automation tools, defeating the very purpose for which the tool was intended.

A simple survey of plant engineers and management typically will reveal that installed automation systems are being used at only 35% of combined capacity and capability. Capacity in this case is the utilisation of the computer resources, memory and computation

time of the system; while capability refers to applying the available functionality built into the system.

In other operations, a considerable amount of time and budget are dedicated to reactive maintenance.

Using this method, operators not only abruptly pull work force away from the job at hand, but they also expend resources and lose valuable production time to such nuisances. If the event is a hazardous safety event, then operators may have to summon professional help from outside the organisation, resulting in an even larger blow to the company compared to in-house remediation.

While this reactive method addresses the current problem, it significantly impacts the productivity and profitability of the

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PLANT DESIGN enterprise in a major way, never allowing plant personnel to get ahead of their safety issues. Reactive maintenance may appear to be the least costly option, but it does not achieve the goal of detecting performance degradation, thus leaving in place a risk of future safety events and further perpetuating the reactive maintenance cycle.

Safety events, apart from ultimately eroding the bottom line, tend to distract end users and their customers from the primary focus of their business and, in many cases, can result in heavy fines and negative publicity. While some safety incidents can be as minor as an isolated, temporary disruption, they can also result in a facility’s complete shutdown in extreme situations. Enterprises that implement a reactive approach to maintenance are at risk for safety events that may result in extreme loss.

They are not always able to foresee which incidents will result in a minor hazard from those that fall into the more extreme end of the hazard spectrum. By implementing preventive maintenance methods, operators can minimise their risk for safety incidents, thereby lowering their risk for extreme loss.

Preparing to implement a predictive safety management solution Before devising viable solutions for predictive safety management, end users must first implement and achieve efficient asset management, as well as identify and leverage operational excellence tools that are uniquely suited to their business.

Assets in the industrial operations environment can be divided into two broad groups: primary assets and supporting assets.

Primary assets are the key components

Figure 1: This pyramid demonstrates correlation and dependency between primary, automation and human assets, as well as their availability and utilisation

that are required for manufacturing the plant’s products, and include raw materials, physical equipment and energy in various forms. Physical equipment includes vessels, piping, valves, and pumps, but excludes automation equipment. This distinction is important because valves and pumps can be operated manually in a process without an automation system. Therefore, automation systems are classified as supporting assets.

Supporting assets are the components that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the plant’s primary assets when deployed in unison, as applicable.

These are the automation systems, information systems and human assets.

Supporting assets include distributed control systems (DCS), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), safety systems including safety instrumented systems

Operational excellence refers to the achievement of higher levels of performance.

Four types of operational excellence are common, with aspects converging and overlapping with each other in a typical plant setting.

1) Human performance excellence relates to empowering personnel across the enterprise to perform at top-quartile levels (within in the top 25% of peer companies) 2) Control performance excellence is comprised of applying control theory to control both efficiency of the operation and profitability of the business 3) Asset performance excellence maximises the financial value provided to the business by each major asset in an ongoing and continuous manner 4) Safety and environmental performance excellence involves dealing with the primary real-time variable constraints on profitability with respect to the impact on operational and business performance.

(SIS), human-machine interface (HMI), advanced process control, multivariable predictive control (MPC), production planning and scheduling, batch management, enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), and supply chain management systems.

The significance of supporting assets is in their utilisation and impact on primary assets: they allow users to eliminate counterproductive reactive maintenance processes from their operations.

Implementing effective asset management and operational excellence are vital prior to applying dynamic asset information for predictive safety management because both components play a significant role in collecting useful asset information. Basic measurement and control activities need to be constantly improved to gather real-time, meaningful data; otherwise, users will find themselves in situations where their data is not adding value to their operations.

Applying asset information to achieve predictive safety management Once the basic measurement and control platform is devised, installed and operating well, then the same technology can be applied for advanced regulatory control strategies. Most automation systems provide basic measurement and control functions and are capable of executing advanced regulatory control that includes predictive control strategies. In most cases, no

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PLANT DESIGN dangerous scenario can be mitigated by automated data acquisition assimilated by the positioner software that plots the feedback of valve activities from inside the pipeline onto a graph (Figure 2) via a graphic user interface (GUI). This is active data that is relayed online and visible in an easy-to-understand format.

Moving forward

Figure 2: This chart shows valve activities inside a closed pipeline thanks to valve positioner software and a graphic user interface (GUI), two tools that help warn operators of a potential safety incident and enable predictive safety management

additional capital outlay is required.

As plants operate, process dynamics change, calibration of the numerous instruments may shift, and control parameters likewise are adjusted. Newer automation systems provide automatic dynamic control tuning features. Various methodologies exist for predictive safety management based on the primary aim of the organisation. These methodologies and tools include MPC, loop management software, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, and others.

• MPC involves effectively measuring many process variables based on a dynamic process model to control the outcomes by simultaneously managing these variables.

• Loop management software keeps all process loops efficient via automatic continuous loop tuning.

• SCADA systems extend the monitoring and control capability beyond the confines of a traditional plant infrastructure such as cross-country pipelines or large petrochemicals complexes.

Challenges with Implementing Automation Diagnostics In today’s industrial plant environments, facility leaders manage and optimise their operations based on several key factors, including the nature of their business, the magnitude and multitude of safety threats inherent in operating their business, and implementing whatever best practices their budget and operational philosophy allows. Moreover, the methodologies and tools may have shortcomings as well. For example, MPC 24

is vulnerable to errors and spurious data leading to erratic conclusions, loop management systems may be slow in gathering data, and SCADA systems rely heavily on electronics, making them vulnerable to harsh weather conditions.

Hence, a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution is not viable for most industries or all end users. Due to the complexity of the process industries, few (if any) golden rules exist to help operators draw parallels and customise solutions to address their unique needs and applications, making it difficult for users to implement effective predictive safety management.

Additionally, since no single solution exists to resolve all safety management issues, more than one technique may be required in various stages to yield a productive predictive model.

Efficient asset management and advanced operational excellence, coupled with predictive safety management tools for critical operations and processes, can minimise and even eliminate safety incidents. A current industry trend is the use of automation resources and techniques to forewarn end users about impending events by gathering active data from the primary plant assets and its timely analysis to install mitigation plans. Most automation equipment and software solutions are capable of advanced applications and higher-level functionality, but they are seldom deployed in real-world industrial settings. The quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s founding fathers, that dates back to the 1700s, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” holds up well, even today. z

A real-world scenario Early identification of diminishing performance serves as key information that signals impending safety events and, thus, enables suitable preemptive responses to address the hazard, saving precious lives and resources.

In situations involving critical valves, such as emergency shutdown valves (ESDs), reliability of the valve on demand is of utmost importance, because a failure would result in the process reaching an unsafe state. As media is transferred via enclosed piping for processing, untoward incidents could be developing inside the pipe with operators unaware until it results in a major event. If operators are not forewarned well in advance that a safety hazard exists, then its remedial steps are quickly ruled out. This

About the Author

Vimal Ghumman is the business development manager for Emerson Automation Solutions.

Visit www.emerson.com/finalcontrol.

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Cartridge seals: standard for a reason SEALS

Originally developed for hazardous environments, the cartridge seal is seeing widespread use beyond its original purpose.

Ease of maintenance and repair, improved refurbishment cycles and better performance are all things that are swaying operators

More than two decades ago, the American Petroleum Institute (API) published its first 682 international standard. The standard is based on the accumulated knowledge and experience of manufacturers and users of equipment in the petroleum, natural gas and chemical industries.

The various subsequent editions of this widely used standard specify that ‘all seals regardless of type or arrangement shall be of cartridge designs’. Although originally intended for both new and retrofit equipment in hazardous, flammable and/ or toxic services, it is now used in far more applications. Cartridge seals can be said to be advantageous whenever a greater degree of reliability is required for enhanced equipment availability and the reduction of both emissions and life-cycle sealing costs.

However, compliance with the cartridge principle is useful in virtually all applications and in all industries. For the sake of simplicity reading, this article refers to pump seals.

Conventional component seals are assembled into pump components (sleeves or gland plates) during the pump build. This assembly process can cause premature failure and reduced reliability.

Seal setting: The working length of the seal is either controlled by the mechanic assembling the seal drive screws on the shaft, or with a hook sleeve located on the pump shaft and held in place by the pump impeller (figure 1). Such arrangements are susceptible to build tolerance stack ups and affected by any re-machining of pump components. An incorrectly set working length will negatively affect seal life and its ability to seal.

Figure 3: Typical dual cartridge seal cut away view

Assembly difficulties: Seal faces are made of hard, relatively brittle materials; when inserted into heavy pump components, the faces are often damaged on installation.

An example of this would be a mating ring mounted in a heavy gland plate. Gaskets or packings (secondary seal elements) are also potentially damaged on assembly. An example of this vulnerability would be a graphite-based packing ring (gasket) at the

end of a hook sleeve (figure 2) passing over the impeller keyway.

No testing: With a single component seal it is impossible to test the build until the pump is fully assembled. If the pump volute shares space with, or protrudes the pipe work (most pumps) then testing cannot be undertaken in the workshop – it can only be done when the pump is back in place in the pipe work. The test is often done when the valves are opened, resulting in a loss of process containment. With some dual seals, it is possible to perform an integrity test by introducing compressed air between the two seals. However with API Flush Plan 52, tandem-type seals (the most common seal type used at some facilities) test pressure is limited to a few psi with the fear of the reverse pressure unseating a seal face.

Cartridge seals – general Cartridge seals are pre-assembled and pressure-tested as a one-piece seal unit and the working length is controlled by the seal manufacturer. The cartridge is locked to the shaft at the end of the pump assembly and is unaffected by the tolerance stack-up of pump components or by the mechanic’s skill. Setting and transporting clips retain all

Figure 4: API seal air test rig

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SEALS seal components within the cartridge, protecting them during the build process.

seal components as part of the repair programme, In-house seal repair vs. outsource which can provide cartridge seal repair valuable data as to probable cause of There are still a few refineries that elect failures. Trending or to repair both component and cartridge tracking repairs can seals in-house using their own mechanics. provide detailed While in itself this is not a bad practice, data on reliability one has to argue that using the refinery improvement and maintenance staff for such work is a lessmeasurement. than-optimum use of valuable resources.

Because one Best-of-class refineries focus their personnel does not repair a Figure 2: Bellows seal mounted on Hook Sleeve on core activities. Core activities are work seal cartridge if executions for which only site teams have there are no pump the necessary training, skills and permit repair events, the repair movements can and losses. If a cartridge seal strategy approvals. A refinery would not ask its own therefore be automatically captured via would be adopted across the plant, mechanics to change the tyres on its fleet a competent seal manufacturer’s business then the number of items held would of cars and trucks for the simple reason system. This repair event capture can be reduced by approximately 85%. The that this task is more easily done by an readily provide the fact-driven basis for overall stock value would also decline by outside specialist with proper equipment tracking and trending reliability (MTBF/R). approximately 30%. With this significant and training. Likewise, cartridge seals are simplification of the inventory portfolio easily boxed as a unit and sent back to Cartridge seals – API integrity testing the stewardship costs are also likely to be the manufacturer, who uses trained staff at the lower end of the scale (circa 5%), with suitable experience and equipment.

A competent seal manufacturer subjects but further reductions can be achieved The investment that a refinery both new and repaired API cartridge seals by a standardisation programme. If a would need to make in terms of staff to an integrity air test as detailed in API site repair strategy was to be adopted, training and equipment to achieve 682 4th Edition, Clause 10.3.5. The purpose spares kits should be held as consumable a manufacturer’s quality level of of such testing is to provide the purchaser parts, rather than individual components. repairs would be substantial. The seal with a high degree of confidence that manufacturer would have trained staff, a manufacturer’s commercial sealing Cartridge performance one such manufacturer has multiple levels products have been correctly assembled. of training competency that the seal A properly installed component seal repairers need to be qualified on prior to Inventory cost reduction will provide an equal performance to being allowed to repair API seals. Likewise, an equivalent cartridge seal. However, basic equipment needed for seal repairs With a large number of pumps across a surveys carried out in the 1990s by the can add another significant expense. refinery, the seal component inventory Chemical Manufacturing Association of can be substantial and inventory America and the Society of Tribology and Cartridge repair and refurbishment cycle management complexity can be Lubrication Engineers, concluded that considerable. A typical component over a cross-section of approximately Most users elect to send cartridge seals seal would consist of at least six parts 500 pumps, cartridge seals outperformed back to the manufacturer for rebuild. A for a single and at least ten parts for a component seals in terms of emissions. typical turnaround would be three days. dual seal. In a recent survey of a refinery The lower performance of component Other advantages of this approach are storeroom, over 1,500 parts bins were seals was attributed to installation that the seal vendor records condition of required for a fleet of less than 700 pumps. issues. The results of this, and similar According to inventory work at the time, led API to standardise stewardship accountants’ on cartridge seals. Best-of-class user rules of thumb, the companies use cartridge seals almost management of inventory exclusively. The concepts of favourable costs between 5-20% of the economics and highest achievable inventory value annually. reliability support their choice. z With such a complex inventory, stewardship costs are likely to be at the upper end of the scale (circa 20%). Costs include storage, part bins, procurement tax, inventory count, stocktaking, More information This article was written by Richard Smith, obsolescence, degradation Oil and Gas director of Aesseal. (elastomers), breakages Figure 1: Typical component pusher seal mounted on hook sleeve www.aesseal.com 26

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PUMPS

The future of pumps according to Atlas Copco Wim Moors and Antonio Titomanlio from Atlas Copco talk about what to look out for when buying a pump and what the next steps are for the industry

“We’re seeing real growth in the pump industry, for that reason we have focused on productivity in terms of efficiency and quality,” says Moors.

He emphasises the importance of electric and diesel pumps to address present and anticipated demand for more energy efficient and eco-friendly solutions. Increased regulations on both of these are a concern: making sure that products are ahead of the curve in terms of standards ensures that they’ll be up-to-date with legislation as it comes.

Knowledge and fluency with these regulations was emphasised by the VP to ensure that products retain relevance and adapt to shifting legislative environments. Maintaining high operational time and the lowest costs of ownership is a priority.

Atlas Copco’s research and development focus is on developing increased control, efficiency and ease-of-use. They also make sure that these technologies are applied throughout their ranges of low-, mid- and high-flow pumps, whether they run on diesel or electricity.

Particularly in electric pumps, Moors sees room for expansion: “[Electric power] allows for the more economical use of the pumps.”

Electric pumps cater to a wider demand for energy economy and low-noise operation.

Advanced control mechanisms are also on the rise: “The pump control box: that is the future of the industry and will lead the pump business to new and exciting applications. Technology in this area is developing daily. Smarter and more efficient pumps bring cost savings both to the manufacturer and the user.”

Commenting on new technology, in pumps Moors says that the industry has been conservative with implementing new innovations, but that’s changing: “The new generation of people operating

these pumps are expecting more of that kind of [technologically progressive] thinking”.

Methods to collect data and control pump elements remotely are advancing, but the biggest innovation is in autonomy.

Advanced control mechanisms can reduce the need for maintenance by more closely monitoring pump activity and adjusting to optimise operations.

Moors says that the biggest change in monitoring technology as of yet is actually its implementation. With a large company like Atlas Copco, he sees that chance to expand the use of monitoring quickly. ‘FleetLink’ is a key product for the company here. The Atlas Copco system monitors location and machine performance, notifying users about possible failures. There is also an emphasis on customisation for different users and applications.

Increased accessibility and ease of use are points of focus for him. “We work with a hinged door to open the pump. This allows our customers to clean the pump in the field very easily, even a change in impeller or wear plate, without having to pull everything [out]”.

Atlas Copco extended their efforts to improve customer experience by developing a pump selector designed to aid purchasing decisions.

“The most common mistake made when choosing a pump is incorrect information about [the intended] application.” To select the correct pump you need to know what kind of product you’re looking for, what kind of flow you require, the suction, the elevation of the discharge pipe and the kind of solution that the system is going to handle.

In cases where clients have seen underperformance in their pumps, Atlas Copco technicians have been able to optimise the system. The ability to use expertise to the client’s benefit is what boosts confidence in companies and their abilities.

Titomanlio talked about the overlooking of different liquids and how they are managed in a system: for example, the distinct needs of fresh and salt water are often mishandled. “[People] think about water and they think about clear water.” In reality what they’re actually pumping is impure wastewater or some kind of slurry. It’s about catering solutions to different applications, he says.

Commenting on how they anticipate and attend to emerging issues in pump usage, Moors says, “For us at Atlas Copco, it’s [about] proximity.”

“To solve the issues, we need to be very close to customers. Our people go out on a daily basis and listen to them.”

“You can provide solutions to new problems that arise in the field.”

To increase efficiency and run a pump optimally, Moors says that the key is to listen to the manufacturer about which product was fit for what purpose, and to minimise idle time in order to get the most out of the pump when it’s needed. z For more information:

Antonio Titomanlio, divisional product marketing manager Surface Pumps

Wim Moors is vice president of marketing pumps for Atlas Copco, Antonio Titomanlio is divisional marketing manager for surface pumps.

Visit: www.atlascopco.com

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Optimising pumps for extreme slurry

PUMPS

How to move from a conveyor to a pipeline system for best performance Ethanol fuel is produced from corn, sugar cane, sugar beets, molasses, starch or cellulose with the predominant primary product being corn. Ethanol has become an attractive energy alternative as the demand for environmentally renewable resources has increased.

About 90% of corn ethanol is produced using the dry milling process, and the remainder is by a wet milling process. In dry milling, the corn kernel is ground and made into slurry with water. In wet milling, the grain is separated through a soaking process and then continues through grinders.

The resulting slurry in both cases goes on to a distillation and fermentation stage that results in the final product.

At the Pacific Ethanol plant in Madeira, California, ethanol fuel is processed from corn where both fermentation and distillation occur. Associated production steps require the handling and transfer of raw materials and waste by-products. This creates a need for reliable pumps designed to handle materials with varying viscosity, solid contents, and chemicals that can be very corrosive (in a pH range of 2 to 3).

Originally the customer was using a conveyor system and had the drawbacks that are typically associated with open conveyors. Control and containment of the wet cake was difficult, and the presence of liquids in even small amounts could further exacerbate the problems. Odour containment was practically impossible, and loss of product could occur when the conveying system encountered upward or downward gradients.

Reliability, maintenance prevention and downtime costs were continual issues.

Flo-Line Technology, a Netzsch distributor on the west coast addressed 28

Netzsch patented positioned feed screw

the concerns Pacific Ethanol had and closely partnered with them to offer a new system. Engineers at Netzsch Pumps North America and Flo-Line Technology, worked together to develop a customised pump system to replace the conveyor.

The Netzsch Nemo NM125 SF size progressing cavity pump emerged as the best candidate. Prior to the final solution, Netzsch sent a trial pump to Pacific Ethanol so they could test whether the pump was fully capable of pumping the wet cake and to learn what other variables needed to be addressed. This pump was also helpful in determining the friction loss values to better design the pipeline.

In the application at Pacific Ethanol,

Pacific Ethanl plant in California

the Netzsch pump transports wet cake consisting of corn feed materials from the centrifuge process point to the storage barn. From there the product is then transported via trucks.

The new system initially consisted of the Netzsch Nemo pump, load cells, a variable frequency drive (VFD), and the control panel. A temperature control device was also installed to protect the elastomeric stator, and a transducer monitored the pressure on the discharge end.

The flowrate was 187gpm with 35% solids, at a differential pressure of 130psi. The temperature of the product ranged between 180 and 220 ËšF, and the operating speed was 100 rpm. The system is housed indoors and operates 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

The flow rate is non-uniform and the wet cake does not move readily. Since this is a continuous process, one of the key requirements was that the flowrate and speed adjustment needed to be automated. It was essential to use the load cells to monitor the weight of the product flowing into the hopper. When the weight increases, a signal is sent to the VFD which speeds up the pump to move the accumulating product faster. This has to be done continuously

The Netzsch Nemo SF progressing cavity pump in the Pacific Ethanol plant

FLUID HANDLING INTERNATIONAL l JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

PUMPS to match the flow rate of the product with the optimum speed of the pump.

The key components of the system were the specially designed auger and hopper to ensure the proper handling of the wet cake feed. The auger on this pump was upgraded to 316 stainless steel with 10mm auger flight thickness for increased corrosion and wear resistance. The protection from corrosion was essential due to low pH value of 2 to 3 at 180 ˚F, along with the presence of ammonia and other chemicals.

This design ensures that the maximum quantity of pumped material is fed into the pump by the feed screw into the stator cavity. The patented positioned feed screw provides a unique advantage for Netzsch pumps as compared to other progressing cavity pumps. In this application it played a key role in the success of the system by more easily feeding the wet cake into the rotor and stator. In fact, due to the heavy wet cake a special patented positioned feed screw was recommended.

The sizing for the piping and its arrangement was important so as to

minimise the line pressure and after detailed friction loss calculations, a 12inch diameter pipe was specified. The first 90 feet of piping on the discharge side was installed at an incline to a height of 30 feet. This was followed by an additional 90 feet of piping with three drop off points for the wet cake sludge at 30 feet intervals. The total length of pipe from the pump to the furthest point was 180 feet.

The Netzsch pump solved the challenges faced by the customer’s processing plant with reliability resulting in zero downtime, thereby reducing significant maintenance costs due to lost production.

With the conveyor system, it was Pacific Ethanol Pump Data Pump Type:

Nemo NM125 SF04

Capacity:

187 gpm / 42.5 m3/hr

Pressure:

130 psi / 9 bar

Medium:

Distillers grain wet cake For more information:

Temperature: 180 to 220° F

82 to 104° C

Speed:

100 rpm

not uncommon for Pacific Ethanol to have one or two incidents per year when the plant would have to be shut down for repairs. In such a situation, the cost to the plant was approximately $500,000 per day.

The Pacific Ethanol expectation was that if they could achieve six months of stator life this would be considered a success. The Netzsch Pump exceeded this target by more than six times.

“Netzsch /Floline wet cake pumping system has operated trouble free from day one with no unscheduled plant shut downs which used to be the norm for the previous mechanical conveyor system,” says Mr. Patrick McKenzie, Engineering director at Pacific Ethanol. “We are very pleased with system performance which exceeded our expectations and resulted in improved plant reliability and significant revenue increase.” z

Jeffrey Bye is director of Customer Service, Engineering and Projects at Netzsch Pumps North America.

Visit: www.netzsch.com

Don’t miss your chance to appear in the March/April 2018 issue of Fluid Handling International For editorial suggestions contact: Luke Acton, +44 (0) 20 8687 4183, luke@woodcotemedia.com, For advertising information and prices contact: Fraser Owen, +44 (0)208 648 7092, fraser@fluidhandlingmag.com Benefit from bonus distribution at these events: StocExpo ME Africa LNG and European Flow Offshore Technology Conference 2018 Utility Week Live

Advertising deadline: 9th March 2018 FLUID HANDLING INTERNATIONAL l JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 29

Extracting more oil for less UPSTREAM OIL

New synthetic water treatment media shows big potential to reduce costs of treating produced water from polymer flooding

Continuing oil and gas market pricing pressures keep exploration and production (E&P) operators looking for new ways to extract more oil from existing reserves for less. Typically, they have used enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques to tap the majority of oil in a reservoir – 55% to 80% – that cannot be primarily accessed via geological pressures or secondarily via water flooding. A new water treatment media has now been debuted – able to load up to five times more oil – that promises to make EOR even more economical.

While EOR has been proven for years to be a financially viable option for extending the life of a well and recovering much more oil from its reservoir, lower oil prices have driven many E&P operators to introduce chemical EOR (CEOR).

One of several CEOR techniques called polymer flooding involves the injection into a well reservoir’s rock formation of a dilute solution of a water-soluble polymer. The polymer increases the viscosity of the injected water, which improves its sweep efficiency to release more oil from the formation.

In fact, between 40 and 180 tonnes of extra oil can be recovered for every tonne of polymer that’s injected.

Consequently, CEOR via polymer flooding can have an enormous return on investment. For onshore polymer injection applications, every $1-3 invested in it can yield an additional barrel of oil. Using $45 per barrel pricing, that’s a return of between 1,500% and 4,500%.

Challenges of treating produced water from polymer flooding While polymer flooding can be financially rewarding, it does present E&P operators with some produced water treatment challenges which can add cost and complexity back into the business case. Some of the polymer comes back with the produced water, making it more viscous than produced water without polymer. The viscosity poses some well-known issues for conventional water treatment. Chief among them are: • Lack of charge neutralisation, due to the increased viscosity.

This keeps oil and solids from moving freely in the produced water, making it difficult for droplets and particles to float or sink.

• Lack of oil droplet and particulate movement prevents contact and coalescence, preventing settling, which is a key principle behind conventional water treatment.

• Current polymers are not biodegradable, although recent studies have shown them not to impact the environment, especially living marine organisms.

30

Figure 1: Diagram of proof-of-concept treatment system using synthetic PerforMedia for filtering polymer-flooding produced water

• Cost prohibitive to add enough chemical to re-neutralise the particles.

Extensive research has been done on treating well water produced by polymer flooding with conventional treatment technologies. The results haven’t been promising. The increased viscosity causes a commensurate increase in drag, which negatively impacts gravity separation.

In addition, research into secondary water treatment flotation systems shows the approach to be about 40% less efficient than when treating non-polymer water. Stabilised particles won’t coalesce or float, and the high viscosity can short-circuit a system. Research has shown that a flotation system can be efficient, but it requires adding a >40 ppm chemical dose, so the cost of the chemicals makes this approach uneconomical.

Then there are issues with using traditional walnut shell filter (WSF) media with highly viscous polymer-flood produced water.

The inefficiencies in the upstream treatment systems place a much higher burden on the media filter. This means that a significantly higher amount of oil in water (OiW) and total suspended solids (TSS) must now pass through the hydrocyclones and flotation system. Such an excessive load combined with the viscosity causes traditional WSF systems to require more frequent backwashing (down to a few hours between backwashes) due to hitting high differential pressure (dP) conditions.

Even then, the effluent contains enough oil to require further treatment via granular activated carbon (GAC) columns and/ or disposable cartridge filters. While possible to treat polymerinfused produced water, the additional operating expenses FLUID HANDLING INTERNATIONAL l JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

UPSTREAM OIL Effluent OiW Concentra7on

can be considerable, undermining the business case for CEOR using polymer. So the question becomes, what alternative treatment methods could help put its ROI on stronger footing?

18 16 14

Evaluating synthetic filtration media OiW (ppm)

To find a solution, Siemens conducted a proof-of-concept investigation into the use of a patented synthetic filtration media called PerforMedia Oil Removal Media. The goal was two-fold: (1) develop a system around this technology that could remove oil and total suspended solid (TSS) content from high-viscosity produced water; and (2) ensure the system would have a flux and footprint that would be acceptable to the E&P industry.

Other important considerations were that the solution would not degrade the CEOR polymer water treatment and other water clarification chemicals would not be required for operation or cleaning.

For its research, Siemens enlisted the help of SNF Floerger, the global leader in the production of water-soluble polyacrylamide polymers used in CEOR injections as well as in other industrial applications. The company provided its AN 934 BPM polymer (a copolymer acrylamide/acrylic acid polymer) for testing. This polymer has a lower molecular weight, giving it properties similar to those found in post-injection produced water, which would typically have spent time in the reservoir and also have been pumped several times.

Figure 1 provides a schematic of the test system, which featured a high-viscosity pump and an automated flow control subsystem for managing and monitoring filtration and backwash.

A Canty particle analyser was used to ensure a representative oil droplet distribution of 10–100 microns. All testing was done at 70°C with feed-oil concentrations of 250–500 ppm and polymer concentrations of 500–1,000 ppm. The feed oil was obtained from an active polymer-flood site in Canada and had an API of 21.6.

As mentioned, filtration used synthetic PerforMedia. This proprietary media is able to reduce oil concentrations from 500 ppm to 10 ppm or less, and it can combine the oil removal capacity of secondary (flotation) and tertiary (medial filtration) treatment into a single economic step.

Compared to conventional WSF media, it can load up to five times more oil. This helps eliminate upstream flotation treatment, saving CAPEX (capital expenditure) and OPEX (operational expenditure). It can also handle feed oil and grease concentrations of up to 500 mg/L with oil spikes >1,000 mg/L versus 100 mg/L or less for standard WSF media.

PerforMedia can handle high feed TSS concentrations, too. As a physically larger media, it is not as prone to plugging as conventional media. This helps to lower backwash frequency, further saving costs by reducing the volume of backwash water sent to downstream treatment.

Compared to conventional media, PerforMedia has an attrition rate of <5% per year. This reduces recurring yearly expenses and downtime to replace the lost media.

12 10 8 6 4 2 0 0.00

10.00 20.00 30.00 40.00 50.00 60.00 70.00 80.00 90.00 100.00 Time (Hours)

Figure 2. Results of a representative test run of the Siemens treatment system with PerforMedia as filtration for produced water from polymer flooding

Researchers conducted a series of test runs of the proof-ofconcept system, with each run spanning three backwash cycles.

The following test conditions were representative of the trials: • Flux: 24.4 m3/hr/m2 • Feed OiW: 241 ppm • Feed polymer: 493 ppm Figure 2 shows the results of this test run, with the best results showing an average 97.4% oil removal resulting in an effluent OiW levels of 6.2 PPM. Notably, the system dP did not increase over time. The test also validated that the backwash system is effective at regenerating the media.

This proof-of-concept treatment for produced water from CEOR polymer-flood applications confirmed that, unlike conventional produced water treatment technologies, a system using the synthetic PerforMedia material can provide a highly efficient approach to: • Removing OiW in polymer-flood produced water feeds with concentrations as high as 500 PPM to <10 ppm in the effluent • Eliminating requirements for additional chemicals • Keeping the polymer unchanged during treatment, making it available for re-injection and minimising additional make-up polymer requirements The next stage in the Siemens investigation is finding E&P industry partners to take part in field pilot testing. The goal would be to further validate this synthetic media approach in real-world conditions, especially with suspended solids and variability in the feed streams of polymer-flooded produced water. Two models of skid-mounted, safety-rated pilot units are available, each scaled for approximately 100 and 2,500 barrels per day production levels. z

For more information:

This article was written by Shane Wiercinski, Technology & Innovation, Siemens Water Solutions Contact the author: shane.wiercinski@siemens.com.

Visit: www.siemens.com

Between 40 and 180 tonnes of extra oil can be recovered for every tonne of polymer that’s injected. Consequently, CEOR via polymer flooding can have an enormous return on investment FLUID HANDLING INTERNATIONAL l JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 31

PUMPS

BPMA president on being productive in a challenging economy Although less visible than in the consumer industries, counterfeiting has also been a problem in this sector. For Duncan Lewis, not enough is being done

BPMA president and Xylem managing director, Duncan Lewis

In a consistently volatile political and economic environment, Lewis’s role as steward is clear to him in his new position. This does not mean preservation, but adaptation. The new British Pump Manufacturers’ Association (BPMA) president wants to see a more ‘solutions-focused’ association.

“I’ve been involved with the BPMA for many years, more as someone who’s taken information from them, and wanted to put something back into the association and, at the end of the day, the industry.”

“The pump industry is not the same as it was twenty years ago. It’s become a lot more dynamic: there’s a lot more technology, it’s not just the pump on its own, we’re having to deal with monitoring equipment and other stuff around pump installation.”

Looking to expand beyond its current niche, Lewis wants to diversify the role of the association’s representation and knowledge, and build links with other parts of the industry and their respective bodies – to apply a more holistic view to the industry.

Despite the Brexit referendum result, the BPMA will remain as part of the Europewide association, Europump. For both sides, challenging governments for clarity 32

will be imperative. Certainty over what regulation will be kept and scrapped is highly desired: “The CE marking of goods, which isn’t just linked to pumps, but everything that we use – is that going to stand?” Lewis says that the industry thought that the CE Mark (a symbol used to display that a product complies with EU safety laws) would stay, but that is another example of how poor communication

However, “The [BPMA] is very stable.

From a financial point of view it’s very robust; we’re very much in the black…

From a membership point of view, we’ve grown to the approximately 80 members that we have at the moment.”

Commenting on how to build on this, Lewis said that “It’s about adding more value to [BMPA membership],” saying that expanding on current training

from law-makers was impeding business.

But if the regulation does go: “that’s going to be very challenging for most of us in the industry. Most of us aren’t wholly UK-centric, so do you produce a UK-wide product [or appeal more to Europe?]”

“We need some direction [in terms of] what’s going to happen, that’s the piece we’re still unsure of. We’ve engaged with the varying associations and governmental bodies that we should [get in] touch [with] and asked the question: ‘Well, what’s your feeling? What’s your direction?’ There is zero input on what we should be doing.”

“We, along with other engineering associations are in the same boat.

From that point of view, we go along to meetings and they’re very welcome[ing] and engaging in terms of the conversation, but the reality is until the [negotiations] take another one or two steps, the people we’re talking with don’t have an understanding of what they can say ‘yes’ to and ‘no’ to.”

No matter the direction the negotiations take, Lewis says that the industry needs to be able to anticipate changes and understand the new status quo when it becomes apparent.

Other than Brexit, market stability is a concern. The different sectors that the industry interacts with aren’t behaving uniformly, with some areas growing and others stagnating. The lingering effects of the 2008 recession and the price of the dollar and oil have also presented obstacles.

Imports and exports are a focus for the BPMA, as well as a skill shortage that has traditionally been solved with foreign talent.

and certifications are key here.

“The kind of work that we do around Europump, standards and regulations, really, how the UK pump industry engages in those kinds of discussions is meaningful and worthwhile for those members that participate.”

Although less visible than in the consumer industries, counterfeiting has also been a problem in this sector. For Lewis, not enough is being done: “We’ve taken a few steps forward, but not as quickly as we would like.” Lewis blamed this on government attention being elsewhere and the policing of this particular area far from the top of law enforcement agendas. The BPMA flags issues as they arise to authorities and to affected parties.

Lewis is managing director of Xylem, a particularly active promoter of socially and environmentally conscious corporate policies. The company reaffirmed its commitment to goals outlined in the Paris Agreement after President Trump pulled the US out of it, and has gone out of its way to define policies on modern-day slave labour throughout production. ‘Solving’ the problem of water sustainability globally is also a priority. “[Engineers are] challenged all the time, from an R&D perspective, to try and find more efficient ways of [treating water].

A lot of that technology is very much aligned with what was expected in the western world.” He noted that solutions for municipalities and other large wastewater producers may not be efficient enough or inappropriate in other aspects for the needs of developing communities. z

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AESSEAL Water Management AESSEAL AESSEAL Water Water Management Management Redu ce en ergy c R d u Re onsum educ ce n ee e ption enerrg o gyy c n s consu um mp pttiio on n Eliminate excess seal water E li m in atte ee exxc ce Elimina essss seal water seal water liability re p m u p e v o r p Im bililitityy ab lia re p m u p e v o li r re p Improve pump Im

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1 Water from the plant water line enters thethe system 1 Water plant water line enters from the system enters the system 2 The pressure of the barrier 2 The pressure of the barrier fluidfluid 2 The pressure of the barrier fluid in the vessel can be regulated in the vessel can be regulated in the vessel can be regulated via the pressure regulator via the pressure regulator via the pressure regulator 3 The barrier fluid is circulated 3 The barrier fluid is circulated 3 The barrier fluid is circulated the seal and back to the system to to the seal and back to the system to by the seal and back toeffect the system thermosyphon effect by thethe thermosyphon by the thermosyphon effect

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