When the main lift station for a Forsyth County, GA WRF needed upgrading, Engineered Systems was brought on to help determine the best course of action. They needed to add capacity to an existing Duplex Reduced-Voltage Softstarter system, and they initially brought to Engineered Systems a Variable Frequency Drive design that involved an outdoor rated enclosure. This outdoor design for VFD’s creates many problems; the principle issue being heat dissipation. With the size of the motors and drives involved, the heat dissipation requirements were cumbersome. After reviewing the proposal, Engineered Systems helped to create an E-house design that would not only require less maintenance but also had a lower up front cost.Engineered Systems used a modular enclosure design that optimized airflow in the enclosures while reducing the overall space required.
There was also a telemetry element that had to be dealt with during this initial design phase, and Engineered Systems engineers worked together with the Plant’s SCADA expert to plan and implement a communication scheme that would be simple, modern and reliable. The existing SLC 500 PLC controller at the plant is a rapidly antiquating platform, so the decision was made to use a CompactLogix L18 controller in the new system. This coupled with a Panelview Plus HMI would allow the new lift station controls to be modern and scaleable for years to come.
Schematic and Mechanical drawings do not always capture the entire vision of the design engineer, which is why at Engineered Systems, the designing engineer is available for consultation during the entire production process. We take pride in our choice to use top quality components and offer top quality construction. This project was no different. The modular design not only helps to ease installation, but it also allows for much easier maintenance in the event of equipment failure. As an added bonus, we were able to assemble all the sections separately, and then join them together once constructed and wired.
Once the control panel was completely built and wired, the programs were fully functionally tested and debugged. The SCADA technician was consulted during the process to ensure the IP addresses and communications scheme would easily interface with the existing system.
