Australian Water Management Review Vol. 1 2014 | Page 149
Turbo blowers decrease power
consumption at upgraded Warriewood
Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)
Single-stage, oil-free, direct drive turbo blowers
with air-foil bearings are a major improvement
in water treatment technology, replacing positive
displacement blower technology for aeration
process. More and more wastewater treatment
plants are now embracing the new technology
and enjoying its benefits.
In 2013, Australia’s largest water utility, Sydney Water,
purchased three GE Turbo blowers to upgrade their PD
blowers at Warriewood WWTP. GE Turbo blowers were
chosen because of their high efficiency and turndown.
Also, Sydney Water requires all equipment to be
supplied with standard off-the-shelf hardware, that is,
they have a no ‘black box’ controller policy. One other
feature Sydney Water required was for the ability of the
turbo blowers to run together with existing PD blowers.
The GE TurboMax blowers met all these criteria.
After a competitive tender process between turbo
blower supply companies meeting Sydney Water’s
requirements, three GE Energy Turbo Blower Packages
model RH-07506SSAA rated for 75 HP were ordered.
The blowers were installed in May 2013 and Sydney Water
retained a PD blower at Warriewood to allow for direct
efficiency comparisons. Actual measurements shown in
the table below confirmed energy savings of 16% to 24%
were achieved depending on flow rate. The retained PD
blower was completely rebuilt to new blower tolerances.
As such the turbo versus PD blower comparison is a true
comparison, not one where the PD is well worn.
Model
Flow rate
Power
Consumption (kW)
RH07504SSAA, 75 HP
38.29
50 Nm3/min
46.95
60 Nm3/min
57.31
40 Nm3/min
50.15
50 Nm3/min
57.78
60 Nm3/min
PD Blower
40 Nm3/min
68.48
Sydney Water control specialists state that they value
ease of installation (Modbus communications require
no hard wire back up and deliver all necessary values
and control parameters, allowing savings on installation
costs). Their service technicians appreciate the low
maintenance, low noise and virtually no vibration and
the fact that GE turbo blowers can be installed in parallel
with PD blower on a common manifold.
Sydney Water is now looking at retiring all its
continuous operation PD blowers and replacing them
with high-speed turbo blowers.
Depending on the requirements, return on investment on
the Turbo blowers’ installation may be less than two years
and longevity is predicted to be at least 20 years, while
energy savings reach up to 30%.
In addition to the energy savings, turbo blowers offer
other advantages. They are compact, lightweight and have
minimal installation requirements. Turbo units are durable,
reliable, and require minimum maintenance – apart from
monthly checks and clean-ups of filters they require no
attention and no dedicated personnel. For harsh Australian
conditions, environmental durability is also of importance;
GE Turbo Blowers are capable of withstanding weather
extremes and are rated for duty at 55°C.
Contact HNW today to find out how you can save money
at your water treatment plant.
Australian wat e r m a n a g e m e nt r e vie w 143