In waterworks, the main uses of air compressors are concentrated in pneumatic equipment drive, pipeline maintenance and cleaning, water treatment auxiliary and emergency backup air source four core areas, as follows:
1. Drive pneumatic equipment
A large number of water plants in the use of pneumatic valves, pneumatic diaphragm pumps and other equipment, these devices rely on compressed air as a power source. For example:
- pneumatic valve: The opening and closing of the valve is controlled by compressed air to achieve precise adjustment of water flow.
- Pneumatic diaphragm pump: Used to transport chemical agents (such as flocculants, disinfectants), its non-leakage, corrosion-resistant characteristics suitable for water treatment environment.
- Pneumatic agitator: Stir the reagent in the dosing tank to ensure uniform mixing and improve processing efficiency.
2. Pipeline maintenance and cleaning
air compressors are maintained through high-pressure air auxiliary pipelines and are mainly used in:
- purging of pipeline when the equipment is overhauled or shut down, the residual water or impurities in the pipeline shall be purged with compressed air to prevent blockage or corrosion.
- Pneumatic cleaning: Cooperate with high-pressure water jet equipment, enhance the cleaning effect by compressed air, and remove the biofilm or sediment on the inner wall of the pipeline.
- Pumping test of air compressor: In hydrogeological investigation, compressed air is injected into the well to reduce the density of the gas-water mixture, thereby pumping out the groundwater. This method has simple equipment and is not limited by the groundwater level, and can be used for pumping tests or flushing sand, but attention should be paid to its low efficiency and high power cost.
3. Water treatment assistance
compressed air plays a key role in water quality treatment:
- aeration treatment: In the biological treatment tank, compressed air provides oxygen for microorganisms to promote the decomposition of organic matter.
- air flotation separation in the air flotation equipment, compressed air and water are mixed to form tiny bubbles, which adsorb suspended solids and float to achieve solid-liquid separation.
- backwash filtration: In the backwashing stage of the sand filter or activated carbon filter, the compressed air-assisted water flow scrubs the filter material to restore the filtering capacity.
4. Emergency Standby Air Source
the air compressor can be used as an emergency standby air source to ensure the safety of water supply:
- response to sudden power failure when the power is interrupted, compressed air can drive some pneumatic equipment to continue to run and maintain the basic processing flow.
- Equipment fault replacement: When the electric equipment fails, the pneumatic equipment can be temporarily taken over to avoid processing interruption.
