Blower
An aeration blower in a wastewater treatment plant can be monitored continuously with IoT: sensors record vibration, pressures, intake temperatures and energy consumption. Operators detect bearing damage and excess consumption early and need to visit remote plants less often.
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A modular solution for the future of wastewater treatment
Drinking water supply – vibration analysis of the plants saves maintenance costs
Machine builder accompanies on the way to the IIoT business model
Remote monitoring for wastewater treatment plants reduces maintenance costs
Aeration blower monitoring for wastewater treatment plants
In the solution examples, ifm acceleration sensors are mounted on the blower units. An evaluation unit analyses the vibration in the time and frequency domain, reports limit violations to the control system and sends data and alarms via Ethernet to the control room. Because each type of damage can be assigned a specific frequency, maintenance can be prepared remotely using FFT analysis. Aerzen Digital's modular AERprogress solution uses existing measuring points and retrofitted sensors, processes intake temperatures, differential and intake pressures, operating mode and the condition of filter cartridges, and shows operating states, failure probabilities and excess consumption in the cloud.
The examples come from water and wastewater management and mechanical engineering, typically for condition monitoring, predictive maintenance and energy monitoring. South West Water first equipped the nine blowers, with a combined 615 kW, at its Marsh Mills works near Plymouth with the ifm vibration diagnostics system and has since installed more than 200 evaluation units. Maintenance and replacement costs fell by an average of 100,000 to 150,000 pounds sterling per year. The Bad Pyrmont-Lügde joint treatment plant monitors its blowers and pumps in real time with AERprogress and orders spare parts earlier instead of waiting for the next inspection round.
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Aeration blowers: frequently asked questions
How are aeration blowers monitored?
Aeration blowers are monitored with sensors that continuously record vibration, pressures, temperatures and energy consumption and report them to the control room or the cloud. This matters because the blowers must constantly supply enough oxygen to the water for biological treatment to work. Continuous data replaces the snapshot taken during an inspection round. Problems are noticed earlier and downtime becomes shorter.
What does vibration analysis achieve on wastewater blowers?
Vibration analysis detects bearing damage on blowers long before it causes a failure. At South West Water, units kept failing despite regular maintenance because their insulated design masked the typical noises. Today, ifm acceleration sensors and evaluation units analyse vibration in the time and frequency domain. Maintenance and replacement costs fell by an average of 100,000 to 150,000 pounds sterling per year.
How does monitoring cut the energy use of wastewater aeration?
Monitoring reveals excess consumption caused by wear and unfavourable operating conditions. According to the energy analysis of the Bad Pyrmont-Lügde joint treatment plant, pumps, blowers and compressors account for 60 to 70 percent of its energy costs there. Worn air filter cartridges increase consumption, as does, according to Aerzen, a raised intake temperature. The AERprogress energy module evaluates intake temperatures, pressures and filter condition so that parts are replaced in good time.
Which digital services are available for aeration system blowers?
Manufacturers such as Aerzen offer digital services for monitoring, predictive maintenance and energy management. Aerzen Digital's AERprogress consists of three modules: Machine Park Management with live monitoring and maintenance logs, Condition Monitoring with AI-based maintenance prediction, and Energy Management. Through AERconsult, Aerzen Digital also passes on its experience to other mid-sized machine builders who want to develop their own digital services.
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