The Problem
A canal with no natural water feed had been dependent on a diesel-powered belt-driven pump for replenishing water that was lost every time the lock-gates were opened into the river Hull.
The canal provides a non-tidal mooring for boats as well as being used for fishing and is an effective wildlife corridor running from the River Hull back into the centre of Beverly, finishing just a few hundred metres from the famous Minster.
The issues with the existing pump installation were:
- The system was manually controlledThe single pump and diesel engine were installed circa 1930
- The pump was not self-priming
- The drive system was by powered a pulley system using an unguarded flat belt
- The pump house was in need of repair
On behalf of East Riding District Council, Verder were approached by Hall Construction to develop a modern, reliable pumping scheme that involved drawing water through an existing 10” suction pipe fed from the river Hull and feeding the water through an existing discharge pipe into the canal.
The Solution
Verder proposed a scheme using two Verder S series centrifugal self-priming pumps, each fitted with an 11 kw motor with a combined flow capability of 100 litres per second, some 1320 gallons per minute. Because of the size and length of the existing suction pipe vacuum pumps were also installed to give an initial quick removal of air from the system before the self-priming pumps cut in, this feature dramatically reduced the priming time on start up.
Both the suction and discharge pipe work were cast into the banks of the canal and any disturbance was therefore undesirable. The existing pipe work was found to be sound and was cut back to its immediate entry and exit to the pumping station. These points formed the terminations for the new ductile iron concrete lined pipe work installed in the pump house with the new pumps.
The old diesel engine and pump unit were removed from the pump house, this required the removal of the roof and its subsequent reinstatement, since the pump house is on an island between the river and the canal with no vehicular access the old pumps had to be craned out from the opposite bank with all the new equipment being craned back into position.
The Detail
As part of the contract a new motor control centre was installed and provided with a new electrical supply. In addition since the station is unmanned and operates on a fully automatic system, Verder installed one of the Verder intelligence GSM dial out alarm systems. The alarm unit does not require a fixed telephone line and calls direct to the Verder service engineers in the event of a problem being detected.
The unit monitors many features of the pump station including river water levels; canal water levels, water pump tripped, vac pump tripped and abnormal suction conditions as well as mains power failure. During the first 7 months of operation there was only one failure when the system notified a mains power failure, when the power was restored to the area the alarm was able to be reset remotely over the GSM network without the need for a Verder engineer to attend site.
As well as installing new modern electrically driven pump equipment, the pump house was brought back onto good order and the lock gates were totally removed refurbished and re-installed. The whole works was supervised by East Riding district council and funded in part by the EEC.
As a result the canal is available to boat users with fewer interruptions since any water lost when the locks are operated is quickly and efficiently replenished on an automatic basis.