Case Study Vacuum Sewerage System - Palm Jumeirah, Dubai

Corodex Electromechanic
Bringing Engineering Solutions to Life

System Highlights
World’s Biggest Vacuum Station

Over 2000 Villas Connected

900 Collection Chambers

40km of Vacuum Sewer Line

Savings over traditional

gravity system

INTRODUCTION SCOPE OF WORK accumulates in the sump, an inter-

Design, supply, installation, com- face valve automatically opens.
In August 2002 Nakheel the
Master Developer of Palm Jumei- missioning, operation, and mainte- The batch volume plus an addi-
rah Island awarded Corodex Elec- nance of a Vacuum Sewerage tional volume of air flows through
tromechanic the Vacuum Sewer- System for Palm Jumeirah Island. the open valve and is transported
age System contract for to-be the to a centralized vacuum station.
eighth wonder of the world. Vacuum sewer pipes are arranged
SYSTEM GENERAL
The Vacuum Sewerage System, with high and low points in a spe-
supplied by Roediger Vacuum INFORMATION cific elevation profile. Batches of
Gmbh, supports more than 2,000 Vacuum sewerage systems are wastewater come to rest at low
villas, having 900 collection wastewater collection systems. An points in the pipe. When air is
chambers and 40 km of vacuum air stream generated by differential introduced through an upstream
sewer line to a central Roevac air pressure drives the wastewater interface valve, the wastewater is
vacuum station, which is installed toward a vacuum station. pushed plug-wise over subsequent
underground in the utilities build- high points toward the vacuum
A vacuum sewer system is consists station.
ing on Palm Jumeirah.
of: i) A vacuum station, where the
The vacuum station for the Palm vacuum is generated, the wastewa- Wastewater and air are driven to
Jumeirah Development, with a ter is collected, then pumped to a a collection tank (vacuum tank) at
capacity to connect 23,000 per- wastewater treatment facility. ii) A the vacuum station. Vacuum
sons, is the largest single vacuum vacuum pipeline system, typically generators (vacuum pumps)
station in the world. consisting of a branched network of maintain vacuum in the tank and
The design of the vacuum sewer- vacuum sewer pipe, and collection sewer pipe. Conventional sewage
age system conforms with Euro- chambers with sumps and interface pumps forward collected waste-
pean Standard EN 1091 and the valve units. water from the collection tank
design guidelines of the German Wastewater flows by gravity from a through a force main to wastewa-
Wastewater Association. house/villa into a collection ter treatment plant.
chamber’s sump. After a given
quantity (batch) of wastewater

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SPECIFICATIONS VACUUM STATION
VACUUM SEWER LINES Comprise all mechanical and
electrical works including pipe-
work, vacuum vessel, vacuum
pumps, sewage discharge pumps,
control panel, odor control equip-
ment, ventilation, air conditioning
and lighting.
Includes four vacuum tanks,
sixteen vacuum pumps, six non-
clog sewage pumps and two
control panels.

VACUUM VESSEL
Manufactured of steel with inter-
Vacuum sewer line with inspection point nal and external epoxy coating.
Equipped with lifting lugs and all Collection Chamber

Comprised of High Density required process connections. ELECTRICAL CONTROL PANEL

Polyethylene pipes (HDPE). Constructed from not less than The operation of all pumps is
Pipe diameters- from 90 mm 9mm thick steel plate; thus, it controlled by programmable logic
up to 250 mm. provides flanged manhole access controller.
of minimum 600mm diameter to
Division valves are capable of The vacuum pumps are controlled
permit man entry for inspection
sustaining a vacuum of 80 by monitoring the vacuum inside
and maintenance.
KPa. the vacuum vessel with adjust-
The minimum vessel capacity is able pressure switches.
Valves are made from ductile
calculated under consideration of
iron with internal & external The sewage pumps are controlled
the maximum switch-on-
epoxy coating. by capacitive level measurement
frequency of the aggregates of 12
in the vacuum vessel Telemetry.
to 15 times per hour.
VACUUM COLLECTION
CHAMBERS SPECIAL FEATURES
VACUUM PUMPS
Made of PE with a wall thick- Automatic air admission control-
Minimum one duty and one
ness on the least 6mm. lers used for flushing lines with
stand-by vacuum pumps were
air are available. Air admission is
installed.
either controlled by vacuum
VACUUM INTERFACE VALVES The pump controls incorporate strength or by a timer. These
Minimum size of 75 mm auto and manual duty change- controllers are used to prevent
diameter. over facilities. excessive hydrostatic head loss,
Capable of passing solids with Operated by pressure switches or to increase flow velocity during
a minimum size of 75 mm attached to the vacuum vessel. low flow periods.
diameter. Interlocked with an emergency Controllers automatically adjust
The interface valves are com- floating switch inside the vacuum the ALR (air to liquid ratio) with
plete with controller, rubber vessel to prevent sewage from changing vacuum levels.
coupling, plastic tubing, being drawn into the vacuum Designs of sewer pipe profiles is
sensor piping connections, pumps. based on flow, line length,
and monitoring connections. topography, pipeline material
SEWAGE DISCHARGE PUMPS and ground stability. The saw-
CONTROLLERS tooth profile provides excellent
Minimum one duty and one
Open the interface valve only stand-by sewage pumps were
if there is a minimum vacuum installed.
of 22 kPa available. Suitable for operation under
Slide-attached to the valve negative pressure without cavita-
body and exchangeable tion.
within 1 minute. Pumps are dry pit, centrifugal
The air-admission time is impeller type capable of passing
adjustable in a wide range (up solids of a minimum shere size 80
to 15 seconds) by turning of a mm diameter.
screw or similar method. Controlled by analog capacitive
level measurement installed
inside the vacuum vessel. Valve

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 Corodex Electromechanic

momentum transfer from air to

water.
Inspection pipes along vacuum
sewers permit manual aera-
tion, connection of pressure
gauges and isolation by intro-
duction of an inflatable ball.
No steel, stainless, or metallic
component in contact with
wastewater or ground water.
The atmospheric, passenger
load chambers neither need
breather lines for ventilation of
valves and controllers nor air
inlets on the gravity lines. The
plastic covers are provided
with a locking mechanism with
a special key.
Flood-proof, heavy traffic
chambers are provided with Vacuum Station with Vacuum Tanks
plastic covers and cast iron
frames and covers on top of release clamps, and valves can Vacuum Interface Valves are
concrete support rings. be exchanged within seconds. activated pneumatically without
Vacuum clean-out lance, that is any need of energy or electricity
Insulation layer of styrofoam
attached to the vacuum service at each valve.
in the valve chamber protects
the interface valve unit from connection in the valve chamber,
extreme (hot and cold) tem- removes large clogging objects GENERAL ADVANTAGES OF
peratures. that are retained in the sump.
VACUUM SEWERAGE SYSTEM
Standard sumps are compact DN 200 diameter gravity drain
lines provide a large, adjustable, Construction & Installation
and have a self-cleansing
self-cleansing and inexpensive Small diameter plastic pipes
shape.
emergency storage volume. (HDPE)
Collection chamber is compact
Polyethylene pipes are electro- Shallow & narrow trenching
and can easily be carried and
installed by two persons. fusion-welded to ensure airtight Uphill transportation possibility.
conditions. No need for manholes or lift
The sensor pipe is connected
to the suction pipe. It is self- Vacuum Interface valves are stations.
cleansed every time the valve membrane/diaphragm type which Easy change of direction, cross-
cycles and grease built-up is ensure total closing or complete ing over or under obstacles
prevented. opening of the valve even under (flexible pipeline construction).
unstable pressure conditions.
Valves are connected with Vacuum sewer may cross water
rubber couplings and quick protection areas because exfiltra-
tion cannot occur.
No need for electrical power at
collection chambers.
Fast construction, minimal traffic
disturbance, and environmental
impact.
Low construction costs.

Control Panel Collection Chamber

 CRIN.HDT2.001.1110
Operation & Maintenance Minimal environmental impact
No line flushing because of Cleaner, safer maintenance
self-scouring flow velocity. Eliminates leakages & contamina-
No operator contact with tion
wastewater. More efficient sewage treatment
No exfiltration of wastewater. Easy avoidance of obstructions
No infiltration of ground water, Greater freedom in network plan-
vacuum sewers are tightness ning
tested.
No septicity because the A typical Collection Chamber installation

wastewater in vacuum sewers outside a villa in Palm Jumeirah

is continuously aerated.
CHALLENGES SOLUTIONS
Pinpoint leak detection.
Reliable, durable components
 Low population density (more than 50  Small pipe diameters and shallow
ft. of sewer pipe length per connected trenches allow cost-effective
that are easy to service. household (equivalent dwelling unit = installations for areas with low
EDU) & more than 50 EDU’s connected. population density.
Low operation & maintenance
costs.
 Terrain with insufficient slope for gravity  Saw-tooth profile allows pipe installation
transport (flat terrain) inside shallow trench.

 Obstacles to be crossed  Obstructions can easily be by-passed.

Additional Advantages
No natural fall required  High ground water table  Vacuum lines are installed in shallow
Smaller pipes trenches above ground water table.

Rise without pumping

Water & sewer in the same
 Rocky ground  Deep excavations are avoided.

trench
Cost of inspection chambers
 Unstable ground  No requirement for trench-supporting
equipment as trenches are very shallow.
eliminated
Electrical connections confined  High flow variation  Vacuum systems can handle peak- and
to central station low-flow periods. Completely sealed
system. No odour emissions during low-
flow periods.

 Water protection areas  No danger of exfiltration of sewage to

the ground water.

 Need for water conservation eg. arid  Vacuum sewer lines are self-cleaning
climate due to high velocity; thus no
requirement to flush the lines with
water.

Schematic Drawing of Vacuum Sewerage System

Vacuum Pipe Work

Interface
Valve Unit

Vacuum
Station

Corodex Electromechanic - Tel: +971 4 3472900 Fax: +971 4 3472796 Email: [email protected]