HS Bubbler Technology. HyQuest Solutions New Zealand User Group August 2017

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "HS Bubbler Technology. HyQuest Solutions New Zealand User Group August 2017"

Sylvia Golden
5 years ago
Views:

1 HS Bubbler Technology HyQuest Solutions New Zealand User Group August 2017

2 Origins of Gas Purge Technology 1940 s - Developed By Dutch Engineer Late 1940 s Adopted by State of Illinois Water Group 1950 s - Adopted by United States Geological Survey (USGS) 1960 s - Developed by Des Sherlock (Hydrological Services)

3 Gas Purge Operating Principle Basic Operating Principle dry nitrogen (or air) bubbled into the stream via a small diameter tube bubbles escape from the end of the tube (orifice) pressure transducer monitors changes in pressure within the tubing available as single or dual orifice/riverline options System pressure is proportional to water level

4 Typical installation of a Gas Purge system -Nitrogen Gas Bottle -HS23SL -Standard BU07 Orifice

Evolution of Technology Circa 1950 s Developed

(Leopold & Stevens USA) Hydrological Services

5 Evolution of Technology Circa 1950 s Developed as an alternate technology to traditional float operated systems Gas Electric Manometer (Queensland Government) Manometer Servo (Leopold & Stevens USA) Hydrological Services (HS) Pressure Sensing Unit (DP30) Des Sherlock ( ) 5

6 Typical Set-Up 6

Valve used to regulate the number of bubbles at the orifice Balance line used to control the pressure coming to the valve to keep the system

7 How does a dry bubble unit work? Gas feed should always be at a pressure twice the maximum river level likely to be recorded Balance Line Supply Line (Feed) Nupro Valve Nupro Valve used to regulate the number of bubbles at the orifice Balance line used to control the pressure coming to the valve to keep the system balanced Instrument line where a dry pressure transducer is used River Line extends all the way to the orifice. Instrument Line Pressure through this valve is always 27Kpa (4 PSI) greater than the pressure at the river orifice (+ve pressure) River Line

8 How does a dry bubble unit work? Pressure will increase to open the valve more when water level increases and decrease to reducing the valve opening when water decrease Pressure at this point is always 27 kpa (4 PSI) Nupro metering valve for accurately setting Constant regulator to maintain a constant bubble rate with changes of water level bubble rate

9 The Compressor Age Alternative to gas cylinders (Safety Issues) Effective air drying system essential - moisture ingress - aquatic growth Some limitations riverline length - maximum head Low powered types available (12V: 38aH with solar)

10 Original HS Compressors (circa late 1990 s) Model HS45 (Required HS23 Bubble Unit) Model HS55 (In-Built HS23 Bubble Unit)

11 Typical installation HS55 Compressor?

fast rising water levels Allows for lower bubble rates (as low as 10 bpm)

12 Why use the GCO? Minimises impact of sediment on water level sensing Minimises time of lag for fast rising water levels Allows for lower bubble rates (as low as 10 bpm) reducing gas and power consumption Removeable copper screen to eliminate algal growth Adjustable coupling for easy retrofit to existing sites

13 Why use the GCO?

Series II (Available with WL3100 or WL3100A or Stand-Alone ) HS40 Air

14 HS40 Air Force Compressor Models HS40 Air Force Series I (Available with WL3100 or WL3100A or Stand-Alone : V type also developed) HS40 Air Force Series II (Available with WL3100 or WL3100A or Stand-Alone ) HS40 Air Force Compact (Available with WL2100 or WL3100 or WL3100A or Stand-Alone )

15 HS40 Air Force Models General Features Feature HS40 Air Force Series I HS40 Air Force Series II HS40 Air Force Compact Operation Constant Bubble Constant Bubble Constant Bubble Enclosure Zinc plated powder-coated metal Zinc plated powder-coated metal Zinc plated powder-coated metal Dimensions 330mm (W) x 430mm (H) x 200mm (D) 405mm (W) x 620mm (H) x 220mm (D) 330mm (W) x 490mm (H) x 210mm (D) Mass 16kg 24kg 22kg Maximum Head 40 metres (200 metre river-line) 50 metres (200 metres river-line) 50 metres (200 metres river-line) Orifice Suits either BU07 or GCO1P/SS Suits either BU07 or GCO1P/SS Suits either BU07 or GCO1P/SS Power Supply 12VDC 12VDC 12VDC Models HS40 / HS / HS / HS40/3100 (with DO Option) HS40/II / HS40/3100II / HS40/3100A/II / HS40/3100/DO/II HS40AFC / HS40AFC/2100 / HS40AFC/3100 / HS40AFC/3100A Tank size 2.0L 2.0L 0.75L Compressor Pump Thomas Pump Industrial strength ABB pump Industrial strength ABB pump Air Dryer Auto DRAIN with nylon bulbs ( V option also introduced in 2013) Auto PURGE air dryer with micro-mist separator and membrane dryer Auto DRAIN with micro-mist separator and membrane dryer (Auto PURGE air dryer available in V model of the AFC) Bubble Rate 26 BPM at orifice (Factory Set) 26 BPM at orifice (Factory Set) 26 BPM at orifice (Factory Set)

16 HS40 Air Force Models Continuous Improvement Circa 2009 : HS45/HS55 to HS40 Series I - Industry demand for a smaller and less expensive product - Inclusion of on-board accurate pressure sensor (WL3100 & WL3100A) Circa 2015 : HS40 Series I to HS40 Series II - Alternate method of air drying - More robust pump - Short-comings of electronics (re-introduction of the Condor mechanical pressure switch used in HS55) - Redundancy (unit will continue to function in the event of a controller failure) - SDI-12 Diagnostics for Fault Finding: Compressor status / Duration of & Time since last pump cycle / Number of pump cycles in the last 24hrs / Minimum battery voltage & Maximum current draw Circa 2017 : HS40 Series II to HS40 COMPACT - Industry demand for a smaller/lighter and less expensive product - Options for inclusion of on-board accurate pressure sensor (WL2100, WL3100 & WL3100A) - Air Dryer options (auto-drain) OR (auto-purge)

17 HS40 Air Force Compressors - How do They Work? Tank Pressure Gauge Purge Valve When tank pressure drops to 400kPa, Controller activates pump Tank Pressure Transducer Ambient air enters pump and put through Micromist Separator and Membrane Dryer prior to entering tank Differential Regulator Condor Switch When tank pressure reaches 750kPa, Controller de-activates pump Bubble Rate Adjust Controller Transducer Isolation Valve Pump Air Intake Micromist Separator Trapped Moisture Purged via Solenoid Valve Differential Regulator ensure a constant flow of dried air to orifice Changes in stream water level reflected in changed pressure reading in river line 12VDC Supply Membrane Dryer Solenoid Valve Pressure transducer converts pressure reading to a reading in metres ADVANTAGES: Desiccant Free means minimal maintenance Constant Bubble ensures stability in water level reading

18 Moisture DRIED Air is ESSENTIAL!!!!

19 HS40 Fault Finding Pressure (ALL MODELS) SYSTEM LEAK ISSUE (Visual Inspection/Check Data) Trace SYSTEM BLOCKAGE ISSUE (Visual Inspection/Check Data) Pressure Transducer Connected?? Connect Transducer Set both to OPEN position Are both Valves Set at OPEN? posit? Valve Seats OK? Dismantle and Clean Valve Compressor Working OK Clean in and around orifice area. Manual Purge then Check and reset bubble rate to (26BPM) if required Is Orifice Clear and Bubbling? Internal Connections OK? Use HS23QC tester / tighten or replace Check and/or Replace Ferrules Repair/replace tubing as required Is River-Line Damaged? Bubble Rate OK (26BPM)? Adjust to 26BPM 19

20 HS40 Fault Finding Electronic (Series I Model) COMPRESSOR FAILS TO POWER UP Replace Battery if voltage <12VDC Duty Cycle Exceeded (wait 30 mins. Until LED is GREEN then retry) Compressor will stop assuming a leak in the system. Ensure control valve is T in the PURGE position) Ensure Battery Voltage is =/>12VDC Check POWER/GROUND Connections Is LED Flashing RED? Is LED Flashing BLUE (fast)? Is LED Flashing BLUE (slowly)? If LED RED or BLUE follow steps above Compressor stops at <750kPa?? If LED GREEN Controller may be faulty (remove from battery then re-connect to re-boot) COMPRESSOR FAILS TO START (when BLUE button is pressed OR tank pressure <400kPa) LED Flashing GREEN Compressor Working OK 20

HS40 Fault Finding Electronic (Series II Model) COMPRESSOR FAILS TO POWER UP If Slow Flash Check Battery Voltage, must be =/>12.

ALL pressure fittings and power to solenoid valve Compressor duty cycle exceeded.

POWER/GROUND Connections Is LED Flashing RED? If LED RED or BLUE or WHITE follow steps above Is LED Flashing BLUE (fast)? Is LED Flashing WHITE?

21 HS40 Fault Finding Electronic (Series II Model) COMPRESSOR FAILS TO POWER UP If Slow Flash Check Battery Voltage, must be =/>12.5VDC If Fast Flash then battery voltage is too high, >16VDC i) Check Condor Switch setting is at 1 ii)ensure control valve is T set to PURGE iii)check ALL pressure fittings and power to solenoid valve Compressor duty cycle exceeded. Wait 10 mins until the LED flashes GREEN (it will automatically try to pump) Ensure Battery Voltage is =/>12VDC Condor Switch must be set to 1 Check POWER/GROUND Connections Is LED Flashing RED? If LED RED or BLUE or WHITE follow steps above Is LED Flashing BLUE (fast)? Is LED Flashing WHITE? Compressor stops at <750kPa?? If LED GREEN Controller may be faulty (remove from battery then re-connect to re-boot) COMPRESSOR FAILS TO START (when tank pressure <400kPa) LED Flashing GREEN Compressor Working (Use SDI-12 Diagnostics Feature if Required) OK 21

22 Fault Finding Real Examples Problem: Water Level logged reading randomly dropping out to zero metres Likely Cause: Communication problem (SDI-12) between logger and pressure sensor causes a Nan (Not A Number) value to be logged Fix: Edited out via Time Series software 22

23 Fault Finding Real Examples Problem: Water Level logged gradually increases then decreases on a random basis Likely Cause: Possible Leakage in system Fix: Check all fittings and valves for leakage 23

24 Fault Finding Real Examples The Problem Sensed Water Level reading randomly jumping to an un-realistic value (11002 in the case) Likely Cause a voltage drop causes the WL3100 to output an Out of Range value (e.g ) Fix: Usually rectified by checking and re-setting SDI-12 addresses 24

25 Fault Finding Real Examples The Problem Logged Data from WL3100 sensor is spikey? Likely Cause WL3100 set at Continuous Fix: Adjust from Continuous to Averaging (i.e. when set to Contin+Avg20 every 12 seconds, previous 20 level samples are averaged ) Use Averaging Feature with caution where stream is flashy!!!!!!! 25

26 Fault Finding Real Examples The Problem (s) i) Hunting over approx. 5mm range at start and end of trace ii) Sudden drops up to approx. 40mm then rises cycling with large upwards spike present Likely Cause (s): i) & ii) Sediment effect on orifice Fix: More regular clearing of orifice, or re-location? Consider GCO1P/SS?? 26

27 Fault Finding Real Examples The Problem (s) Hunting over approx. 50mm range following a major flood the previous week Likely Cause: Blockage in river line or sediment effect on orifice Fix: Converted from dual to single line, upgraded to GCO1P/SS 27

Fault Finding Real Examples The Problem (s) I) Although orifice (GCO) clear of sediment, steady rise even after purging II) Drop-out s of water level Likely Cause: i)

28 Fault Finding Real Examples The Problem (s) I) Although orifice (GCO) clear of sediment, steady rise even after purging II) Drop-out s of water level Likely Cause: i) Blockage in river line or sediment effect on orifice ii) SDI-12 timing Fix: i) Investigate blockage (try temporary orifice from HS40?) ii) Edit spike using time series software 28

Installation and Operation Manual. Advanced Bubbler System

Installation and Operation Manual Advanced Bubbler System Models: HS40 Compact (HS40AFC) HS40/2100 Compact (HS40AFC/2100) HS40/3100 Compact (HS40AFC/3100) HS40/3100A Compact (HS40AFC/3100A) plus /DO and