NA-05 - Cleaning: Vehicles and Technology

- Back to outline
- Back to Modules

Overview of the cleaning process
Criteria for the selection of the cleaning method
High pressure cleaning

Combined flushing / vacuum unit

Construction und Function

The water treatment technology process shown in the animation is part of the "Super 2000" sewer flushing vehicle form the company Wiedemann & Reichhardt.

Video:

Water return technology of the Super 2000 (Wiedemann & Reichardt) [Source: STEIN Ingenieure GmbH]

Animation: Water return technology of the Super 2000 (Wiedemann & Reichardt) [Image: S&P GmbH]. This interactive object is only visible in the online version of the module.

/ 77

After the separation of coarse materials in the sludge chamber (sedimentation), the flushing water passes through cyclones to arrive in settling chambers that are connected in series (chambers 1 to 5). There, the solids are further deposited. Upon leaving the last chamber the reclaimed water is once again sent through the cyclones, before reaching the high-pressure pump. This water recovery technology results in a high cleaning efficiency - even with a large volumetric flow rate. Given its extensive number of components, this system has increased maintenance requirements.

The water recovery technology can only be applied for COD values (chemical oxygen demand) of up to 2000 mg/l; damages to the pumping system are to be expected in the case of higher values. Using the combined high-pressure flushing and suction vehicles with water recovery technology in sewers with poor water supply (storm sewers, first sections of wastewater sewers and combined sewers) is only possible to a limited extent. In these cases a device is used to back up the flushing water in the sewer by using the flushed deposits to create a dam at the start manhole, thus contributing to the reduction of the water loss in the cleaning cycle of the water recovery technology.

By using the combined high-pressure flushing and suction vehicles with water recovery technology, the number of cleaning interruptions needed for water collection is decreased, the effective cleaning time is considerably increased and the consumption of potable water is diminished.