42 JANUARY 2022 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Slashing Energy Costs Aerating in Wastewater Sludge Compiled the Editorial Staff of WorldWide Drilling Resource® Compressors are an essential component of everyday operations in many industries and occupy a market worth more than $30 billion. What is surprising is the lack of compressor innovation for over 80 years. But an advanced design now offers a more appropriate fit for modern industry by solving the problems associated with traditional compressor designs. The cleansheet Lontra Blade Compressor® technology provides triple benefits in the compressor world: it’s oil free, more energy efficient, and more reliable than alternatives. Lontra Blade Compressor is a circular mechanism, replacing the old up-and-down piston compressor technology. With the cylinder wrapped around inside, there is a constantly open intake port, without valves. As the piston drops down into the cylinder, it compresses air - or gas - in front and induces the air behind in continuous motion, resulting in minimal waste and energy loss. As it returns to the starting point, the blade has drawn in a complete volume of air behind it. But unlike the traditional piston and cylinder, which has to stop and change direction, the blade passes through a disc, and the volume of air trapped behind the blade is then compressed in front. This creates a continuous cycle of drawing in air behind and compressing air in front, a new geometry which is quieter, smoother, and more efficient than other solutions. One compressor application, wastewater treatment, is a highly energyintensive process, involving pumping volumes of air through effluent to supply oxygen to the bacteria treating the wastewater. Electricity represents a significant operational cost for water utility firms. A breakthrough for the new compressor came with the U.K.’s Severn Trent Water, a wastewater treatment plant which operates around the clock, handling more than 660 million gallons of wastewater every day. The activated sludge process relies on the injection of air into wastewater to encourage the large-scale growth of natural bacteria to break down impurities, while traditional compressors, or blowers, use vast quantities of electricity. Severn was one of the first companies to try the new design resulting in a savings of 21% and a potential 3% reduction in annual energy costs for the entire business. They extended the trial, which had the compressor running for more than 10,000 hours, the equivalent of more than three years of normal operation. There were no issues during the trial, demonstrating superior performance. Equally as important as the efficiency gains, the compressor’s simplicity enabled easy implementation since it was designed with well-understood, proven materials and engineering. The bearings are traditional and the rotor runs at low speed, being directly coupled to the motor without step-up gearboxes or belt drives. This combination fits well with an industry requiring minimal downtime and long service life from its assets. Lontra soon licensed the compressor technology to global manufacturer Sulzer, whose reach extends across both the European and U.S. markets. Manufacture of machines incorporating the blade compressor technology has seen shipments to Severn Trent Water and its equivalents across Europe. As Severn Trent Water replaces older machines with the new compressors, the potential savings in electricity costs is around $2.4 million, with a substantial reduction in carbon emissions as an added benefit. Lontra Blade Compressor. Photo courtesy of Lontra. WTR Empire State Water Well Drillers Association Annual Meeting January 18 - 19, 2022 For more information, visit us online: www.nywelldriller.org Turning Stone Resort Casino Verona, NY For Hotel Reservations: 800-771-7711 www.turningstone.com January 18th 7:30am Board Meeting 9am - 1pm Variety of Classes 1:30pm - 4:30pm Speaker Classes 4:30pm - 7:30pm Cocktail Party & Trade Show January 19th 9am General Membership Meeting March Issue Deadlines for WorldWide Editorial: January 15th Space Reservation: January 25th Ad Copy: February 1st For Classified Deadlines, see i e Doc’s Buyers’ GGuide forr Drillers™™
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