When you’re relaxing by the pool, equipment that keeps the water flowing and safely filtered probably isn’t that important. Behind the scenes there are probably some fascinating control systems that keep everything running smoothly.
Summer is synonymous with sunbathing and being outdoors. At Triple R Camping Resort in Franklinville, New York, the situation is no different. With over 200 tent, camper and motorhome (RV) campsites, there’s no shortage of people looking to take advantage of the best summer amenities. Triple R recently introduced mud flaps to its resort offering. Lee Kee Lagoon features a variety of interactive water features, including water cannons, water curtains, tipping buckets and a 4-lane racing slide, which complement the existing pool and hot tub and provide a place for young people to relax and unwind. Heart. See this area in the photo at the top of the article. Triple R Camping Resort’s water attractions are operated by three separate water systems (pool, spa and splash pad) inside the pump house. Due to the scale of the project, a system integrator (SI) was selected to design and implement the splash guard control system. Part of SI’s responsibility is to evaluate the environment and determine the operating requirements for the pump, which will ultimately be equipped with dual variable frequency drives (VFDs).
The first design decision was to integrate a water pump to make the job easier and more efficient. Instead of relying on multiple small pumps, the system was modified and optimized for two 7.5 horsepower pumps driven by three-phase motors. Another important point is the water purification system. In this case, ultraviolet (UV) lamps are used to disinfect the water before it passes through the device. UV filtration systems kill any microorganisms, but the lamps generate heat. Therefore, it is very important to keep the water moving. If there is a problem with the pump or water flow, the UV equipment must be turned off immediately, and vice versa. The system is designed to operate pumps and frequency converters in parallel using a single proportional integral derivative (PID) control loop. The purpose of the PID is to maintain constant water pressure throughout the system. One VFD is the master and communicates with the second VFD via a serial protocol. This ensures that both frequency converters work together. If each inverter uses its own PID loop, they will conflict with each other and the control will be unstable. Protecting system components from mechanical and thermal stress is critical. An important attribute of any system containing water flowing through a network of pipes is the ability to maintain constant water pressure. Providing a gradual increase and decrease in system pressure protects the pipes from surges when valves open or close, a phenomenon often referred to as the dreaded “water hammer.” By using a variable frequency drive and adjusting the ramp time, pump life is extended and pipelines are better protected. The resort’s facility features three separate water systems—a pool, a spa, and a new splash pad. Because UV cleaning lamps operate at 600°F (315°C), and the heat generated by other pumps, motors, and controllers, combined with ambient temperatures on hot summer days, equipment rooms can reach high temperatures. These conditions will be taken into account when designing the automation system. From a control point of view, three-phase pump motors pose new challenges. The resort is located in a rural area and does not have access to three-phase industrial power supply through public utilities. Since only single-phase power is available, the frequency converter must be able to operate in this way.
When evaluating variable frequency drives for this project, the designers knew that there were several options that varied in cost and complexity. After considering several manufacturers, AutomationDirect’s DURApulse GS4 driver was selected (Figure 1). Rice. 1. Two DURApulse GS4 AC drives from AutomationDirect were selected to control the pumps and implement the new splash guard feature. Single-phase input capabilities, easy programming capabilities and an excellent price/performance ratio make these converters ideal. These VFDs accept three-phase and single-phase inputs and provide three-phase output. They feature superior heatsink design, can operate in ambient temperatures up to 50°C, have multiple programmability options, built-in PID control, and adjustable rise/fall times. In addition, the total cost of ownership is well worth the investment due to significant cost savings, energy savings and reduced mechanical stress on the system.
As the valve opens and closes due to normal operation or malfunction, water can be redirected from the 8″ main to a 6″ pipe bypass system or to an open storage tank, resulting in a significant change in backpressure conditions. AutomationDirect’s ProSense pressure sensor was selected to monitor the pressure in the UV filtration system and transmit the values to the VFD for PID control (Figure 2). Rice. 2. AutomationDirect’s ProSense pressure sensor is used to monitor pressure in UV filtration systems. The GS4 VFD protects pipes and adjusts water flow accordingly when changes in pressure are detected. In this case, the auto-adjusting PID controller allows precise pressure control, and the twenty second ramp time ensures that the pipeline is protected from voltage surges. The system was quickly put into operation and its performance immediately exceeded all expectations.
Soon after SI handed over the project and put it into operation, disaster struck. A few days after the new splash guard was put into operation, a pipe burst in the control room. Lee Kee Lagoon will be out of service due to a serious water leak. In addition to the plumbing failure, water damage affected the electronics and controls for several functions of the splash guard. It needs to be replaced, and quickly. However, as is often the case when a failure occurs, the timing could not have been worse. As SI moved on to the next project, they were unable to control the renovations in a timely manner. Resort staff will be responsible for restoring the splash pad’s functionality. Without wasting any time, we started looking for spare parts. There is good news and there is bad news. The project was recently completed and the documentation is accurate and easily accessible. SI provides detailed reports including schematics, model numbers of all products used, and even paper copies of programming settings when debugging a project. The not-so-good news was that a key component of the system, the VFD, was out of stock and the resort staff had no control programming experience. A call to AutomationDirect technical support quickly resolved the issue. The technical support representative gave recommendations on choosing a drive. Dual ratings for three-phase and single-phase input power are easy to understand even for beginners. Ultimately, a slightly larger drive was selected for the replacement (25 HP 3-phase input, 10 HP 1-phase input) with additional headroom to allow the drive to operate at lower temperatures in a warmer environment. control room. With telephone support, resort staff can diagnose problems, identify and select replacement parts, place orders and coordinate deliveries. The initial call took place on Monday morning and details were installed the following Wednesday morning. Another benefit is that both the original and replacement drives are C-shaped, so the physical installation area is the same. Once the drive arrives on site, the programming process is completed quickly and easily.
Upon learning of this incident, additional frequency converters and pressure sensors were purchased and remained at the resort as spare parts. VFDs have several features that, when added to a control system, can help future-proof your resort investment. As an option for programming spare parts, the VFD is equipped with an intelligent keypad designed for quick setup of the frequency converter. Up to four configurations can be saved and then transferred to other VFDs. The VFD has high speed communication interface options such as Modbus TCP and EtherNet/IP. While the current system is manually monitored by checking flow, pressure and chemistry hourly, future on-site network upgrades will allow for remote monitoring and alerting of these conditions. Another feature of the VFD is its built-in programmable logic controller (PLC). Although the system currently operates with closed-loop PID control, additional logic may be built in in the future to monitor and control other I/O points and create more complex logic functions. The water park, consisting of a pool, spa and children’s pool, is one of the resort’s most popular attractions. Nearly $250,000 worth of equipment and piping is now effectively and safely controlled by two variable frequency drives that cost only a few thousand dollars. Triple R service technicians are excited to have the AutomationDirect DURApulse GS4 Variable Frequency Drive working behind the scenes to keep the system running smoothly so they can easily manage the equipment and expand in the future. All data provided by Triple R Camping Resort.
John Tinelli worked as a firefighter in Webster, New York for over twenty years while also working as a lead mechanical and process designer for Ashly Audio in the same area and then working in other freelance positions. He purchased Triple R Camping Resort and Trailer Sales over 10 years ago and has applied skills acquired throughout his career such as planning, people, logistics, and development, operation and maintenance of resort watersports and recreational facilities, relationships with suppliers, etc. other systems.
Post time: Jan-03-2024