Primary Tank Renovations

at the
Downriver Wastewater Treatment Facilities

Tim Sullivan, Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc.

Shawn O’Day, Wayne County DPS

Wastewater Administrators Conference

January 21, 2011
 Overview
• DWTF Plant Overview
• Project Overview
• Plastic vs Chain SNAFU
• Torque Converter SNAFU
• CMMS SNAFU
 DWTF
• Original DWTF Built in 1938
• Numerous Upgrades/Projects
– 1962 – 1995
– 1969 – 1999
– 1975 – 2000
– 1985
– 1993
 DWTF Facilities
• Average Dry Weather Flow – 50 MGD
• Peak Wet Weather Flow – 225 MGD
• Primary Treatment Capacity – 150 MGD
(Firm)
• Secondary Treatment Capacity – 125 MGD
(Firm)
• Unique Blending at 225 MGD
 Primary Treatment Facilities
• 7 Primary Tanks
– 5 Built in 1962 (Tanks 1-5)
– 1 Built in 1969 (Tank 6)
– 1 Built in 2000 (Tank 7)
• 150 MGD Firm, 25 MGD Each
Tanks 1-5, 1962
Tank 6, 1969
Tank 7, 2000
 Tanks
• All are rectangular and covered
• Each tank:
– 150 ft x 110 ft, 12 ft SWD
– Five bays, w/scum & sludge cross collectors
– Seven chain & flight collectors/tank
 Design Directive
• Match the 2000 Primary Tank, Tank 7
• Envirex System
 Tank Replacement Components
• Motor • Tail Shaft
• Gear Reducer • Idler Shaft
• Drive Sprocket • Chains
• Torque Limiter • Flight Boards
• Drive Chain • Shoes
• Shaft Drive Sprocket • Return Rails
• Drive Shaft • HPDE Wear Sheet
• Head Shaft
Typical Rectangular Tank
 High-Tech Torque Limiter
• Replaces Shear Pin
• Can easily re-engaged clutch mechanism via
ball-detent mechanism
• When tripped, position sensor transmits loss
of signal to local panel then to remote panel
 Construction
• Bid:
– $3.9M
• Contractors:
– 3-S Construction, General
– Bock, Electrical
– CCI, Instrumentation
– Weiss Construction, H&V, Plumbing
 1st SNAFU – Chain Evaluation
• Plastic vs. Stainless Steel
 Basic Advantages/Disadvantages
• PVC
– Less expensive
– Easier to install
– Doesn’t last as long
• Stainless Steel
– More expensive
– More difficult to install
– Lasts longer
 Evaluation Process
• Salesman was persuasive
• Owner interested
• Engineer’s due diligence
– Survey of installations (first)
– Cost-effective Analysis (next)
 Conclusion
• Each facility liked their plastic or stainless
steel chain
• Cost-effective analysis favored stainless, but
was essentially a “Wash”

• Ultimate Decision:
– Recommended one tank use stainless steel chain
as a full scale pilot test
Then one day…
 2nd SNAFU – Torque Limiter
• Envirex torque limit
• Factory set torque limiter
• Factory procedure for setting proximity
sensor
– Pull out pop head, set proximity sensor
• Contractor installed system
• Field tested system
“Houston, we have a problem!”
 Real World Application
• Clearance tolerance too tight between pop-
out head and proximity sensor
• Popped heads not tripping sensor ?!?
• Retest, all systems go
• ?!?
 Culprit
• Pulling out head is not the same as
popped/torqued out head
• Field SOP to correct factory SOP Manual
• Readjust sensors
 3rd SNAFU – CMMS
• Plastic chain stretches
• Chain must be tightened
• Tightening chain requires PM Work Order
• Work Order must be input into CMMS
system
• CMMS manager must be notified of the PM
tasks
“What we have here, is a failure to
communicate.”
 R.I.P. Dean Moore
“Still Walkin’ & Talkin’”

1958 - 2009
Presentation by:
Timothy H. Sullivan, Senior Associate
Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc.
220 Bagley, Suite 420
Detroit, Michigan 48226
(248) 454-6879
tsullivan@hrc-engr.com

Shawn O’Day, Facility Engineer

Wayne County Department of Public Services
797 Central Avenue
Wyandotte, MI
Soday@co.wayne.mi.us