Software Optimizes Piping System for Sewage Treatment Plant

A $90 million AUS (Australian dollar) upgrade ($49 million USD) to the Cronulla Sewage Treatment Plant in Southern Sydney, Australia, was undertaken to meet the requirements of a growing population and to add advanced sewage treatment processes including ultraviolet disinfection. During the design phase, a cost-effective engineering solution needed to be developed for a new aeration system that provides air to the biological reactors. Design, Detail and Development, a division of Blenray Pty. Ltd., used ALGOR's piping design and analysis software, PipePak, to analyze modifications to the aeration system to ensure that the new design could withstand expected thermal strains. The initial design contained numerous, expensive stainless steel bellows to account for thermal expansion and contraction. The final design of the system replaced bellows with spiral-wound stainless steel, which saved $150,000 AUS ($81,800 USD) and helped to keep the project on budget. The system has been installed and is functioning successfully.