REAL LIFE SINGER SOLUTIONS

HOW SINGER ANTI-CAV TRIM MINIMIZES DAMAGE

Their Challenge

Pumping water at 5,310 g/m (335 l/s) with pressure beginning at 60 psi (4.1 bar) and dropping to atmosphere, it’s no wonder the City of Airdrie’s reservoir fill valve had to be replaced regularly due to serious cavitation.

“We inspected the reservoir fill valve every year for damage due to cavitation,” says Kelly McKague, City of Airdrie’s facility operator. “The valve was completely eaten away so we had to replace it every 18 months.”

Our Solution 

McKague decided to purchase a 12” (300 mm) Singer 2SC-PCO fitted with Singer’s Anti-Cavitation Trim. Singer Valve customized the cavitation cages to suit Airdrie’s application. Curious about its performance, McKague inspected the valve six months later. “We could have boxed the valve and resold it,” says McKague. “There was absolutely no sign of cavitation, not even on the coating. We couldn’t believe it.”

The Result 

One year after installation, McKague inspected the valve again and saw no signs of damage whatsoever. Another benefit of the Singer Anti-Cavitation Trim is the noise reduction. Because cavitation is noisy—like gravel going through the valve—with the Anti-Cavitation Trim, the valve is amazingly quiet.

“THE SINGER 2SC-PCO WITH SINGER’S ANTI-CAVITATION TRIM IS DEFINITELY THE RIGHT VALVE FOR THE JOB.”

- Kelly McKague, Facility Operator, City of Airdrie

SINGER ELIMINATES CAVITATION DAMAGE IN PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP’S RESERVOIR FILLING STATION

Their Challenge 

To address cavitation damage immediately and maintain the current valve functions with controlled programming. The high pressure drop caused by fluctuation in elevation ranges was causing significant cavitation in the plug valve.

Our Solution

Single Rolling Diaphragm with Anti-Cavitation Trim

The Result

• Cavitation damage eliminated immediately without sacrificing other valves
• Valve consistently modulating the flow into the tank without any shut down
• Consistent water flow for the residents of Pittsfield Township
• SRD allowing the valve to operate steadily at both low and high flows
• Reduced maintenance thanks to the SRD self-flushing the pilot controls
  
  

"THE SINGER VALVE IS WORKING FANTASTICALLY. IT IS A SIMPLE AND EFFICIENT SOLUTION WITH MINIMAL MAINTENANCE."

- Billy Weirich, Pittsfield Township Utilities Superintendent

SINGER VALVE STATION IS IDEAL SOLUTION

Their Challenge

Tarek Saman, municipal project coordinator at Genivar Engineering, was tasked with specifying pressure reducing valves for Kneehill County’s regional transmission line. He chose Singer Valve’s pressure reducing valves. But a conventional system, with two pressure reducing valves in series to handle a significant pressure drop, would result in a large and expensive station. Knowing that Singer Valve could design and build a packaged system to accommodate the PRVs and the transmission system, the concept was suggested for this project.

Our Solution 

“The primary reason we chose a Singer packaged system was the ease of installation,” says Tarek. “Ordering a packaged system is extremely efficient in many ways but to install the station in one day was the biggest benefit for us.” The packaged system included pressure reducing valves fitted with the Singer Anti-Cavitation Trim. 

The Result 

Utilizing Singer’s Anti-Cavitation Trim on the valve in a packaged system allowed Singer to manufacture and deliver a cost-effective, low maintenance solution. The county needed three stations; Singer Valve provided all of them. As a result, the high pressure changes in transmission line due to elevation changes are no longer a problem and residents receive water at a pressure they can use.

“THE PRIMARY REASON WE CHOSE A SINGER PACKAGED SYSTEM WAS THE EASE OF INSTALLATION.”

- Tarek Saman, Municipal Project Coordinator, Genivar Engineering Inc. 

SINGER VALVE SOLVES TRIPLE DILEMA IN OHIO

Their Challenge

Butler County, which purchases water wholesale to provide drinking water to its population of 100,000, faced three problems. 1. Extreme pressure drops at a pressure reducing and metering facility, resulting in severe cavitation damage and extreme noise to two valves. 2. The inability to sequence the two valves. 3. The inability to accurately control levels in two remote storage tanks. The operational protocol was further complicated due to the fact that the remote tanks are at different overflow elevations and design capacities.

Our Solution

Thanks to our Singer dual solenoid electronic valve with anti-cavitation trim and multi-process control panel, all three issues were solved in one application. One valve was replaced with a new 16” (400 mm) Singer dual solenoid electronic valve with Singer’s anti-cavitation trim. The second 16” (400 mm) valve was replaced by another manufacturer due to competitive bidding requirements. A Singer multi-process control panel—programmed with a complicated, custom algorithm that we wrote—sequences the two 16” (400 mm) valves and controls water levels in the remote storage tanks. It interfaces smoothly with Butler County’s SCADA.

The Result

The Singer Anti-Cavitation Trim eliminates cavitation damage and noise and the Singer multi-process control panel provides consistent control of remote storage tank levels and sequences the new valve.

“THE ABILITY TO INCORPORATE A CUSTOMIZED CONTROL SYSTEM HAS PROVEN TO BE INVALUABLE FOR THIS APPLICATION.”

- Tom Rhoades, Chief Water Operator, Butler County, Ohio

LA COUNTY TRUSTS SINGER’S ANTI-CAV TRIM

Their Challenge

At Pepperdine University, even the horses kicked up a fuss about how noisy a nearby valve was when it opened and closed. The horse stable stood next to a reservoir tank in the pressure zone at an elevation of 545 feet. The valve, which was at the tank’s inlet, was serviced by a high pressure line from 812 feet elevation. “The valve vibrated so much it scared us—and the horses,” says Rick LaSance, L.A. County’s electromechanic working supervisor in charge of water distribution. “We were afraid it was out of control.” When the valve needed to be replaced, LaSance knew that specifying the same valve would neither eliminate the noise nor stop cavitation.

Our Solution

When LaSance learned that Singer Valve makes an anti-cavitation product, they decided to try Singer’s Altitude Valve with the Singer Anti-Cavitation Trim at the Pepperdine University tank. “The valve was so quiet we couldn’t believe it,” says LaSance. “There is no more vibration and the horses calmed down.”

The Result 

Four years after L.A. County installed the Singer Altitude Valve and Anti-Cavitation Trim, LaSance pulled it apart for inspection. “Everything was running perfectly,” he says. Since then, LaSance often specifies Singer valves. “Any time we have noise in a valve or are working with higher pressure, we go strictly with Singer’s Anti-Cavitation Trim. They solve all of our noise and vibration problems.”

“THE SINGER ANTI-CAVITATION TRIM WAS AN EFFECTIVE AND RELIABLE SOLUTION FOR PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY. IT’S A UNIQUE VALVE NO ONE ELSE OFFERS.”

- Kari Oksanen, General Manager, Singer Valve Inc.