SIEMENS Barrier M UV systems save energy for pools

In light of the recent significant increases in Australia's energy costs, Siemens (the world's biggest electrical company) has mustered its substantial resources to improve the electrical efficiency of the Barrier M UV system range for pools.

This is great news for pool-owners and operators, as they can now expect electrical power reductions of up to 25-30% when using the Barrier M range compared to other UV systems on the market.

The Barrier M UV range now incorporates an electronic power supply (EPS) that enables infinitely variable or 'stepless' adjustment of the UV lamp output to suit pool water conditions exactly. This replaces the 'stepped' output used by other systems with this kind of automatic feature. On average this can save around 13% on electrical consumption because it smoothes out the under and overdosing effect of stepped variations. Furthermore, as the UV lamp ages the output is also increased steplessly, saving approximately 15% more on electrical consumption compared to other systems. That's a total energy saving of around 28%.

Compared to UV systems that only have manual adjustment of the UV lamp output and older style 'electromagnetic ballast' (power supply), the savings could be as much as 50%.

As well as reducing electrical power use, the Siemens Barrier M range with EPS ensures that the exact UV dosage required for proper disinfection and effective chloramine reduction is maintained at all times, even near the end of the UV lamp life. This lamp life is also effectively prolonged by the innovative EPS feature (saving the pool-owner even more money) by extending service and lamp replacement intervals.

The Barrier M system has some unique features - a 'straight through' chamber design for easy installation into a vertical or horizontal line with little disruption of the plant flow and minimal headloss. In this chamber the 300mm short, compact UV lamps are positioned across the flow, making them easy to access and change, with minimal risk of breakage. Being small in size they are also among the lowest cost in the industry to replace.

To tie in with this improved electrical efficiency of UV systems, Siemens has also engineered energy- and chemical-saving technologies into its range of pool pH and free chlorine controllers. The Depolox Pool controller (used by the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, Ian Thorpe and Cook & Phillip Park Aquatic Centres in Sydney, and the new South Australian State Aquatic Centre in Adelaide) has a built-in 'ECO' mode. This will report to the pool plant control PLC when chemical levels have been stable at their set points for more than an hour and will ask for permission to go into ECO mode. If the PLC confirms it is night time, or a preset light usage time, it will give permission for the chemical set point to be lowered to save chemicals and feeder power use. At the same time the plant flow rate can be reduced by the PLC (via a variable frequency drive on the pool recirculation pumps, or by disabling one pump) to save energy even further. At a set time the PLC will give the signal for all equipment to return to normal, daytime running settings - ready for swimming to be resumed.

A unique feature of the Depolox Pool controller is the high combined chlorine alarm (or low ORPmV alarm from the Ezetrol Plus controller) being able to be used to give an output to the Barrier M UV system, which will immediately ramp up the UV output to 'High' until the water returns to peak condition. This temporarily overrides the UV's disinfection control system then returns it to full control afterwards. The Barrier M also has a unique, patented control program, known as CEDOX, which can make use of a free chlorine probe and an ORPmV probe to obtain peak chemical usage efficiency while ensuring optimum pool disinfection consistently.

The Barrier M UV system, the Depolox Pool controller and the Ezetrol Plus controller can be networked together using a single ChemWeb Server unit for web-based communications and download of readings to a PC. The Depolox Pool has the ability to accept an optional 'fieldbus module' for networking with the plant PLC or BMCS in its own language to enable full, open, two-way communications – another industry first.

Note: The Siemens Barrier M UV system is now distributed by Tim Batt Water Solutions.

Click here to contact Tim Batt Water Solutions via their entry in the Australasian Leisure Management Supplier Directory.

10th May 2010 - SIEMENS DELIVERS CONSISTENT WATER QUALITY AT GOULBURN AQUATIC CENTRE