|
| | Cleaning the run-away from the runways |
|
|
| 
|
|
The vast paved areas that are typical to any large international airport pose an interesting water handling problem. The ideal solution is to channel rainwater flow directly into the sewers and from there to a treatment plant. But purification is also needed to prevent deposit of the large amounts of dust, chemicals, leaves, grass and other waste that accumulate. That, and stiff competition from local pump manufacturers, was what faced ITT Flygt and the firm of Max Bögl, when responding to an invitation to tender for Munich 2 international airport.
Munich 2 - The shape of airports to come
Munich 2 airport is designed to meet the growing needs for scheduled, charter and freight traffic well into the twenty-first century. Directly linked with the city's rapid transit system, the rail network and the motorway network, it directly addresses the call for a fully integrated transport system. With two runways, 48 aircraft stands, freight handling facilities and service bays, it is dimensioned to handle around 12 million passengers each year. And with such demanding design criteria for its operation, it is essential that every aspect of the new airport receives the same attention to detail - right up to the treatment of the rainwater that falls over the 1,500 hectare site.
The airport is built with two rainwater retention basins - large capacity basins - designed to prevent overloading of sewers in wet weather and to prevent rainwater entering public water supplies during peak load conditions. Wastewater is supplied to the Eiting sewage treatment plant for purification. Typically the rainwater from an airport's paved areas is contaminated with dust, traces of aviation fuel, rubber deposits from tires, leaves and grass. These solids would naturally settle on the bottom of the retention basin - without the help of ITT Flygt submersible pumps complete with built-on ejectors.
"...but when it rains, it pours"
The job of the ejectors is to clean the bottom of the basins and the lower walls with a powerful water-air jet. The pumps are controlled by a process control program which switches them on automatically when the water level reaches 20-25 cm. Operation is either continuous or intermittent depending on the requirement - a factor which contributes to rational running and maintenance costs. The 100 meter long tanks slope towards the outlet. As soon as slurping occurs in the lowest ejector pump, the system switches off automatically.
A total of 21 ITT Flygt C series submersible pumps and ejectors have been installed. Fifteen of these are CP 3127 pumps of 5.9 kW capacity, the remaining six are CP 3102 3.1 kW pumps. In order to test the pumps prior to acceptance, heavy sand was deposited for removal, unlike the lighter pollutants met in usual day to day operation. The Flygt ejectors met the challenge with style and they are now in regular and successful operation.
|
One of the two underground retention basins at the Munich airport with 9 CP 3102 ejectors.
Flooded retention basin, north west.
|
|
|
|
|
| ![]()
| ![]()
|
|
Home
