JM-3080 WATER JET FROM GENERAL PIPE
CLEANERS
SOLVES A DAM
TOUGH PROBLEM!
Blockage of a critical 5” overflow pipe beneath a large
artificial lake at Dospat Dam, Bulgaria, posed extreme danger to dam wall
integrity – risking catastrophic failure.
Over 50 years of hardened sediment and debris had
accumulated. Drainage reduced to a
trickle. And construction of a new
removal conduit proved unfeasible.
The remote setting also eliminated heavy cleaning equipment
from consideration. And the 460’
line descended over a 2.5% grade from 157 feet beneath the dam wall through
four tight bends to its terminus – rendering clean out extremely
difficult.
That’s when Double D Engineering Ltd, European specialists
in industrial cleaning technologies and services, stepped in – with an
“outside the box” idea.
“Economics and facility condition forced us to work with the
existing pipeline,” Dimiter Dimitrov, company manager, noted. “So we opted for
a compact, portable water jet solution.”
A COMPACT,
POWERFUL SOLUTION
Representing the Russian company Zevs Technologies Ltd,
Double D chose the powerful, compact, and maneuverable JM-3080 gas-powered
water jet from General Pipe Cleaners.
Part of General’s popular Jet-Set™, the high-flow device is
perfect for clearing larger, more difficult lines of grease, sediment, ice and other “soft”
blockages. A 20 hp
Honda engine with electric start provides an 8 gpm flow rate at 3000 psi – without risking pump damage if water supply can’t
match pump demand. A 12-gallon
frame-mounted buffer tank provides enhanced safety margins – and extends
operating time.
“We’ve specialized in industrial cleaning since 1998, and
this was our first project with JM-3080,” Dimitrov adds. “We were enormously
pleased with its portability, power and performance.”
General’s gas and electric powered water jets also feature
on-demand Vibra-Pulse® for greater nozzle thrust around tight bends
and down long lines. Dimitrov
especially liked that feature.
“The steel overflow line featured four turns over its
length,” he notes. “And Vibra-Pulse® technology helped ensure
thorough removal of the built-up sediment and debris.”
Dimitrov also appreciated the JM-3080’s positive lock
braking system – and heavy-duty frame with four 13" pneumatic tires.
“Our JM-3080 often sat in precarious locations on the job
site at Dospat,” Dimitrov recalls. “And its stability, tough construction, and
reliable wheel brakes really kept the machine solidly positioned.”
Standard JM-3080 safety features include a thermal relief
valve to protect the pump from heat damage – as well as a back-flow check
valve and inlet filter. It comes
complete with tool box, chemical injector, and spray
wand with trigger.
FRESH APPROACH
YIELDS RESULTS
Partially tapping lake water 130 feet away – and using
two hoses, three high-performance nozzles, and two standard nozzles – Double
D cleared the blockage in three steps over roughly 12 hours and three days:
- Phase 1. About 295 feet were cleaned from
the lower end of the pipe with all three high-performance nozzles. Total work time: 5 h 15 min.
- Phase 2. Another 75.5 feet from the lower
end were subsequently cleaned with the three high-performance
nozzles. By then, however, the
JM-3080 had hit maximum reach. Total work time: 5 h 30 min.
- Phase 3. Double D then repositioned the JM-3080
to clean 164 feet from the pipeline’s upper end. Total work time: 1 h 24 min.
Conditions on the final project leg proved especially
hazardous. Personnel had to descend
to a gallery about 164 feet below lake water level. And they risked catastrophic flooding
from large chunks of loosened sediment blocking the clean downstream end. But by employing smaller jet nozzles
– and gradually removing the blockage from the center out – workers
successfully completed the job.
Sediment and debris
blockages plague thousands of dam,
waterway and waste treatment pipelines. But not all are accessible to larger trailer-mounted water jets. Nor is larger wheeled equipment always
economical to employ.
But Double D blended innovative removal techniques with a
compact, powerful General water jet for a creative, yet effective, solution.
“Everything worked beautifully,” Dimiter Dimitrov concludes.
“We could not have achieved those positive results without our JM-3080!”
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