Essex & Suffolk Water (owned by Northumbrian Water Group) operates in the south east of England and supplies water services to 1.7million people.
The Gravity Water Filtration Station is an integral part of a water treatment plant. Condensation was a constant problem in here causing possible failures in electric panels, damage to the fabric of the building and wet slippery floors. To try and counteract these issues the windows were being left open and a diesel heating system was being used which was very expensive to run.
To eliminate these problems the Water Company contacted humidity experts, Munters. To create the optimum conditions the correct relative humidity (RH) levels need to be maintained.
This means, reducing the moisture content of the air. The most versatile way to produce dry air is to use the current state of the art method, the Desiccant Rotor dehumidifier. This technique employs a honeycomb structure formed into a wheel (Rotor) which is shown in the diagram below. In the basic form, 75% of the rotor face is used for drying the air, and the remaining 25% used for reactivation. Continuous rotation of the rotor (typically 8-10 RPH), allows the moisture to be absorbed and the dry air to be re-circulated. The removed moisture is concentrated in the reactivation air, and rejected to outside.
Prior to the installation of the Munters dehumidification system the RH level was 76%RH and after just a few days it is being maintained at 50%RH. The old diesel heating system has been removed, the windows can now be kept shut and the room is a completely dry environment.
The energy costs have been reduced dramatically as a Munters dehumidification system typically only uses 1/6 of the energy of traditional heating and the risk of electronic failures has all but been eliminated.