About Air Technology
Air Technology have, since we started back in 1987, established ourselves as one of the UK's leading, independent provider of energy saving solutions, troubleshooting and project work in the fields of compressed air, water and inert gases.
Air Technology have evolved a range of expert skills and services designed to meet industry's ever-growing need to conserve energy and increase reliability. Put simply, we do this by identifying and proposing measures for improving operating efficiency and productivity, thereby saving money, reducing pollution and avoiding the wastage of the earth's valuable, natural resources.
Companies from almost every sector of industry commission our services. Our work takes us from deep underground to far out to sea - right around the world.
The founder and Managing Director of Air Technology, Eric has been involved in the compressed air industry at a high level for over 30 years and is recognised as one of the country's leading experts in this field. He has a very strong background in engineering sales and worked for most of the major compressor manufacturers before founding Air Technology. Eric is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer and lead International expert for the UNIDO IEE Programme for Compressed Air
An experienced former chemical industry Engineering Manager Nigel has been with Air Technology since 1999.
His experience has helped develop Air Technology into new fields in particular waste water treatment where he has become an expert on aeration optimisation.
Joined Air technology in 2000 as a graduate engineer after completing degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Natural Resource Management. He has worked across the globe acceptance testing compressors and performing site surveys.
With 18 years of project and mechanical engineering background Rob joined Air Technology in 2003 and has formed part of a strong team with Nigel looking after the aeration side of the business.
Rob is also NEBOSH qualified and is the company’s Health and Safety Officer.
Phil is a former development manager in the ceramics industry with responsibility for energy management on site as well as project engineering. Since joining Air Technology in early 2006 Phil’s experience has helped on many projects in both compressed air and waste water treatment.
Duncan has worked in Pulp & Paper for many years and had joined Air Technology to support and develop our Wastewater optimistion programme. He is a Chemical Engineer and specialises in wastewater process mapping.
Oliver has recently joined us as Sales and Marketing manager from Sulzer where he was developing the aeration blower business platform. He brings with him a wealth of sales knowledge, project experience, and knowledge of the water industry.
In 2015 a new activated sludge plant, known as “D” Works was brought into service taking 80% of the incoming flow, with 20% going to “C” Works. The filter works were decommissioned once “D” Works was fully operational.
AIR TECHNOLOGY LIMITED SURVEY
When “D” Works was commissioned the works was over treating, with DO levels approaching saturation at the end of the lanes. This was due to the poor control system and difficult to maintain DO meters due to the mounting arrangement and local of the controllers.
Modify control system to provide burst mixing
AIR TECHNOLOGY SURVEY
The surveys were carried out over a number of years due to concerns about making major changes on a works which was subject to high loads. Air Technology identified that the aeration power consumption was excessive for a 160,000PE works, at an average of 884kW, compared to a benchmark of 320kW.
Despite the high power use, there were issues with odour around the High Rate tank due to low DO levels. Air Technology identified that lack of aeration air was the problem and recommended the installation of a larger and considerable more efficient blower from a nearby site, as well as bypassing a percentage of the flow direct to the Low Rate ditches.
Air Technology conducted a trial after the new blower was installed by diverting a percentage of the flow to the Low Rate system, which reduces the load on the High Rate system, but increases the load on the Low Rate system. This trial was partially successful but the rotor immersion depth was too low which resulted in lack of oxygen capacity for the higher loads.
The lack of immersion depth was traced to the actuated valves controlling the weirs having failed. Air Technology assisted is raising the weir height and subsequent trials showed that a percentage of the flow could be treated in the Low Rate ditches, but they would struggle during shock loads. The situation was made worse by not being able to run all the rotors as this caused settlement issues in the clarifiers.
To enable the Low Rate system to treat more load on the Low Rate, Air Technology recommended that additional capacity needed to be installed.
This additional capacity would involve the installation of liftable diffused aeration grids in part of the ditch. As diffused aeration is more efficient than both the existing systems, the majority of the treatment will be carried out by the diffused aeration, with the rotors used to provide ditch circulation and base load treatment.
In 2012, Air Technology highlighted concerns regarding the existing Low Rate controls, and identified modifications, which were not carried out due to other options being proposed by the major capital Framework Partners.
The options proposed by the Framework Partners were unsuccessful and the project was passed back to Air Technology.
