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How To Save 400K Gallons of Water Per Day
The Goal Was Saving Water

The Schulz Electric Controls department recently completed a project for the Town of Bethel, CT. The project was advertised for Bid as a change out of two 75 HP pump motors and modernization of the corresponding controls.

The first phase of the project was to have Schulz remove the existing 75 HP motors and replace them with new premium efficient units. This would save the town about 20% in energy costs, but not much water. In conjunction with that, 2 new Baldor variable frequency drives were installed. When the project was finished, it was anticipated that Schulz would be able to slow the pumps down with the VFDs and save some water. In making the change over to the drives, we had to plan for the extra space to put the VFD units in, much larger than the existing across the line starters. We had to be ready to move quickly because we had a limited amount of water as a back up.

With the drives up and running smoothly and the new motors in place, we were now able to turn the drives down to 75 to 80% full speed and the daily tally sheets showed we were saving the water department not only a lot of water, but a lot of electricity as well.

The third and fourth phases of the project called for Schulz to renovate the chlorination system and to establish a communication link between the well field at Maple Avenue and the water storage facility at Eureka Mountain, approximately 6 miles apart.

A decision was made to scrap the specified controls and to go with GE Fanuc OCS panels engineered and installed by Schulz Electric. One of our System Engineers, Chris Janus, went to work on the project and in about two weeks a solution was developed. The Town of Bethel people were willing to let us add a Panametrics Ultrasonic flow sensing system to the job.

The benefits were more than we could have hoped for. Through the flow sensors, we were able to accurately measure the amount of water we were pumping. By using the OCS panel and a modem, we could have a constant communication between the two locations. At the Eureka site, we installed a Wika level transducer. When Eureka was happy, Maple Avenue could pump less water. Now as the flow changed, we could much more accurately control the chlorination system as well.

By the end of the second month in operation, Ed Knapp reported that the Town of Bethel was saving about 400,000 gallons of water per day. They had previously been pumping 1 Million gallons per day. The amount of chemicals needed to treat the water had gone down and the electric bill was way down.

The people from the Town of Bethel, Ed Knapp, Chief Operator, Pete Sweeny, Acting Superintendent, and Judith Novacheck, First Selectman, were terrific in helping the job to move ahead.

Variable or pumps. Frequency Drives are used in many different applications to closely control machinery, motors, generators Drives can instantly change the torque or speed of motors.

Drives range in size from fractional horsepowers (1/4 HP) up to 500 HP off the shelf. All of the top drives on the market today have hundreds (over 900 in some cases) of separate functions built in. VFDs  convert single phase or three phase AC power into DC power and then back into AC power. The output AC power is now infinitely variable.

Drives are not beneficial in every situation. In instances where motors or machinery are already running at peak efficiency, drives will add nothing of value. However, in most applications, motors have varying loads or other external forces where drives can drastically improve the performance. They are ideally suited to a fluid pump environment where changes in head pressure is highly variable. This includes almost all water and waste water applications.

Benefits of Diagnostic Services

Vibration Trending & Analysis

The purpose of vibration trending and analysis is to establish the running condition of machinery in a fashion which is objective and scientific. Using a vibration analyzer, Schulz technicians can pinpoint the causes of conditions such as rotor imbalance or misalignment. Other conditions such as bearing wear can also be detected. Many times, vibration trending can give advanced notice of impending breakdowns.

Equipment and machinery applications that can benefit from vibration trending include motors, pumps, air handlers, fans and machines.

Infrared Thermography

Infrared thermography is an indispensable tool in troubleshooting electronic and power equipment. IR shows hot spots and differences in temperature that could cause eventual failure. The IR report gives you absolute temperature with three options, (Celsius/Fahrenheit/Kelvin) depending on your personal requirements. Schulz technicians can then analyze and present the most accurate temperature of hot spots that are out of thermal limits and could cause failure in time.

Some items which can benefit from IR scanning and imaging include loose electrical connections, electric power connections, electric motor connections in the conduit box, heat loss in roofs, cold loss in refrigeration, walls and defective steam traps

Energy Savings at CT Post Newspaper

Submitted by Jim Clement, Facilities Manager

Connecticut Post, Bridgeport CT

I am the Facilities Manager of a News Printing and Publishing company. We recently made some upgrades that are proving to save considerable money. These changes include replacing six HVAC blower driving motors with new premium efficient motors and replacing the constant speed starters with Variable Frequency Drives to allow speed control of the blowers (this is far more efficient than damper control). The motors and drives were purchased from the Schulz Electric Company.

The total connected horsepower involved is 105. We have operated these units approximately one year. Our power bill is now reduced about $12,000, or at least 15% annually compared with the electric cost to run inefficient motors at constant speed. These savings alone, without Electric Company Rebates, gave us a pay back of just over one year.

Schulz can work with you to design a system to help you reduce your energy costs. Please feel free to call Schulz in New Haven at 203-562-5811 or the location nearest to you.

Downtime Can Cost Thousands Every Hour
24 Hour Emergency Service Can Help

Recently, a long time customer came to us with a problem. The exciter rotor of their generating unit failed catastrophically. Their generator was down and they were losing thousands of dollars per hour. What made this problem unique was not the required quick turnaround, but the lack of winding information due to the failure. The exciter failed on the connection end making it impossible to obtain all the necessary winding data.

Based on our experience, we knew it would be a (1) Wye or (2) Wye connection. The customer required (3) leads, so winding it as a six lead unit to be safe was not an option. We proceeded on several parallel paths to complete this project as quickly as possible. One path was to strip the rotor and prepare it for winding. A second path was to wind the coils for this unit. The third path was to determine the winding connection.

We also took parallel paths to determine the missing winding information. The customer was working with the OEM to obtain the information. We contacted outside experienced individuals in an attempt to gather all available information for this unit. We also evaluated the exciter from the design standpoint. We utilized known parameters and in house software to determine the most appropriate connection.

Due to the customer time demands, we were unable to wait for the OEM information. We connected the exciter based on what was determined to be the most appropriate connection. Prior to shipment we received OEM information which confirmed our connection was correct.

The above actions, from receipt of unit to delivery of unit, occurred in less than 24 hours. The unit was installed and operated properly. The customer selected Schulz Electric over the OEM because of our past successful projects and our 24 hours a day commitment.

By using the determined efficiency value, the Wizard calculates and displays potential savings in energy cost as a result of replacing the inefficient motor with a premium efficient design.

Schulz Chosen to Continue MRS Associates' Panel Services

Schulz Electric Company would like to congratulate Mike Segedi and Sal Giacco of MRS Associates in Wallingford for their years of service in the control panel building business. After 25 years of building panels, MRS Associates will be closing their doors to pursue their retirement.

With this turn of events, Schulz Electric Company is proud to have been chosen, after careful consideration, to fulfill commitments made by MRS and to carry on the service that MRS has provided to their customers for years. MRS has been servicing many of Connecticut's largest and most successful companies for over two decades. Because of their outstanding and long-term relationships with Connecticut companies, MRS has carefully chosen Schulz Electric Company and their panel shop manager, Joe Kowerdovich, to continue to serve their customers in the future.

Schulz Electric Company has been working closely with MRS Associates over the past several months to ensure that all customers were notified and fully informed of MRS Associates' recommendation to utilize Schulz Electric Company's Panel Shop services. MRS wants to insure that all customers will continue to receive the same outstanding service from Schulz that has grown to be their trademark over the past 25 years.

Schulz Electric Company has full panel building and custom controls capabilities along with our electric motor repair services. Our panel shop is listed by Underwriter's Laboratories and is ISO 9002 certified. Schulz also offers CAD services, PLC programming and design, and is a systems integrator for ABB, WEG Motors and Drives, and GE Fanuc Cimplicity Cimvar. For more information, please contact Joe Kowerdovich in the Panel Shop at Schulz Electric Company, 30 Gando Drive, New Haven, or call 203-562-5811.

Solutions for Shaft Current

An ongoing problem associated with electric motors is shaft current. Shaft current is caused by a difference in potential (voltage) on the shaft. This difference of potential results in current flow through the shaft, through the bearings, and to ground. Current flow causes damage to the running surfaces of the bearing. Current flow leads to vibration, excessive heat, and premature bearing failures.
Two Basic Solutions
The two basic solutions to the problem are to interrupt the current path with insulation or shunt the current to ground through a grounding brush. A relatively new method of insulation is the use of an insulated bearing. The bearing can be insulated in three methods; a ceramic oxide layer on the outer race, on the inner race, or through the use of ceramic rolling elements. An insulated bearing is completely interchangeable with standard bearings in maintenance and application. The use of ceramic rolling elements offers the additional benefit of reducing bearing friction and therefore reduces the running temperature of the bearing. This lower temperature will increase grease life and should increase the life of the bearing.
A Viable Option
Insulated bearings are available from most major manufacturers such as FAG, SKF and KOYO. Although more expensive and require more installation care than a standard bearing, when compared with the costs associated with an insulated sleeve, an insulated bearing is a viable option.

Half Empty or Half Full?
Corrosive Atmosphere NEMA 4X Stainless Steel Enclosure Completed

A chemical company had an application for filling plastic or glass bottles. There were seven operated fill stations and six variable speed conveyors. Schulz Electric Company’s Controls and Integration Department, working with the conveyor manufacturer, Leeds Conveyor of Guilford, designed and built the programmable VFD controller into a stainless steel, NEMA 4X enclosure.

Explosion Proof
The seven fill operator stations, which are located in a hazardous area, were designed NEMA-7 cast explosion proof type.

Programmed and Tested
The complete PLC and VFD units were programmed and tested at Schulz Electric Company prior to delivery to the customer. For future reference, Schulz supplied a complete package of drawings, layout of the system, and programming listings with the controller.

Technical Tips: A Word of Caution About Motors

Maintenance Services Work Well With Shrinking Budgets

In times of economic slowdown, companies will decrease budgets, decrease employees, and cut expenditures. Many utility and manufacturing companies can no longer maintain a permanent staff large enough to accomplish the additional tasks required during maintenance shutdowns and outages.
Qualified Labor
Many companies will turn to temporary labor organizations in order to decrease their overall costs. However, it has also become increasingly difficult to find the skills and experience necessary when utilizing these organizations. The hours required to locate and coordinate the different contractors and skilled trades people have caused the maintenance of equipment to be reduced and planned shutdowns to be all but eliminated.
The Result
The result is additional unscheduled production losses due to breakdowns. In times when companies are trying to save money and work with decreased budgets, the results counteract their original goal of saving money.
Skill and Experience
Schulz Electric Company has the skill and experience to assist with maintenance shutdowns. Our organization has provided shutdown maintenance services to a large majority of utilities and manufacturing facilities throughout our geographical area.
Schulz provides a variety of preventive and predictive maintenance services including but not limited to: vibration analysis and trending, infrared thermography, laser alignment, rigging, machining, preventive maintenance programs and complete project management.
Recent Outages
Schulz recently completed another successful outage at Wisvest’s Bridgeport Harbor Station. Two of our most highly praised mechanics, Bill Spencer and Walter Goclowski, along with other shop staff working under their direction, provided expert preventive and predictive electrical and mechanical maintenance services.
Moral of the Story
The moral of the story is simple. Many people believe that by cutting their budgets, they are in turn cutting their costs. What you may save in the immediate, may come back to cost you five times as much in the long run.
Effective Maintenance Plans
Schulz Electric can help you create an effective maintenance plan and provide the people and material to get the job done, within budget and time constraints. You will be left with a smooth running facility, the knowledge of the condition of your equipment, decreased downtime and peace of mind.

Updating for the Future: The CT River Bridge


Schulz Electric Company’s involvement with the Connecticut River Bridge goes back over 25 years. Until recently, Schulz provided repair services to the motors only. Beginning late in 2000, Schulz Electric began performing emergency repairs to the bridge controls also. The controls date back to the 1960s.
    Schulz was called to assist in the repair of the control system for the North Bridge lifting motor control. Schulz technicians determined that the control was beyond repair and installed new components, putting the bridge back in operation.
    In May 2001, Schulz was contacted to begin the process to upgrade and repair the bridge. We began a complete revision of the motors and controls for the lifting of the bridge. Due to the complexity of this project, many of the mechanical components required being specially made at Schulz Electric’s New Haven facility. Schulz was on its way to providing new motors, controls and technical support to upgrade the CT River Bridge.
    With assistance from several departments within Schulz, we provided the material and technical support needed to bring the CT River Bridge into the 21st century.

*We would also like to send a thank you to everyone at the Amtrak CT River Bridge and the IBEW Union for their input and assistance in making this project a success. Your help and knowledge was an asset.

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Schulz Electric Company
30 Gando Drive, New Haven, CT 06513
(203) 562-5811
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This page was last updated on Thursday, August 16, 2007