HEAVY DUTY TITESEAL SLUICE GATE

The Heavy duty Titeseal Copolymer Sluice Gate is a non-metallic, corrosion resistant sluice gate that provides the engineer with a superior alternative to other plastic gates and competes well with stainless steel and cast iron gates. It is designed to handle high head applications of 25 feet or more in seating and unseating service. The guide includes a top closure bar that allows the gate to seal around all four sides. This gate is also often used for open channel weir applications. This gate is like the Wedging Titeseal gate, a high performance, low leakage slide gate.

The gates are individually fabricated and can be designed to cover most opening. Sizing can range from about one foot square to over ten feet in width and height.

Copolymer gates can range in thickness from 2-l/2 inches to over 12 inches depending on the head and deflection requirement.

The gate is fabricated using a reinforced copolymer composite material (FRP), which totally encapsulates an internal structural steel matrix, and has no seams, joints or cut edges. The core of the gate is completely sealed against any corrosive attack by water or chemicals that might be present in the stream.

Heavy Duty Titeseal sluice gates do not use wall thimbles. Instead, the guide is anchored to a flat surface and approximately one inch of grout is used to permanently seal between the guide and the wall. The guide is normally fabricated using T-304 or T-316 stainless steel, but FRP guides and other more exotic metals are available. Plasti-Fab has fabrication experience with Monel, Hasalloy and Aquamet to name a few.

Guides The gates require specially formed guides, but these will still be classified as embedded, surface mounted, or in-channel according to how they are mounted. Surface mounted guides bolt to the face of the wall around an opening using special slotted clips that slide onto the anchor bolts. In-channel guides bolt to the inside face of an existing channel.                                             

SEALS Heavy Duty Titeseal Sluice Gates have a virgin neoprene J-seal and wedged bottom seal mechanically fastened to the gate. Neoprene forms a true seal that has high resilience and durability, and will not bridge or gap over small debris. It has been used successfully by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers in hydro-electric dams for the past seventy years as the proven seal of choice. Plasti-Fab will not use sponge rubber, which has low compression set characteristics and low tear strength.

Mounted on the opposite side of the gate is a UHMW low-friction sliding surface which helps to reduce the lifting force required to move the gate. As the gate starts to open, the seal is released from contact with the wedge. This allows the gate to move freely in the guide with lower operating forces. The adjustable wedging bar in the guide allows the gate to be fine-tuned to achieve the lowest possible leakage rates. The end result is leakage rates that are much less than the AWWA standard for sluice gates (AWWA C-501 establishes leakage of no more than 0.1 GPM/foot of wetted perimeter for a seating head, and 0.2 GPM/foot of wetted perimeter for unseating heads of 20 feet or less.)

Example A four-foot by four-foot gate with 20 feet of seating head will require nearly 18,000 pounds of thrust to begin upward movement. (16 ft.² gate surfaced X 18 ft. Head to the gate center line X 62.4 lbs/ft.³ H₂O = 17,971 lbs. breakaway force.)

The entire load plus the weight of the gate and stem must be moved by the stem and lift nut, and supported by the head frame and lift. For periods of up to 20 years (sic). In addition, AWWA C-501 sluice gate standards require that this initial gate movement should take place with no more than 25 to 40 pound pull on the handwheel or crank. All this means that proper sizing of the lift, stem, and other gate components is critical.

All lifts used by Plasti-Fab will have ball bearings, and many will be geared. Geared lifts can also be operated by an electric or gas powered portable operator to reduce cycling time. Plasti-Fab also uses electric, pneumatic, and hydraulic actuators. We have worked with most of the major gate and operator manufacturers in the U. S. for over twenty years.

LOCATION May include any size open channels and any wall opening that will have a seating or un-seating head greater than the opening itself.

WHY BUY PLASTI-FAB?

1.     The Heavy Duty Titeseal Sluice Gate exceeds any other metallic gates. We can give the owner, engineer, and contractor an alternate to this high-priced proprietary spec., that exceed the functional aspects of the specification in all areas.

2.     The seals are mounted to the gate which is a unique feature to most other gates on the market today. This allows the adjustment and replacement of the seals without dewatering of the channel.

3.     PlastiFab can fabricate using a large variety of high corrosion performance metals and resins.

4.     Gate will perform when needed for emergency shut off, spill containment or any other critical shut-off situation.

5.     Wide range of experience with customer requirements that will help get the job done right the first time.

PARSHALL FLUME GENERAL COMMENTS

The Parshall Flume was originally designed for use in streams and open channels. It is still frequently installed in open channels. However, it is also suitable for in-line applications when proper end adapters are used to transition flow into and out of the flume. The flume uses a simple power equation, and can be used with any of the meters available today.

ADVANTAGES

1.     The Parshall flume has one of the widest flow range capabilities and is available in standard flume sizes that will handle small flows down to a few gallons per minute or very large streams as high as 335 MGD.

2.     The flume design accelerates flow as it passes through the throat thus making it “self-cleaning”.

3.     Within its flow range, the Parshall flume provides greater incremental flow resolution than other types of flumes.

4.     Plasti-Fab has developed special adapters designed to reduce entrance velocity and turbulence in many common flow measurement applications.

DISADVANTAGES

1.     The Parshall flume is a larger style of flume which at times may limit the number of sites where it can be used.

2.     The Parshall flume has good flow resolution, but is often not the best choice for low flows.

3.     The Parshall flume may be more expensive depending on site and installation requirements.

Application Notes: Also see “General Flume Design Data”

1.     The 1” and 2” Parshall flumes are not recommended for sanitary waste or other high solids streams because of potential clogging.

2.     Higher heads generated by a Parshall flume may cause upstream hydraulic problems in some cases.

To calculate submerged flow in a Parshall flume measurements at Ha and Hb are used to find the submergence percentage, Hb / Ha = % submerged flow. For flumes with throat sizes 1” through 6” submergence takes place approximately at ± 55%. For flumes 9” though 30” submergence occurs at ± 65%. For larger flumes, submergence ranges from 70% - 80%. If submerged flow readings are unavoidable, a stilling well must be installed at the Hb point to get proper secondary readings.

TRAPEZOIDAL FLUME GENERAL COMMENTS

The Trapezoidal Flume was originally designed for use in irrigation and other agricultural applications. It is still frequently installed in open channels. However, it is also extremely well suited for in-line applications when proper adapters or transition pieces are used. Most of the flumes use a simple power equation, and most of the instrument manufacturers are now familiar with these flumes.

ADVANTAGES

1.     Trapezoidal flumes have a flat floor and relatively low sidewalls, and create less upstream head than most other flumes.

2.     The floor and wall design accelerates flow as it passes through the flume making it “self-cleaning”.

3.     The flumes are capable of passing solids without clogging.

4.     The 600 “V” shaped throat gives high performance at low flows, and is the best flume to measure flows from I - 10 GPM. The family of 60° V Trapezoidal flumes cover these flow ranges:

            Small               1 to 35 GPM

            Large               1 to 120 GPM

            Extra Large     1 to 600 GPM

            3.0’                  2 to 6,200 GPM

5.     The 60° V Trapezoidal flume can also be retrofit to manholes and can be easily installed in channels or piping systems.

6.     It is an economical flume to buy and to install.         

DISADVANTAGES

1.     Trapezoidal flumes give good low flow resolution when compared to other types of flumes, but are somewhat limited in their total flow range capability.

2.     Some people are still not familiar with this type of flume, and they don’t realize it can be used with sewage, installed in manholes and piping systems.

APPLICATION NOTES: Also see “General Flume Design Data”

1.     Each Trapezoidal flumes has two flow charts. One measures vertical head and the other one is sloped and corresponds to the Gage running up the angled wall.

2.     Because of the narrow floor, the 60° V Trapezoidal flumes normally work best in conjunction with bubble or pressure type probes. Some ultrasonic units seem to work well also. Consult the instrument manufacturer for recommendations.

3.     Any of the common instrument packages are compatible with the larger Trapezoidal flumes.

4.     If at all possible do not design or install a new flume system with the anticipation of it operating in a submerged state. For Trapezoidal flumes, submergence occurs around 70 - 80%.

Why should you use FRP manhole covers?

Had this title been devoid of FRP, it would have seemed that the writer is insane! Who doesn’t
know the importance of manhole covers? And why should anyone try to aware the civilized human society regarding the use of manhole covers?

But when it comes to FRP manhole covers, the discussion is a bit new and fresh. FRP stands for fibre reinforced plastics. These are made up of polymers reinforced with different fibres like asbestos, paper, wood, basalt and glass. These are very strong and highly enduring materials.They have wide applications in those places where highly resistant materials against extreme temperature, pressure and chemicals are sought. For example in ballistics, construction industries, automotive units, waste water treatment units, etc. these have profound applicability.

Coming to FRP manhole covers, these are much advantageous than the traditional cast iron pit and hole covers. Cast iron covers are susceptible to the harsh chemicals and moist of the manholes. They corrode easily and need regular maintenance. Sometimes it happens that people neglect the manhole covers and as a result of which, after continuous usage it degrades.Overflowing of filthy water and foul smell are some of the consequences. In this regard, FRP manhole covers are the best. They do not corrode and most importantly are not service demanding. Hence there’s no risk of filthy water overflowing or foul gutter smell in the near future.

ROTATING SCUM SKIMMERS

The FRP Rotating Scum Skimmer is designed for rectangular basins. Typical sizes range from 6 ft. to 20 ft. in length, and will be 6 inches to 18 inches in diameter. Most are manually operated with a lever.

FRP Rotating Scum Skimmers provide exceptional corrosion resistance under some of the worst operating conditions. Typically they are found in primary and industrial process clarifiers. Normal maintenance consists of routine plant washdown.

OPERATION

The scum skimmer is operated by rotating the slots below the surface of the water such that the top layer of water and debris flows into the scum skimmer. Rotation is most often done with a simple bar handle, but handwheel mechanisms, or electric operators are also available.

MATERIALS

The Plasti-Fab scum skimmer is fabricated of fiberglass reinforced plastic with stainless steel hardware.

LOCATIONS

Typical applications include: grease and scum in primary basins; surface oil in oil/water separators; foam and process debris in industrial basins; byproduct decant in certain industrial separation basins; and/or the removal of leaves and other floating organic debris in water plant sedimentation and chlorination basins.

WHY BUY PLASTI-FAB?

• Lightweight, easy to install or retrofit.

•  Can be custom designed and built for any installation or retrofit.

• Will not corrode. It is the material of choice when replacing corroded steel skimmers