Wastewater Facility Efficiency Improvement Case Study

This case study details the collaboration between Springfield City, Missouri, and JCI Industries to address issues at its municipal wastewater facility, which is recognized for its efficient operations. The facility faced challenges with its existing 18-pulse Benshaw model AC drive, which powered four 350 HP wastewater lift pumps and had begun to experience technical issues after 12-13 years of operation. The objectives included retaining the physical size of the existing drives while improving harmonic performance and efficiency. JCI retrofitted the system with Yaskawa's U1000 Industrial Matrix VFD, simplifying the setup by eliminating the need for complex transformers and reactors. The retrofit preserved existing pump controls and resulted in a 5% improvement in efficiency. The customer expressed satisfaction with the outcomes and is considering further retrofitting projects at this and other sites, indicating the success of the solution provided by Yaskawa and JCI.