Pressure booster vs. pumping station
Pumping stations are generally used to fill elevated storage facilities (e.g. elevated tanks or water towers) with a constant flow rate. Pressure boosting is required when the natural system pressure is insufficient or when elevated storage facilities cannot be implemented – for example, in flat terrain.
When designing pressure boosting systems, a wide range of consumption scenarios must be taken into account. In addition to short-term peak loads, the fire-fighting water demand often also needs to be covered. This can be achieved through staggered parallel operation of multiple pumps or by using a dedicated fire-fighting pump.
Modern systems consist of several single-stage block pumps or multi-stage vertical pumps. Single-stage pumps offer high efficiency and are often used in applications that combine water conveyance and pressure boosting. A typical configuration includes one or two base-load pumps combined with two to six peak-load pumps, which are switched on or off depending on pressure. This can be implemented using a classic cascade control system or via variable speed control. In speed-controlled systems, only small pressure vessels are needed for pressure stabilisation.
Compact pressure boosting systems are used in both industrial and municipal water supply applications. In addition to standardised systems, we also design application-specific solutions, taking into account and testing all relevant manufacturers.
