A vacuum sewage system includes a collection station, a variable speed vacuum pump, a variable speed drive, a control system, a sewage pump, a collection tank, a valve pit, a first conduit extending from the collection station to the valve pit, a second conduit extending from the valve pit and terminating in a closed end, a sensor located adjacent the closed end of the second conduit, and a valve located in the valve pit for selectively permitting sewage and waste water to flow from the valve pit toward the collection station upon activation of the valve. The control system, variable speed drive and sensor may be utilized to adjust the vacuum level and vacuum level range at the collection station so as to reduce the speed and operation time of the variable speed vacuum pump while maintaining the desired vacuum level in the vacuum sewage system.

The method of the managed sewer is a Netcentric distributed process that is managed in real-time and implemented through several apparatuses that enable the low capital cost and low installation cost of a smaller diameter pipe (smaller than typically used in gravity flow systems). The apparatuses enable the method of managing the grinding, pumping and staging processes to optimize the effectiveness of the collection process through the small pipe and increase system efficacy by using the pumping and transport action of the material in the pipe as part of the process activity.

A vacuum sewage system includes a sump pit for receiving sewage, a valve pit, a valve, a sensor-controller, a first sensor pipe, a sump breather and a second sensor pipe. The sensor-controller activates the valve so as to discharge sewage from the sump pit. The first sensor pipe communicates pressure to the sensor-controller as the level of sewage rises within the sump pit. The second sensor pipe communicates pressure to the sump breather to move the sump breather from a first state to a second state to prevent sewage from entering the sensor-controller and valve. Alternatively, the system may be provided with a single sensor pipe that communicates pressure to both the sensor-controller and to the sump breather.

Embodiments relate generally to a pump control system for a pressure sewer installation. The system comprises a controller arranged to control supply of power to a pump of the pressure sewer installation. The controller is arranged to receive an output signal from a sensor in a fluid reservoir of the pressure sewer installation, the output signal being indicative of a measured fluid level in the fluid reservoir. A memory is accessible to the controller and is arranged to store operation information pertaining to operation of the pressure sewer installation. A wireless transceiver is in communication with the controller to allow the controller to communicate with a remote server over a communications network.

Method for controlling a vacuum sewage system for a building or for a marine vessel, which includes a vacuum unit (11), vacuum piping (7), a source of sewage (91, 92, 93, 94), and a discharge valve (8) between each source of sewage and the vacuum piping, wherein the vacuum unit generates a predetermined vacuum level in the vacuum piping, in which method the operation of the vacuum sewage system is monitored. In order to ensure an efficiently operating vacuum sewage system, the running time of the vacuum unit is monitored and the vacuum level of the vacuum piping is monitored.

According to various embodiments, a liquid collecting arrangement (151) can include: a container (102) having a cavity (102h) for collecting liquid; at least one extraction fitting (104) coupled to the cavity (102h) for extracting the liquid from the cavity (102h) by means of negative pressure; a sensor opening (106) connected to the cavity (102h) for detecting the liquid in the cavity (102h); one or more first liquid feeds (108) opening into the cavity (102h) on a first side (101a) of the container for feeding liquid into the cavity (102h); one or more second liquid feeds (118) opening into the cavity (102h) on the first side or a second side (101b) of the container for feeding liquid into the cavity (102h), wherein the first side (101a) is opposite to the second side (101b).

A vacuum sewer monitor includes a venturi pipe having an inlet portion, a choke portion, and an outlet portion. The choke portion includes a smaller diameter than the entrance portion and the outlet portion. A first pressure sensor is configured to read a level of pressure at the inlet portion. A second pressure sensor configured to read a level of pressure at the choke portion. A transmitter is configured to send the levels of pressure of the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor to a remote computing system.

A vacuum sewage system includes a collection station, a variable speed vacuum pump, a variable speed drive, a control system, a sewage pump, a collection tank, a valve pit, a first conduit extending from the collection station to the valve pit, a second conduit extending from the valve pit and terminating in a closed end, a sensor located adjacent the closed end of the second conduit, and a valve located in the valve pit for selectively permitting sewage and waste water to flow from the valve pit toward the collection station upon activation of the valve. The control system, variable speed drive and sensor may be utilized to adjust the vacuum level and vacuum level range at the collection station so as to reduce the speed and operation time of the variable speed vacuum pump while maintaining the desired vacuum level in the vacuum sewage system.

Method of controlling a vacuum waste system, which comprises a number of sources of waste (9), vacuum sewer piping (7) including at least a branch pipe (71) and at least a main pipe line (72), a discharge valve (8) having an inlet end connected to a source of waste and an outlet end provided with a given type of connection to the vacuum sewer piping, and a vacuum unit (11) connected to the vacuum sewer piping. Vacuum is generated in the vacuum sewer piping by the vacuum unit and a discharge sequence for discharging waste from the source of waste into the vacuum sewer piping is activated by a discharge sequence activating means (20), whereby the discharge sequence is set for a predetermined time. In order to achieve an optimized control of the vacuum waste system, the predetermined time for a discharge sequence for a source of waste is set according to the given type of connection (711, 712) of the discharge valve to the vacuum sewer piping or according to the location (L1, L2) of the discharge valve with respect to the vacuum sewer piping.

A distributed control system for a vacuum sewer system comprising a suction pipe which is communicated with a vacuum source via a transport conduit (520) by opening a vacuum valve (530) using a solenoid valve is disclosed. The transport conduit is connected between the vacuum valve and a collection tank, with the collection tank having a vacuum source relative to atmospheric pressure applied thereto. The suction pipe is connected between the vacuum valve and a sewage sump, with the sewage sump have a source of sewage maintained at atmospheric pressure. Sewage (551) in the sump is sucked through the suction pipe and sent to the collection tank via the transport conduit by opening the vacuum valve. A transport conduit section is laid out in a sawtooth fashion, having in series transport conduit portions comprising a low-point conduit portion (522), a riser conduit portion (521), and a down-slope conduit portion (523). A valve pit apparatus (500) for control and monitoring the valve pit operations is provided with a battery powered electronic computer, a plurality of sensors, and a solenoid valve. A transport conduit apparatus for monitoring the transport conduit conditions is provided with a riser conduit sensor (550) capable of detecting sewage conditions within the riser and communicating the conditions to a computer (551) for processing.

When the vacuum valve (530) is intermittently opened by control of the valve pit apparatus (500), sewage (551) in the sump is intermittently injected under the influence of atmospheric pressure into the transport conduit (520) for transportation to the collection tank, which passes through the transport conduit riser (521) and detected by the transport conduit apparatus for processing. The results of the valve pit apparatus and the transport conduit apparatus processing are stored in computer memory as operating parameters and then wirelessly communicated to devices external of the valve pit apparatus and transport conduit apparatus. The distributed control system provides an apparatus and method for control and monitoring of the vacuum sewer system, which is complex in sensor placement operating parameters processing but simple in structure, easy to maintain and capable of stable operation.