The design and varieties of a water tower

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• The principle of operation and types of construction of water towers
• Elements of a water tower
• Functions of a water tower

What is a water tower and what is its principle of operation? What are the types of water towers? What are the main elements of it? What are the design features of different types of towers and how are they similar to each other? We will talk about this in our article..

Water tower is a hydraulic structure for pumping and storing water. It is a tank installed at a certain height. The principle of operation is based on the action of the Law of communicating vessels, which is one of the basic laws of hydrostatics. This type of structure has been known since antiquity, but today water towers have not lost their relevance, especially for areas with a lack of energy..

The principle of operation and types of construction of water towers

As mentioned above, the law of hydrostatics works in the tower. Thanks to him, the liquid in an open system tends to occupy the same level in all communicating vessels. In this case, the elements of the pipeline can be considered a vessel. To maintain constant pressure in the pipes, a constant height difference of the water column is required. In this case, the water from the tower tank must be distributed through the pipeline to consumers, which means that it must be located above the highest draw-off point.

The design task is simple – to install the tank at a certain height. Each engineer solved this problem in his own way, and as a result, many varieties of water towers (WD) appeared..

1. Masonry (old method). The tower and the tank are completely bricked. The last WB built using this method dates back to 1885.

2. Reinforced concrete towers with reservoirs. WBs from structural reinforced concrete were built mainly in the Soviet period. The volume of a reinforced concrete tank could reach 150 cubic meters. m.

3. Towers on hyperboloid supports. The pillars invented by the great Russian engineer V.G. Shukhov, in addition to their exceptional structural properties, are of artistic value. In total, about 200 of them were built by the architect himself. The principle of hyperboloid support is used today in the construction of the tallest buildings and towers in the world.

4. The tank is on a steel frame. The easiest option from the point of view of the project. The frame design is arbitrary (rectangular, triangular, collapsible, etc.).

5. Steel tank of variable cross-section (“grenade”). It is manufactured at the plant by connecting two cylindrical tanks of different diameters along the axis. The support is a container (pipe) of a smaller diameter located at the bottom. This is the most common type of WB in Russia. Attractive due to quick installation and manufacturing, but presents difficulties in transportation (oversized).

6. Individual tanks. These are elements of a water tower, one way or another connected to the water supply system of a separate house.

Elements of a water tower

All towers have approximately the same set of nodes, which can be complicated or simplified depending on the year of construction, water quality, groundwater level, etc. But there is a standard “set” of features that unites all types of these unique structures:

1. Height-mounted reservoir. It can be made of any material that is not subject to rapid decomposition (steel, concrete, plastic). The bottom of the tank must be above the highest consumption point.
2. Tank support. Actually what makes a tower a tower. The imagination of the architect is best manifested here, especially when it comes to structures installed within the city and in busy places. Soviet engineers found an elegant (efficient) way to combine the two functions in one element, creating a steel tower with support piping. Discreet in appearance, it is simpler and faster than others to be produced and installed, therefore it is steel WB that make up 75% of all massively installed water towers.
3. Vertical pipeline. More precisely, there are two of them – supply and discharge. The feed is routed from the pumps under the top cover of the main tank. Through it, the tank is filled with water. The outlet has a significant diameter (from 200 mm) and is connected to the water supply system.
4. Ventilation riser or hatch. Located in the upper part of the tank and serves to equalize the air volume and maintain constant atmospheric pressure.
5. Pumping station. A detached building, built above a well, in which water lifting pumps are located. Its task is to ensure that the tank is filled to the required (maximum) level..
6. Automation. Even a primitive WB should be equipped with at least a filling sensor, which will turn on the pumps for pumping in the event of a drop in the water level.
7. Filtration system. Each tower provides the ability to install filters of any level.

1 – pumping station with automation; 2 – supply pipe; 3 – reservoir; 4 – ventilation hatch; 5 – water supply pipeline to consumers

Functions of a water tower

The tower tank capacity is rarely less than 50 cubic meters. m of water, and this implies collective use, which entails uneven volumetric consumption. In the vast majority of cases, WBs are installed in areas of the private sector where horticulture is developed and water is constantly consumed. In such cases, the tower is part of the water supply system for entire areas..

1. Leveling the work of the pumping station. Water supply to the area is carried out using a pumping station that lifts water from a well. When the station is connected directly to the pipeline, overloads will inevitably occur at the peak of the drawdown, which will lead to frequent equipment failure. The reservoir acts as a hydraulic accumulator that maintains the pressure in the system due to gravity. Thanks to this, the pumps run in a stable mode and are not overloaded..
2. Equalization of network pressure. This function follows directly from the previous one. In this case, the energy of the pumps is not spent on maintaining constant pressure in the pipeline – this is provided by the water column.
3. Emergency supply of water. In the event of a breakdown or prevention, work can be carried out without interrupting the water supply to consumers.
4. Water treatment. Well water does not always meet the requirements of GOST and SanPiN. The tower and reservoir have enough free space to install various coarse cleaning systems that bring the water quality to an acceptable level. For example, in the “leg” of a steel tower, a floating filter is often arranged, which captures the iron oxide formed during aeration of water..

The functional tasks of a water tower do not depend on its design, height, tank volume and location. All towers perform the same tasks as described above.

The very idea of ​​accumulating a water supply is quite applicable for individual water pipelines, especially where it is constantly consumed – in agricultural and livestock complexes. Water tower assemblies can also be integrated into a residential building and save energy to maintain constant pressure. How to build a water tank, we will tell you in the next article.