The town of Hawick in Scotland was experiening severe flood events that posed risks to both the community and local wildlife. Gemini Control Systems were appointed to design and manufacture a control system capable of pumping floodwater away from the affected area.
Gemini Controls provided a fully bespoke control solution, managing the design, manufacturing, and testing to deliver a system tailored to the customer's requirements. Custom steelwork was created to accomodate the necessay components, ensurng a reliable and efficient final installation.
Working closely with the customer, suitable pumps were selected to achieve the required flow and efficiency. Variable speed drives were chosen to meet the high-flow demand and performance criteria. Three pumps were integrated into the system, with all necessary electrical protection designed into the control panel.
To meet the telemetry requirements cost-effectively, Gemini Controls collaborated with Nortech to develop an enhanced version of the NX12 unit, providing 32 digital inputs within a single enclosure. This avoided the need for multiple units and reduced ongoing costs.
The control panel was housed in a bespoke SR3-rated kiosk designed to meet site-specific requirements. The structure was engineered to accommodate all equipment while maintaining the required security rating.
Main Technological: Determining whether the NX12 telemetry unit could be expanded and modified. Its feasibility remained unclear until detailed research and development were completed.
Control Philosophy: At the beginning of the project, the main control philosophy was uncertain. The customer required the main control of the panel to be managed by the ultrasonic controller, with the pumps operating in a Duty/Assist/Standby configuration. If the ultrasonic controller were to fail, a backup circuit operated via a selector switch needed to takeover. Achieving this was initially uncertain, as the ultrasonic controllers typically only support Duty/Assist/Assist or Duty/Standby/Standby configurations.