Duperon bar screening protects pumps from debris

The FlexRake FRHD automated bar screens are successfully protecting the company’s pumps from tumbleweeds and other debris.
The FlexRake FRHD automated bar screens are successfully protecting the company’s pumps from tumbleweeds and other debris.

Two Duperon FlexRake FRHD automated bar screens installed at the Mud Lake Water Users (MLWU) irrigation company in Eastern Idaho are successfully protecting the company’s 160,000-gallon-per-minute pumps from tumbleweeds and other debris.

Mud Lake is a natural closed basin used as a reservoir for irrigation water before it is conveyed to 130 farms for crop irrigation. Manually clearing the debris with the old stationary screen several times a day was labour-intensive, potentially dangerous, and expensive.

The primary Duperon screening system includes two screens set at a 30-degree angle with a 2-inch opening with a combined flow capacity rated 161.58 million gallons per day. The FlexRake FRHD is designed for applications where debris size, velocity, and flow are unpredictable.

The FlexLink multifunctional link system has 5-lb stainless steel cast links and a strength of 60,000 lbs. Jam Evasion technology allows the FlexLink system to lift and pivot around debris and the automated screening system adapts to different types of debris with up to 1,000 lbs of lifting capacity.

MLWU says the automated bar screens are saving US$12,324 per year with a 53% saving on labour costs.