Romtec Utilities engineered a hot sump basin lift station for a new combined heat and power facility located on the Purdue University campus in West Lafayette, Indiana. The industrial pumping system was designed to manage high-temperate blowdown water discharged from the power plant’s boilers. The hot sump basin wastewater lift station handless process drains from the Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG), operating in a caustic and high-temperature environment.

To support the power plant’s functionality, Romtec Utilities designed the vault around the oil and water separator, which discharges into the hot sump basin. The pumping system is capable of handling a water temperature that exceeds 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Duke Energy Combined Heat and Power Plant at Purdue University is a state-of-the-art 16-megawatt natural gas-powered plant on the southern edge of the university’s campus. The plant uses HRSG technology, which converts waste heat into additional energy, enhancing fuel efficiency and lowering emissions. The new plant is projected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 50,000 metric tons, the equivalent of removing 10,000 passenger vehicles from the road.

The power plant will serve Indiana customers. The plant also serves as a new source of thermal energy in the form of steam for Purdue University’s heating and hot water needs.

General contractor F.A. Wilhelm contacted Romtec Utilities to review the hot sump basin wastewater lift station. F.A. Wilhelm is the Midwest’s largest pourer of concrete. The company also constructs smaller 20-megawatt power plants.

After reviewing the hot sump basin lift station, Romtec Utilities was asked to review additional pumping systems designed for the power plant. Romtec was involved in the design of the oil water separator, hot sump basin, and wash drains basin. All systems are located within the same building at the university.

Duke Energy Corporation is an American electric power and natural gas holding company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. Duke Energy Indiana is Indiana’s largest electric supplier.

IC Thomason and Associates was the civil engineering firm for the project. IC Thomason is an engineering firm from Nashville, Tennessee.

West Lafayette, Indiana, is a city located about an hour northwest of the state capital, Indianapolis, and 113 miles southeast of Chicago, Illinois. West Lafayette is directly across the Wabash River from its sister city, Lafayette.

Purdue University’s flagship campus is located in West Lafayette. The college town has a population of around 55,000 people and is the most densely populated city in Indiana. Purdue University is a public land-grant university, founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money to establish a college of science, technology, and agriculture. The first classes were held on September 16, 1874.

Purdue University currently offers more than 200 undergraduate majors and more than 70 master’s and doctoral programs. The school is a member of the Association of American Universities. There are 18 intercollegiate Purdue Boilermakers sports teams. The school has been affiliated with 13 Nobel laureates, 1 Turing award laureate, 27 astronauts, 3 Pulitzer Prize winners, 18 Olympic medalists, 3 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients, 7 members of Congress, 3 U.S. governors, and 2 heads of state.

Purdue University uses steam as an efficient method to provide heat and hot water to campus facilities. By using steam from the new plant, the university will have more operational flexibility. In the event of major regional electric grid disruption, the new plant can provide emergency power to the university that would help keep the campus running. The plant can produce up to 150,000 pounds of steam per hour.

The hot sump basin lift station was placed in a precast 16-foot by 8-foot rectangular vault. The system ran on Deming 1.5-horsepower vertical sump pumps in a duplex configuration. The pumping system included an above grade valve skid with basket strainers and 2-inch piping and valves.

Romtec Utilities specializes in turnkey lift station solutions for industrial applications. Whether you’re managing wastewater from energy production or another complex system, our team provides engineered solutions that meet your performance, safety, and environmental needs.

Here are the features of the systems we provided:

Hot Sump Basin
– Precast 16′ length x 8′ width rectangular vault
– Duplex Deming 1.5hp vertical sump pumps
– Above grade Valve Skid w/ Basket Strainers and 2 inch piping and valves.