Have you been experiencing head loss on your scheme? Are you not getting full power when you should be? Perhaps you have a peat build up on the inside of your pipe.
Pigging in this context refers to the practice of a foam bung known as “pigs” being inserted at the intake via a ‘pig launcher’ or other form of access to perform various maintenance operations such as clearing the pipeline of stones and debris (usually after construction but before turbine operation) or removing peat buildup inside the pipe.
The advantage of pigging a pipe using this method is that this maintenance is done without stopping the flow of the water in the pipeline. The pressure-driven flow of the water in the pipeline is used to push the pig along down the pipe until it reaches the receiving trap — the “pig catcher” or in most cases the turbine manifold. The pig scrapes off any peat build up on the inside of the pipe and will force any stones or debris down in-front of it, leaving a clean full bore pipe behind it.
The frequency in which a pipe may require pigging is entirely dependent on each individual scheme and how much peaty is present in the water. If you feel that your scheme may require pigging, you may wish to contact us so that we may come and access your pipe. Or perhaps you require maintenance on your turbine itself.
