A RANGE of pipe stoppers designed for immediate inflation to prevent pollution of waterways by accidental contamination is being expanded by Air Springs Supply. Pollu-Plug stoppers from elastomer specialist Pronal are permanently fitted in water and sewerage lines ready for rapid inflation by remote triggering as soon as an emergency arises in industrial, civil and municipal applications. Designed to allow normal non-polluted effluents to pass through the pipe when the stopper is uninflated, the elastomer coated Pollu-Plug is located flat inside the top of a pipeline where it is connected by an airline to an all-weather control panel and inflation cylinder located outside the pipe.

When an emergency arises, the Pollu-Plug is triggered either by a manual striker or optional electrovalve-piloted control unit, says Simon Agar, national sales manager for Air Springs Supply , which is national distributor for Pronal products. Once inflated, it will prevent toxic fluid spill or spreading of firefighting water into the pipeline. Pollu-Plugs are available in diameters of 150-1,550 mm and lengths of 450-2,050 mm (both measurements when empty). Inflated at pressures of between 400 and 1,200 KPa, depending on pipeline diameter, they complement Pronal’s extensive range of OFR stoppers designed for retaining pits. Folded around a flexible armature for easy bending and placement within pipelines, OFR stoppers are designed for maximum sealing diameters of 410-2,115 mm. They also feature rapid inflation for tight sealing to prevent accidental pollution.

Pollu-Plugs are part of an extensive Pronal range of inflatable emergency, rescue and maintenance equipment used by industrial, military and civil defence organisations worldwide (including transportable water and fuel tanks and lifting cushions used to raise equipment ranging from crashed aircraft to mining plant and pipelines needing installation or maintenance). One of the major advantages of Pronal technology – in addition to its proven performance globally – is that its inflatable elastomer products can also be custom-fabricated to suit particular applications.

Source: Construction Contractor