What is a water truck?——The Working Principle and Function of Water Trucks

Water trucks, also known as spraying vehicles or multi-functional greening water trucks, are an indispensable part of urban sanitation mechanized operations. They are mainly used for cleaning roads, sanitation, dust suppression, watering, spraying pesticides, etc., in urban roads, large industrial areas, military units, gardens, and other units to beautify the environment. Additionally, water trucks serve a dual purpose in emergency situations by providing a temporary means for firefighting through their specialized fire-fighting interfaces.

Working Principle of Water Trucks

Water trucks use the engine power of the vehicle to drive the vehicle-mounted water pump through a power take-off device. Water is added to the vehicle from the water inlet or the water in the tank is delivered to various nozzles through pipes to achieve various functions. The water pump adopts an external mixed self-priming structure, and there should be an appropriate amount of liquid inside the pump. After the pump starts, the impeller rotates, forming a negative pressure at the inlet of the impeller, mixing the gas in the suction pipe with the liquid inside the pump, and entering the air-liquid separation chamber through the pressure chamber. After completing the self-priming process, the pump begins to transport liquid normally.

Functions of Water Trucks

The primary functions and features of water trucks are exhibited in the following domains:

Road Cleaning

Water trucks use the kinetic energy of high-pressure water flow to flush dust, soil, leaves, paper scraps, and plastic bags on the road to the gutters on both sides of the road. In conjunction with sweeping and cleaning vehicles, the road is thoroughly cleaned to achieve the effect of "seeing the original color of the road surface". On rainy days, the dust and soil on the road become loose and the adhesion is reduced after being soaked by rain, which is easy to turn into mud. At this time, using a high-pressure cleaning vehicle to flush the road can achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Dust Suppression and Reduction 

Water trucks take advantage of the wide coverage of water flow, which can quickly moisten urban roads, effectively suppress dust; at the same time, they can also adsorb air pollutants, dust, and other particles, achieving the purpose of dust reduction.

Environmental Purification

During high-temperature weather, water trucks moisten the roads by sprinkling water, effectively weakening the rate of photochemical reactions and slowing down the secondary production of ozone.

Precautions

During the operation of water trucks, attention should be given to the following considerations:

1.When water trucks use rivers, ditches, or ponds as water sources, pay attention to submerging the end of the water intake pipe completely in the water. To avoid sucking in stones or too much sand and floating debris, the end of the water intake pipe is generally equipped with a filtering device, and the filtering device must not be removed when drawing water.

2.Before each water absorption of a centrifugal pump, a certain amount of water must be added to the pump, and the water-adding port must be closed after adding water.Water is required to be poured into a self-priming pump only during its initial use, with no need for further water top-ups in subsequent uses.

3.When absorbing water, the water intake pipe system of the water truck must maintain a certain vacuum degree to draw water into the tank. The integrity and dependability of the water intake pipe system are essential; any damage to the hose or cracks in the rigid pipes should be avoided, as these issues can lead to air leaks, preventing the water from being properly drawn in.

4.Whether it is before absorbing water or before sprinkling water, the gear shifting of the power take-off device of the water truck must be carried out when the vehicle is stopped.

5.Before the arrival of winter, the water in the pump and the water pipes should be emptied to prevent freezing and cracking.

6.The front spray head of the water truck is lower and closer to the ground, with a larger spraying pressure, which can be used for road washing; the rear spray head is higher (the rear spray head of the water truck is generally installed on the left and right), and the spraying surface is wider, which can be used for road construction sprinkling. When using the rear spray head, the front spray pipe should be closed; when using an adjustable spray head for sprinkling, the spraying width can be adjusted according to needs. The wider the spraying width, the less the overlap in the middle, and the more uniform the spraying density.

7.During the use, it is necessary to regularly lubricate each lubrication point of the transmission assembly and frequently tighten the connecting points to ensure normal use.

8.The water tank of the water truck is equipped with a sewage pipe, the inlet of which is the lowest point of the water tank. After a period of use, the sewage pipe switch should be opened regularly to remove the accumulated debris in the tank until the water becomes clear.

Water trucks will reasonably adjust the frequency of operation according to the characteristics of the season, with an average of 2-3 times of water sprinkling and cleaning per day. On occasion, water trucks are deployed on rainy days to perform water sprinkling tasks, primarily utilizing high-pressure water to remove persistent stains like leaves, paper, gravel, and mud that adhere to the road surface, thereby facilitating the 'washing of the road with rain' effect. When the winter temperature is below 3°C, water trucks will suspend operations to avoid the formation of ice on the road surface affecting traffic safety.