Engine Starting - Hydraulic

Wintershall

Wintershall, a wholly owned subsidiary of BASF, has been operating in the North Sea since 1965 and today operates a total of 26 platforms, 25 of them in Dutch territorial waters and one in German territorial waters. The company commissioned Pon Power, the Caterpillar dealer in Scandinavia to supply emergency generators for offshore operations. The IPU hydraulic start system was designed to provide a black start system capable of three consecutive starts of 5 seconds each. The complete system was designed in compliance with the Pressure Equipment Directive, which means the system meets essential safety means the system meets essential safety criteria, has satisfied appropriate conformity…

Tapis R Field

Petronas (a Malaysian oil and gas company) are looking to enhance oil recovery in Malaysia, according to Exxon Mobil Corp. The Tapis field, off the coast of Terengganu, will be the main oil field off the coast of Malaysia. This latest contract includes commitments to implement an enhanced oil recovery project at the Tapis field and will be the first ever large-scale project of its kind in Malaysia, including a new 50km network of pipes to distribute the recovered oil and gas. IPU provided the secondary starting system for the CAT 3516 emergency driven diesel generator. The starting system was designed to operate in hazardous areas and to provide six start attempts each of ten seconds. The…

Hibiscus

IPU has supplied a hydraulic start system for the emergency generator onboard the British Gas Hibiscus development. Located in 500 ft of water, the field is approximately 45km off the North coast of Trinidad. The start system was designed to provide extended cranking cycles, critical for the starting of gas engines; that is an excess of 30 seconds cranking from the three hydraulic accumulators. Each start attempt is actuated from an individual solenoid start valve and recharged with a motor driven pump. All electrical components are ATEX certified, for use in hazardous area Zone 2 specification. For environmental protection from the offshore surroundings, the whole hydraulic package was…

FPSO Kamelia

IPU were awarded the contract to start an emergency generator on the Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading vessel, The Kamelia. The engine was a Cummins S3.8 which had no second start pocket. This had to be designed and manufactured by the client. The starting system was designed to provide 30 seconds cranking capacity in a hazardous area. Due to space constraints, the start system was designed to fit on the external end of the container. The system is automatically recharged with an electric motor driven recharge pump.

Fishcon Chirag

The IPU Starting Service team recently visited the BP Chirag platform that is being built in Baku, Azerbaijan. The undertaking was to commission and test the starting unit attached to the emergency generator, which had not long been installed. The platform itself, is due to be commissioned in the Caspian Sea in the summer of 2013. The Starting unit had been made to BP specifications and certified in accordance with offshore regulations for potentially explosive environments. The process of commissioning involved checking the system over before operation, charging the accumulators and testing the unit; this was all performed by the IPU Servicing team. While on board, IPU staff gave in depth…

Clyde Platform

The IPU Starting Service team visited the Clyde platform in the North Sea to service three hydraulic starting systems, which would be used to power the platforms fire pumps in an emergency situation. To test and service a unit for working order, our engineers have to perform many tasks together with oil and filter changes, sampling and analysis of oil specimens, full inspection of the starter motor and all components including pinions. IPU Group proposed a 12-month annual service contract with platforms management company to safeguard the three hydraulic start systems, and staff members aboard the rig have been informed on the importance of regular testing of the emergency starters.

BMS Algeria

IPU designed and manufactured the backup hydraulic starting system for a diesel engine driven emergency fire pump. To start the 9 litre Cummins engine, the system was designed to comply with NFPA20 regulations; providing a starting capacity of six start attempts, 15 seconds each. The accumulators supplied can be recharged through both hand pump and/or a hazardous area electric motor, which automatically refills the accumulators on pressure drop during start up. The system was certified in accordance with ASME for the pressure vessels and fabricated parts. All items are suitable for use in both the harsh climate and hazardous area.

ATP Cheviot 2

For the Cheviot Semi-Submersible Production Platform in the North Sea, the operators, ATP Oil and Gas, required a hydraulic back up starting system to the intent of NFPA20 for a Caterpillar 3516 diesel engine driven fire water pump. The starting system had to comply with the Mustang Engineering specifications, NFPA20 standards for stationary fire pumps and the pump packager’s particular requirements. This project design required a small footprint so that it could be comfortably installed in a container but still leave adequate space for general operation. Due to the environment, what would normally be stainless steel components were to be Super Duplex 2507, which meant that all tubing,…

Warren Cat – Hydraulic Starting Systems for Industrial Engines

IPU Starting Division prides itself on working closely with clients to understand their needs and delivering the start system required. This is proven by the strong working relationship the team have built with Warren CAT in the US. IPU have delivered multiple hydraulic systems to fit the specific starting requirements and space constraints of the Caterpillar engines. Warren CAT is one of the largest and fastest growing Caterpillar® dealerships in North America, serving customers throughout fifteen locations in West Texas and the State of Oklahoma. They provide equipment solutions from heavy machinery to industrial engines. Below is a testimonial letter written by the dealership…

Hydraulic Starting for Containerised Fire Pump

Bassein Platform A (BPA) produces natural gas from the Bassein Field 80km offshore north-west of Mumbai. Its emergency systems include a containerised fire pump powered by two CAT 3508 engines. Starting systems were part of the emergency systems specification on the new platform hook-up. The challenges of a containerised fire pump Containerising the fire pump simplifies the process of installing the unit on the platform but the space constraints within the container make it impossible to install a standard starting system. IPU were commissioned to design and build a custom hydraulic start system as the back-up starting system for the diesel-powered fire pumps. The starting system was sized…