Page 32 - Industrial Technology - July 2020 issue
P. 32

DESIGN ENGINEERING






         PROTECTION IN THE HARSHEST






                                                             ENCLOSURES, CABINETS AND FANS



                                                   GLASSFIBRE-REINFORCED POLYESTER SHELTERS ARE PROVIDING
                                                   ADVANCED PROTECTION FOR OFFSHORE PROCESS ANALYSERS.
                                                   THEIR LIGHTNESS AND CORROSION RESISTANCE SIMPLIFIED
                                                   APPLICATION IN THE HARSH NORTH SEA ENVIRONMENT

                                                        helters fabricated from glassfibre-reinforced   The location  – in the middle of a crowded working
                                                        polyester  are  protecting  gas  metering   platform – also presented access difficulties. So, natural
                                                        instrumentation from the harsh North Sea   ventilation according to IEC EN DIN 61285 was specified.
                                                  Senvironment on an offshore platform upgrade   This eliminates routine maintenance visits that would be
                                                  project engineered by Oil & Gas Systems ltd. Two outdoor   required with other shelter ventilation approaches such as
                                                  shelters supplied by Intertec Instrumentation provide   fans or an HVAC system.
                                                  lightweight and corrosion-resistant protection for gas
                                                  chromatograph analyzers and process transmitters  Efficient convection cycle
                                                  mounted above new natural gas export pipelines   To support natural ventilation for safe operation in the
                                                  connecting the platform to an onshore UK terminal. The   hazardous environment, Intertec supplied explosion-proof
                                                  instrumentation provides critical monitoring data on gas   heaters and installed louvre panels at the top and bottom
                                                  quality as part of the custody transfer metering system.   of shelter walls. This maintains the interior environment a
                                                     This particular platform upgrade project presented a   few degrees above ambient temperature, and ensures an
                                                  number of challenges, including the harsh operating   efficient convection cycle to meet the air change
                                                  environment of the North Sea, and the space and weight   requirements of OGS. All of the shelter fittings, apart from
                                                  restrictions of adding the new facilities onto a working   the finned aluminium bodies of the heaters, are fabricated
                                                  platform. Metering systems for fiscal, allocation and   from 316 stainless steel for corrosion resistance -
                                                  custody transfer applications are a significant part of the   including the panic bar door opening mechanism.
                                                  systems integration work of Oil & Gas Systems (OGS) -   “It can be a significant challenge to add new facilities
                                                  which has a reputation for being able to rapidly design and   into existing processing plants, and especially so when
                                                  build efficient solutions for complex project requirements.   they are located offshore,” says Anthony Dingle, OGS’s
                                                     Glassfibre-reinforced polyester (GRP) materials were   sales manager. “Intertec’s ability to design and build
                                                  specified to protect the instrumentation. This allowed   custom enclosure solutions was a big help to us in
         “                                        weight to be reduced significantly compared with metal   meeting the design constraints of this complex and fast-
                                                  shelters. GRP construction also provided excellent
                                                                                            track offshore instrumentation project.”
           IT CAN BE A SIGNIFICANT
                                                                                               In total, two walk-in shelters and two large cabinets
                                                  protection against both the harsh weather in the offshore
           CHALLENGE TO ADD NEW                   location, and the local environmental conditions. Intertec   were built by Intertec to meet the custom shape, size and
                                                  Instrumentation was selected to build the custom GRP   weight constraints. Each shelter houses an identical
           FACILITIES INTO EXISTING PRO-          shelters because of previous good experience of working   instrumentation system including pressure reduction
           CESSING PLANTS, AND                    with the company on projects, including shelters and   sample conditioning equipment, a Danalyzer gas
           ESPECIALLY SO WHEN THEY                enclosures already installed in the same gas field.   chromatograph, Rosemount pressure transmitters,
                                                     The lightness of GRP compared to steel helped to   calibration facilities and various safety devices and
           ARE LOCATED OFFSHORE                   reduce the size and weight of the metalwork structure that   accessories. The two cabinets house cylinders to supply
                                                  mounts the shelters directly above the export pipelines.   the required gas for calibration purposes, along with











        Sealing up to IP68.
        ABS, polycarbonate and die-cast aluminium enclosures.
        Selected products UL Listed
        In-house mod services:
        •   Machining  • Printing
        •   Drilling   • Custom colours
        01256 812812 • sales@hammond-electronics.co.uk • hammondmfg.com
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