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KTH ‘big-rigs’ set for operation in Kuwaiti desert

The latest unit designed and manufactured by hydraulic systems’ specialist KT Hydraulics is the largest such piece of equipment ever manufactured by the company in its 20 year history.

The auto top-up unit, manufactured for John Crane UK Ltd, supplies mineral oil coolant / lubricant to the inner and outer pump shaft seals on eight pumps. The KTH designed rig incorporates twin alarm systems ensuring that any change in pressure within the system – which could indicate a seal failure - triggers an alarm in the control centre. Should the initial alarm be ignored, the failsafe activates a secondary alarm and automatically shuts the pump down to prevent any chance of the material being pumped reaching the atmosphere.

The whole rig has to comply with a number of exacting standards due to the nature of its operation being critical to safety and pollution on site. All welding of the 316 stainless steel rig has been carried out to ASME VIII standard whilst design and manufacture complies with pressure equipment directives and KTH’s ISO9001:2000 QA certification.

Director Richard Ellis explains the importance of the newly completed rig in its working environment. “Auto top-up systems are essential on all pump shaft seals where seal failure has to be controlled. Rotating mechanical seals on pumps of this
sort of size have to withstand extreme pressures and running continuously as the majority do, the system that cools and lubricates these seals is critical to safe and efficient operation.

The system is really put to the test when a shaft seal fails however. At this point a safe and rapid shutdown of the affected pump and containment of the material being pumped is essential, to prevent the escape of hazardous material into the atmosphere.

The particular unit we have just completed is now on its way to Kuwait, where it will service pumps within an effluent water disposal project. The order we have completed was actually for two such units. The larger one (some 3.5 metres long, 3 metres wide and 2.5 metres tall) will service eight pumps, the second and slightly smaller top-up unit, servicing six pumps.

Although these are the largest such units that we have ever built, we are accustomed to supplying equipment to work in harsh environments on both land and sea, so the main challenge was really one of scale - a pair of such large units takes up a lot of workshop floorspace during construction.”