GRAPHALLOY® nickel-grade bearings have been successfully used in offshore firewater pumps for many years. The non-galling, self-lubricating features of GRAPHALLOY allow pumps to continue working even when they encounter a run dry situation.
This particular firewater pump is installed on a Conoco offshore gas platform in the southern North Sea. The platform is an integral part of the LOGGS pipeline system that delivers gas through a 36" pipeline to a processing terminal on the east coast of England. This platform and pipeline system have been in operation since 1988.
The OEM-specified bushings were simple cut-to-size PTFE/Glass Tape Bearings like those normally found in hydraulic cylinders. High vibration and noise were identified as operational issues. In addition, the compounded PTFE material had little or no dry running capability. This was considered a health and safety issue because the pump was for emergency firefighting service and had to start when needed.
The repair facility had successfully performed several GRAPHALLOY upgrades to firewater pumps for other customers and thus proposed a similar upgrade to Conoco. This upgrade would provide the dry running capability that these pumps lacked.
The engineers at Graphite Metallizing worked closely with the repair facility’s engineering team to define pump modifications required and specify nickel-grade, GM 111.3, GRAPHALLOY bushings.
The upgrade to GRAPHALLOY GM 111.3 bushings was successfully completed. Conoco alsocompleted all required approval tests on the pump successfully. Conoco personnel observed and recorded that the use of GRAPHALLOY significantly reduced noise and vibration levels.
Conoco is now assured that they have an emergency firewater pumping system that has rundry capability and is Health and Safety Executive (HSE) certified
To learn more about GRAPHALLOY, click here.
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