Amarinth sets standard in ZADCO for API 610 VS4 pumps 04 December 2012

Oil and gas industry pump manufacturer Amarinth has delivered a new bearing flush monitoring system to ZADCO for API 610 VS4 pumps, which it says sets new standards.

The system was designed to prevent bearing failure caused by dry running, and to reduce health and safety risks. It follows incidents where API 610 VS4 pumps have run dry – in rare cases leading to catastrophic explosions.

ZADCO commissioned Amarinth to review the operation of existing API 610 VS4 pumps in its Satah plant on Zirku Island, 140km north-west of Abu Dhabi, and to design the new bearing flush system.

These pumps were first commissioned in the 1990s and, although designed for sour oil service, these requirements had increased. The existing clean flush tank had a capacity of only 26 gallons, and installing a larger tank in this offshore location was not possible.

ZADCO was worried that the tank could empty too quickly and the time taken to shut the pumps down could result in the bearings overheating.

Oliver Brigginshaw, managing director of Amarinth, explains that to meet the increased bearing flush requirements, Amarinth designed a bespoke flow detection system with automatic shutdown. This now ensures both that the pumps cannot start until flow to the bearings is established, and that they shut down quickly if flow stops.

The original pumps also only had a single mechanical seal, so Amarinth replaced this with a Plan 53B seal support systems and double mechanical seals to better contain the hazardous H2S.

"We are delighted to have been given the opportunity to design this state-of-the-art system that reliably monitors the bearing flush and prevents the catastrophic results that could occur if the bearings ran dry," comments Brigginshaw.

"This puts ZADCO at the forefront of the oil and gas industry for health and safety in this area, and we will continue to work with them as they roll out this technology across their operations," he adds.

Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Amarinth Ltd

This material is protected by MA Business copyright
See Terms and Conditions.
One-off usage is permitted but bulk copying is not.
For multiple copies contact the sales team.