Sizeable pipeline isolation success for Sizewell
A
Furmanite International product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Oct 3, 2008
Furmanite has carried out a pipeline isolation for British Energy at Sizewell B power station that avoided disruption to the start of the recent refuelling outage.
The power station wanted to shut down a single turbine five days in advance of a second.
The turbines shared a common two inch connection on the feedwater side and a passing isolation valve on this line prevented an effective isolation.
Furmanite was called in to provide an alternative method of isolation, with three months to find, trial and implement a solution before the outage started.
Two isolation methods were investigated by Furmanite to provide options for contingency purposes: one using a crimping technique, the other involving hot tapping and line plugging.
Both approaches were purpose-developed, the necessary components manufactured and the methods trialled by Furmanite on a steam training rig at its Kendal site.
The hot tapping and line plugging method involved designing, manufacturing and fitting a box around the pipe and performing two hot taps through the box, to enable plugs to be inserted.
This involved cutting into the pipe in two places about 300mm apart, through which the close fitting plugs could be inserted into the line.
The section between the plugs was then filled through the box with a Furmanite compound using leak sealing methods, to create an effective isolation plug.
The crimping method, which was eventually selected, involved designing, manufacturing and fitting a box around the pipe.
In this instance the box was fitted with internal anvils which could be driven shut using an external hydraulic pump to crimp the pipe in two locations approximately 300mm apart.
The section of pipe between the two crimps was again filled with a Furmanite compound to create an isolation plug.
This method was applied on site in two locations three metres apart, to create two isolations.
The isolated section of pipe between these was then cut out and both ends weld capped to provide a permanent mechanical isolation.
The project was successfully completed on-site in just five days earlier this year.
Not what you're looking for? Search the site.
Google Ads
Contact Furmanite International
Related Stories
- Parker announces Par<>Fit filter elements
- Tank-cleaning rotary spray ball for CIP tasks
- Spiral hose range enhanced with size -40 model
- Pump Engineering offers aseptic control valve
- Trelleborg launches mechanical face seals
Articles by product category
- Consultancy and Services (903)
- Machine Building (4,517)
-
Engineering Design Software (6,179)
- Engineering Design Software (12)
- 2D CAD software (200)
- 3D CAD software (1,157)
- FEA and structural analysis software (369)
- Fluid, thermal, noise, vibration software (334)
- Simulation, modelling, validation software (914)
- Rendering, visualisation, styling software (196)
- Materials design and moulding design software (151)
- Process, instrumentation, automation software (258)
- Electrical design software (164)
- Publishing and documentation software (229)
- Maths, charting, statistics, QA software (317)
- Data, document management software (310)
- CAM, CNC, production management software (568)
- File conversion software, data capture (351)
- PLM and collaboration software (649)
-
Drives, Motors and Controls (3,361)
- Drives, Motors and Controls (1)
- Precision Motors and Gears (411)
- Industrial Drives/Controls (1,276)
- Linear Drives and Motors (114)
- Industrial Motors (497)
- Stepper and Servo Drives, Motors, Controls (1,060)
- Small Mechanical Components, Joining, Tools (1,975)
-
Control and Instrumentation (5,028)
- Plantwide control (1,324)
- Plant- and Machine-Wide Communications (1,174)
- Smaller-Sized PLCs (387)
- CNC and Motion Controllers (184)
- Mid-range and Large PLCs (201)
- Power Supplies, Uninterruptible Power (562)
- HMIs/Operator Interfaces (294)
- Logic Controllers, Timers and Relays (96)
- Cabling, Conduit, Signal Conditioning (806)
-
Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (5,459)
- Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (1)
- Data acquisition Software and Communications (494)
- Data Acquisition Hardware and PC I/O Boards (472)
- Electrical and Electronic Testing, PAT Equipment (630)
- Form/co-ordinate, optical, vision instruments (703)
- Gauges, Indicators and Instruments (440)
- Data loggers (422)
- Materials testing equipment (421)
- Telecomms/network test equipment, software etc (154)
- Testing and Calibration Services and Information (500)
- Testing, analysing and monitoring equipment (1,222)
-
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (4,160)
- Batteries, chargers and circuit protection (555)
- Connectors, Terminals, Busbars, Slip Rings (679)
- Enclosures and Equipment Cooling Fans (709)
- Knobs, Handles and Enclosure Hardware (420)
- PCs and Embedded Systems (798)
- Electrical and Electronic Subassemblies (369)
- Electrical and Electronic Components (630)
-
Materials and Processing (2,963)
- Materials and Processing (5)
- Materials and components (2,215)
- Rapid Prototyping (458)
- Materials processing and testing (285)
-
Engineering Industry News, Resources (6,093)
- Engineering Industry News, Resources (4)
- Engineering Business News, Views (388)
- Engineering Exhibitions, Events (562)
- Engineering Conferences (425)
- Engineering Seminars (400)
- Engineering Industry Developments, Awards (633)
- Engineering Guides, Newsletters (349)
- Engineering Recruitment, Employment (219)
- Engineering Training Courses (433)
- Engineering Education, Resources, Standards (838)
- Engineering Industry Reports, Surveys (597)
- Electronic Resources for Engineers (278)
- Health and Safety Legislation (402)
- Health and Safety Strategy, Risk Assessment (113)
- Health and Safety Consultancy, Software (175)
- Health and Safety Events, Training, News (277)
-
Powertrain Design (3,598)
- Powertrain Design (2)
- Bearings (939)
- Chains and belts (326)
- Gears, brakes, couplings and engines (1,441)
- Hydraulic Components (471)
- Lubricants (418)
-
Capital Equipment (3,387)
- Capital Equipment (1)
- Manufacturing Machinery and Plant Equipment (468)
- Production line blowers and fans (62)
- Compressors and Air Treatment (510)
- Electronics Manufacturing, Tools, Instruments (192)
- Electrical hardware (131)
- Machinery and Production Equipment (1,093)
- Robotics, Handling and Storage (930)
-
Sensors (7,080)
- Sensors (8)
- Accelerometers and Vibration Sensors (427)
- Loadcells, Force Sensors, Torque Sensors (699)
- Pressure sensors (621)
- Flowmeters and Flow Sensors (618)
- Level Sensors and Leak Detectors (527)
- Linear Position Sensors (399)
- Rotary Position, Tilt and Angular Sensors (546)
- Proximity Sensors (700)
- Gas, Chemical, Radiation, Magnetic Sensors (284)
- Humidity and Environmental Sensors (152)
- Temperature sensors (612)
- Vision and Colour Sensors (1,384)
- Barcode Sensors (103)
- Valves, Pumps, Process Hardware (3,623)
