Product category:
Hydraulic Components
News Release from: Parker Hannifin | Subject: 10MF portable filter carts
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 13 June 2007
Filtration carts enable cruise ship
upgrade
Hydraulic filtration carts from Parker Hannifin, allows the Queen Elizabeth II to upgrade its steering system no additional time in dry dock or disruption to its schedule.
Hydraulic filtration carts from the Hydraulic Filter Division Europe of Parker Hannifin, have enabled engineers on the Queen Elizabeth II (QE2) to carry out a major upgrade to the ship's steering system, by offering a quick and effective method of increasing the cleanliness of the oil in the system Due to the efficiency and portability of the filter carts, the cleaning operation was achieved with no additional time in dry dock or disruption to the cruise liner's schedule, minimising costs as a result
Martin Cunningham, the Rolls-Royce Projects Manager involved with the upgrade, explained, "We had just three days in which to complete the necessary steering and gear hydraulic component improvements before setting sail".
"The new closed loop system consisted of a hydraulic cylinder unit comprising four 1-2m long hydraulic pressure rams each containing 350 litres of oil, in order to steer the ship's rudders".
"It was critical that the oil in the system underwent a complete filtration process before the upgrade began, to bring the oil up to a standard of NAS 7; a pre-requisite of the new pump and servo control system that was being installed".
"Flushing out the system while the ship was docked was not an option as this would have meant the QE2 missing its cruise schedule in addition to docking charges in excess of GBP100,000 per day".
Due to its experience in producing filtration systems for the marine sector, Parker Hannifin was approached to supply a solution to the problem, and offered a cost-effective and time-saving approach that involved filtering the hydraulic oil while the cruise liner was sailing.
In order to enable this, two 10MF portable filter carts were supplied and connected to the closed loop steering gear system of the QE2, enabling on-board decontamination of the hydraulic oil by filtering out contaminants and releasing the oil back into the system.
The 10F filtration carts have been specifically developed to remove solid contamination from petroleum based fluids such as hydraulic fluid, gear and lube oils.
Portable and capable of removing particles as small as 3 micron, the carts make remote, on-demand filtration fast and convenient, making them ideal for the project onboard the QE2.
The filtration carts are extremely simple to install and operate, requiring just a power supply and no additional hardware.
A flexible, kink-resistant 3.35m hose is featured as standard, making the systems suitable for inaccessible, compact environments such as those on board the ship.
Thanks to Parker Hannifin's knowledge and the carts' innovative design, the hydraulic oil was cleaned to the required standard and the upgrade completed successfully and within the deadline.
Martin Cunningham, continued, "The carts provided the ideal solution to our needs".
"Being able to filter the oil while sailing saved valuable time when the ship was docked, minimising the time and money needed to carry out the work and enabling the QE2 to leave on schedule".
Although the hydraulic oil in the QE2's control system is now of a high enough standard for the new steering system to operate effectively and reliably, the portable carts can easily be used again should additional filtration requirements emerge, providing a flexible and cost-effective long-term filtration solution. Request a free brochure from Parker Hannifin ...
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