Mobile access system for essential maintenance
Bespoke mobile access systemswere built to allow contractors to carry out essential maintenance work at power station.
A
ccess and scaffolding contractor Harsco Infrastructure has designed and installed two bespoke mobile access systems to allow contractors to carry out essential maintenance work at Peterborough
Power Station in the UK. Centrica, which operates the 360MW gas-fired
power plant, has enlisted industrial painting specialist East Coast Industries to carry out the work which involves cleaning and re-painting the air cooled condenser (ACC) units. Tis has involved working on the ACC’s enormous horizontal steam pipes with obscure angles that made the ACC units inaccessible by conventional means. Also with the pipes reaching a surface temperature of 65˚C SGB had to make sure that the access system could withstand these high temperatures and still be functional. East Coast Industries awarded Harsco Infrastructure with the contract to design, manufacture and install a mobile access system, which would afford a safe means of access to and from the working area. Te system was also required to provide a safe means of evacuation in the event of emergency. Harsco Infrastructure’s design uses powered self-
propelled work platforms suspended from a steel framework. Te rig travels along the pipes on a series of wheels which are specially angled to accommodate the cylindrical surface of the pipes. Users of the system gain access to the work platform via a cradle suspended
18
www.engineerlive.com
from an electric hoist attached to the frame. One challenging task for Harsco Infrastructure was to find a way for the system to traverse the steel flanges which project around the circumference of the pipe sections. Tis was solved by providing a jacking system which lifts the wheels clear of the flanges as they pass. “Because of the location of the ACC units, a traditional access method was unfeasible and would have taken double the time, ” comments Bill Murdoch. “Tis required a completely different approach” he adds. “Harsco Infrastructure designed a mobile access system which was far superior to any of the other companies involved” comments Harry and Ben Lee, Owners of East Coast Industries. “Te service which Harsco Infrastructure provided from concept to delivery was of a very high standard.” Te inaccessible location of the jobsite required the use of a high-capacity mobile telescopic crane to lift the two access rigs into position on top of the ACC pipes. East Coast Industries commenced work in early September 2009 and is due to complete the contract before Christmas. Peterborough Power Station uses ‘grey’ water supplied by the local sewage works to generate steam for its turbines, reducing the consumption of potable water. Te condenser is air-cooled rather than water- cooled to further reduce water consumption. l
For more information, visit
www.harsco.com
Fig. 1. A high-capacity mobile telescopic cranelifted the two access rigs into position on top off the air cooled condensor units.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52