Exploration • Drilling • Field Services
the steel support construction with 50,000 dollars. An FPSO has approximately 50 heat
exchangers, 10 to 12 of which are in the category middle to high pressure. Te Compact Header is particularly suitable for these heat exchangers. Te difference between the conventional and the Compact Header heat exchanger is 13 tonnes: 13 tonnes x 10 heat exchangers = 130,000 kg less weight on board an FPSO! Tus some players in the market are willing to spend an ADDITIONAL 130 tonnes x 50,000 = $ 650,000!
Fig. 2. Bronswerk subsea cooler.
tools and cramped conditions, for example. Streamlining equipment can improve efficiency, minimise problems and avoid high costs. Less maintenance also reduces the health, safety and environmental risks and the amount of downtime involved for the drilling platform or FPSO.
Air cooled coolers Substantial savings can also be achieved with regard to weight, size, maintenance and energy consumption for other equipment on platforms and FPSOs. Take the air cooled cooler, for example. Te new Whizz-Wheel fan system plays an
important role in the high efficiency air cooled cooler. Tis fan system is based on advanced aerospace technology, provides enhanced heat exchange by increasing air flow and can achieve a plot space reduction of over 30 per cent while potentially reducing energy use by over 50 per cent. Tis has already been achieved for a client in Mexico where 1st and 2nd stage gas coolers were supplied to extend the Litoral-A platform for Pemex. In this case, the plot space was reduced by 30 per cent while energy consumption was reduced by 22 per cent. Furthermore, the connections/motors and drive/ cables were reduced by 45 per cent, which automatically affect the total weight and costs. Finally, less maintenance is required because there are no self-induced fan vibrations and mechanical load limits are not at issue.
Fig. 3. Radiax Pump performance.
By applying different technological solutions, important contributions to impressive savings can be made on platforms and FPSOs: a weight reduction of over 60 per cent, a weight reduction in the supporting steel construction, a reduction in plot space and easier maintenance. Considering individual appliances, the heat exchanger is particularly important in this industry with great potential for considerable savings. For example, we could provide a customer in
Australia with a Compact Header Heat Exchanger weighing 19,000 kg compared to the conventional type of 32,000 kg. As each device has its own customised foundation, the supporting steel structure is calculated separately. Some players in the market reward each 1000 kilo weight reduction in
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Sub-sea coolers An alternative is available for cooling, however. Te sub-sea cooler - in which the oscillating movement of the seawater is used as an active cooling generator - can be used as a substitute for air cooled coolers. Due to the use of high quality materials and a special coating, this cooler is not subject to corrosion. Using this application will save you 100 per cent on your energy consumption and 100 per cent on maintenance. Furthermore, huge weight and size reductions are achieved on platforms and FPSOs. Savings can be made on other equipment too.
Traditionally, different pumps are required on drilling platforms and FPSOs for the following performance variations: low pressure - low flow, high pressure - high flow, extremely high pressure - very high flow. Since the Radiax pump is capable of the entire performance range, it can replace hundreds of pumps. Where a conventional
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