Pipe Center has supplied specialist fuel pipe for a new emergency power system at Stornoway radar station on the Isle of Lewis, off the West coast of Scotland.
The Durapipe PLX pipe is being used as part of a refurbishment of the National Air Traffic Service (NATS) radar facility, which monitors and controls aircraft and collects weather data.
The emergency power system is designed to provide vital back-up in the event of mains electrical failure, to ensure the safety of domestic and international airplanes.
The refurbishment is part of a £127m programme to replace and upgrade the entire NATS radar network by 2012.
The installation was carried out by Ness Engineering, which undertakes specialist engineering and construction projects throughout Scotland’s highlands and islands.
Durapipe PLX pipe was specified to transport diesel oil from the storage tank to the stand-by emergency generator, as it meets critical requirements for integrity and reliability. It replaced existing steel pipework installed previously.
Available in sizes 32mm and 160mm, Durapipe PLX secondary contained systems have exceptional resistance to rapid crack propagation and long-term stress cracking. PLX is also highly cost-effective and much easier to work with than traditional metal alternatives.
Pipe Center also supplied Ness Engineering with a bespoke railing system for the fuel pipework support structure.
Lindsay Crockett of Pipe Center’s Glasgow branch, which handled the order, said: “Ness Engineering sent us outline drawings for the project. We worked closely with Durapipe to assess the materials and component requirements and ensure everything was delivered on time – including a 6.30am ferry trip to the island!”
The design chosen was based on a dual containment pipe system. This has a primary inner fuel pipe running inside a larger outer pipe that encloses the primary inner pipe. In the unlikely event of a rupture, fuel flowing through the primary pipe is securely captured and delivered to the generator, ensuring continuous power supply to the radar station.
Key to the design is the use of electro-fusion jointing technology, used to bond pipe together. This uses an electrical heat induction process to create a simultaneous bond of both inner and outer pipes, to form a completely enclosed fail-safe system.
Components and jointing equipment, some sourced from Italy, were supplied to site via the early morning 6.30am ferry from the mainland to Lewis, arriving at Stornoway in time for work to begin.
Commenting on the project, David Williamson from Ness Engineering Ltd said: “This refurbishment of the emergency power supply was a large part of our development at Stornoway this year, and we required a product that we could be certain would deliver quality and reliability in the case of an emergency.
“We found the quality of Durapipe PLX excellent and were particularly impressed with the superb customer service we received during the project itself, as well as the after care and communication. We look forward to working with Pipe Center and Durapipe UK again in the future.”
Following the success of the project, Pipe Center has orders for seven similar emergency power refurbishment projects in the pipeline.