Designed & Built by Hydraquip

Hydraquip were commissioned to design and build a bespoke hydraulic test unit for an offshore supply company in 2012.

Following on from numerous discussions with the company the Hydraquip team from their Blaydon office came up with a design using an SC Hydraulics Air Driven Hydraulic Pump alongside SC Hydraulics 3000 Series Air Driven Gas Booster that met all the criteria set down by the client and proceeded to produce a bespoke test rig for pressure testing subsea valves. The rig has the ability to test the valves using either gas [5000 psi] or hydrostatic pressure [15000 psi] depending on which model was being tested. The design which uses HiP 30000 psi rated valves and Impress Pressure Sensors allows for a high level of accuracy with each chamber having multiple sensors allowing tests to be carried out across the full pressure range. Part of the brief involved future proofing the unit and provisions were made to allow the system to be upgraded for higher test pressures of up to 22500 psi at a future date should this ever be required.

Both independent and simultaneous testing can be run in the 4 chambers which are safety interlocked to protect the machine operator. As one would expect with a unit of this complexity the tests are controlled by a plc with results being downloaded  in real time to PC for formatting and final presentation to the customer or their client. Different designs and working environments require specific safety standards which are dealt with as part of the design process ensuring any machinery built meets these requirements.

This is one of the many designs that Hydraquip are able to and regularly build for customers. Please contact the Blaydon office for further details on this or any other project you may wish them to get involved with.