Background Information
Christchurch International Airport is the busiest airport on the South Island of New Zealand. Christchurch is the gateway to Antarctica. It plays the role of the Deep Freeze operation base in the United States and is the entry point for visitors to New Zealand.
Fuel is the blood of all routes, and at Christchurch International Airport, Shell Petroleum pumps more than one kilometer of pressurized pipeline from Shell's bulk aviation fuel tank to the airport asphalt road. Three suitable motor drives and their matching pumps constitute a hydrant fuel delivery system.
Ten years ago, these pumps were prone to frequent failures due to starting stress. AuCom offers a soft start solution that has solved this problem and eliminates many of the major hassles of Shell.
problem
The fuel hydrant conveying system was originally installed by Shell Oil Company in the early 1970s. At the time, the 75 horsepower and 175 horsepower motors driving the matched fuel pump were started in direct online mode up to 10 times per hour to maintain the fuel pressure.
Due to this repetitive high strain start, the motor, fuel pump, and pipeline are subjected to considerable stress and vibration, causing motor failure every 18 months. The usual problem is damage to the mechanical rotor bars caused by the impact loading of each start.
solution
During a major upgrade, the AuCom soft starter was mounted on the motor to eliminate motor stress during start-up.
benefit
Since the soft starter was installed in 1984, there have been no motor damages. The AuCom Soft Starter eliminates the inconvenience caused by Shell's equipment failures and equipment maintenance costs. Soft start is now the standard motor control form for New Zealand airport facilities.
Three reasons to choose AuCom
AuCom Soft Start has important benefits that meet Shell's requirements:
1. Customize the solution. Multi-type and multi-purpose products mean that AuCom's application engineers can design custom solutions for specific situations.
2. Reliability. AuCom is a soft starter and enjoys proven reliability and engineering quality reputation in the petrochemical industry.
3. Support. AuCom customer service is absolutely first class. The company has offices and distributors around the world and can meet customers' needs when they need it.
AuCom's other petrochemical facility solutions
Offshore Oil Drilling Platform • On the Shell Todd Maui II platform, the AuCom soft starter minimizes the starting current of the 300 kilowatt liquid petroleum separator condenser powered by the generator set.
• Fuel Transfer Pumps • At the Port of Shell facility in Brisbane, Australia, the AuCom soft starter gradually accelerates and decelerates the fuel delivery pump. This prevents liquid hammer due to air resistance.
Gasoline conversion plant - During the gas to gasoline conversion process at the Methanex (Synfuels) plant in Taranaki, New Zealand, the AuCom soft starter was used to reduce the wear of the motor and roller couplings.