Fluxo will be responsible for supplying the entire remote control system of hydraulic valves for the drill-ships (drilling ships) whose final customer is Sete Brasil. The contract was signed between Emerson MTM (Marine Tank Management) - a company that Fluxo represents exclusively for the offshore market - and EEP (Estaleiro Enseada do Paraguaçu), which will supply six units, Jurong, which will supply another six, and ECOVIX, (Engevix Construções Oceânicas) which will supply three more units.
The system consists of more than 350 valves in each of the drilling vessels, actuated with the LPU (Local Power Unit) system from Damcos (brand belonging to MTM), a compact and autonomous solution installed directly on the hydraulic actuators.
In a conventional hydraulic system, the HPU (Hydraulic Unit) releases the hydraulic oil, and the solenoid panel controls the actuators to the open or closed position. The HPU needs to be connected to the solenoid panel through hydraulic piping, which in turn has to connect all actuators also through piping. This means that the total length of pipes hydraulics to be installed on each drilling unit is very long, and therefore the cost involved with material, connections, support, installation, pressure testing and flushing is also very high.
With the LPU system, the pipes are eliminated, and, through an autonomous hydraulic system in each of the actuators, which needs to be connected only to the control system through electrical cables, it is possible to operate all valves of the water ballast systems, bilge water, fuel and lubricating oil and fire fighting water. It is noteworthy that electrical cables are already provided for in a conventional system, as all actuators are equipped with open / closed position indicators.
The main advantages of the LPU system are: system weight reduction, as piping, hydraulic unit and solenoid panels are eliminated, as well as installation, testing and flushing costs.
Damcos provides the LPU solution to various customers around the world, and recently provided Petrobras for the P-61 Platform.