Major pipeline contract for Rotork heavy duty electro-hydraulic valve actuators

Published: 25th September 2009 | Issue 2

The recently commissioned four billion dollar BTC (Baku-Tibilisi Ceyhan) pipeline heralds a new era of crude oil supply by linking the oilfields of the Caspian Sea - the world’s third largest reserve - with the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Rotork Fluid Systems has supplied a total of seventy-four heavy duty electro-hydraulic valve actuators for installation along the 1774 kilometre pipeline route through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.

The rugged scotch-yoke actuators, built at the Rotork Fluid Systems PCI factory in Melle, Germany, are equipped with customised control units providing special stroke times and safety functions for crude oil pipeline duties. The modular design of Rotork’s self contained electrohydraulic control package lends itself to customisation, offering higher performance and lower cost of ownership than alternative solutions. Common functions such as local/remote control selection and open/close operation are provided as standard, whilst optional features such as automatic line break,high or low pressure closing and differential pressure systems are easily integrated.

Rotork Fluid Systems PCI has extensive experience of providing control systems to meet operational and safety needs, including double-acting and spring-return options for on/off, ESD (Emergency Shut Down) and modulating duties. Actuator operating pressures of up to 350 bar with torque outputs up to 350,000 Nm are suitable for virtually all sizes and classes of pipeline valves. The robust construction is designed for severe environments and ambient temperatures down to minus 60°C. Explosion proof classification is approved for ATEX Zones 1 and 2 or alternative international standards.

Rotork’s electric actuator division has also supplied several hundred IQ and IQT valve actuators on the BTC oil pipeline in an associated contract.

Rotork UK