Chennai
2017
Following the successful completion of the hydraulic hardline piping for Ashok Leyland’s New Component Test Lab – Bay 1, Ashok Leyland expanded the facility with a second test bay and again entrusted Cenergy Offshore with the hydraulic piping requirement.
The expansion required an extension of the non-welded hydraulic hardline system to support additional test equipment, including HPUs and actuators supplied by a leading testing and sensing equipment OEM.
Building on the solution implemented for Bay 1, Cenergy Offshore designed and delivered a large-bore, high-pressure, non-welded hydraulic hardline piping system for the new Component Test Lab – Bay 2.
The project included engineering, pre-fabrication, installation, flushing, pressure testing, commissioning and handover.
The Bay 2 expansion required the new hydraulic piping system to integrate with the test equipment and hydraulic power units while fitting within the defined laboratory layout.
The testing machines also generated significant vibration, requiring the hardline piping and its supporting structure to withstand vibration frequencies of up to 50 Hz.
As with Bay 1, cleanliness was a critical requirement because the hydraulic system was connected directly to precision test equipment and actuators.
The piping therefore had to be installed without compromising the cleanliness of the hydraulic circuit while also meeting the customer’s hydraulic schematic and space constraints.
Cenergy Offshore implemented a large-bore, non-welded hydraulic hardline piping system for the Component Test Lab actuators.
The system was fully designed before installation and supplied as pre-fabricated pipe spools. This allowed the installation to follow the approved design and schematic layout while minimising fabrication work at site.
The piping and support arrangement were designed around the available laboratory space and the operating requirements of the test equipment.
The solution also incorporated the vibration requirements of the testing machines, with the piping and supporting structure designed to withstand frequencies of up to 50 Hz.
Cenergy Offshore carried out the piping design based on the information provided by Ashok Leyland, including:
The piping arrangement was developed in-house and reviewed with the end user before fabrication.
General arrangement and detailed piping drawings were issued prior to installation, allowing the pre-fabricated pipe spools to be manufactured according to the approved layout.
This approach ensured that the piping could be accurately positioned within the defined space and integrated with the HPUs and actuators supplied by the testing equipment OEM.
Once the design was approved, the hardline piping was manufactured as pre-fabricated pipe spools.
The spools were fabricated, cleaned and painted at the Tube-Mac Industries (TMI) facility in Canada before being shipped to site.
Pre-fabrication in a controlled facility helped minimise the risk of contamination from dirt, dust, rust and other pollutants during fabrication and transportation, supporting the stringent cleanliness requirements of the hydraulic test laboratory.
It also reduced the need for extensive pipe fabrication at site and allowed the installation to follow the approved piping design.
The pre-fabricated hardline piping was installed under the supervision of Cenergy Offshore supervisors and technicians.
The pipe spools were carefully positioned and assembled within the defined laboratory space according to the approved drawings and hydraulic schematic.
Particular attention was given to handling and assembly because maintaining hydraulic cleanliness was a key requirement for the test laboratory.
The completed piping system was connected to the test equipment and hydraulic power units as part of the installation and commissioning process.
After installation, the hardline was looped using Cenergy Offshore flushing components and the system was flushed to achieve the required hydraulic cleanliness.
The project achieved a reported NAS 0 cleanliness level, with the required cleanliness reportedly achieved in approximately half a day.
The rapid flushing process demonstrated the advantage of using a pre-fabricated, non-welded piping system for a controlled hydraulic testing environment, where minimising contamination during installation is critical.
Following flushing, the hardline underwent pressure/proof testing up to 4,500 psi.
The final pressure was held for 30 minutes, exceeding the standard 15-minute hold period, to verify the integrity of the piping system and check for leaks or pressure loss.
Following successful installation, flushing and pressure testing, the hardline was prepared for commissioning.
The simulation actuators and associated test equipment were tested by Ashok Leyland with support from Cenergy Offshore technicians.
After successful commissioning, the required spares, documentation and reports were handed over to the end user. Copies were also retained by Cenergy Offshore for future reference and traceability, with the documentation provided in digital format for convenient access.
Cenergy Offshore implemented a large-bore, non-welded hydraulic hardline piping system designed specifically for the Component Test Lab.
Instead of fabricating the entire piping system at site, the system was designed and manufactured as pre-fabricated pipe spools. This approach reduced site fabrication and allowed the installation to progress quickly once the laboratory trench and supports were ready.
The design incorporated the customer’s hydraulic requirements, laboratory layout and equipment information to develop a piping system suited to the actual operating conditions.
The piping system had to be installed within a trench, making accurate site measurements critical to the design.
Cenergy Offshore carried out a site inspection and survey to establish the trench dimensions, support plate locations and other relevant installation details. The survey information was used as an input for the detailed piping design.
The customer provided key design information including:
Cenergy Offshore worked with the customer through multiple design discussions to evaluate different piping approaches and arrive at the final approved layout.
Based on the required flow capacity and actuator demand, a 6-inch SCH XXS pressure header was selected for the main hydraulic circuit.
The tap-off piping was also designed to accommodate the expected 60 Hz vibration frequency at the test actuators.
Following approval of the piping design, the hardline was manufactured as pre-fabricated pipe spools.
The required components, including clamps and O-rings, were also sourced and prepared as part of the project.
Due to the scale of the installation, the material was shipped in two lots. The first shipment contained the piping and components required to begin installation and complete a substantial portion of the first stage while the second shipment was being prepared.
This phased delivery approach helped maintain project progress while reducing the impact of transportation and logistics on the installation schedule.
The support brackets were welded to the support plates along the trench walls before the pre-fabricated hardline spools were positioned and installed.
Cenergy Offshore deployed a dedicated site team comprising two supervisors and four workers, supported by two cranes, to carry out the installation.
The pre-fabricated nature of the piping allowed the team to focus on positioning, assembly and connection rather than carrying out extensive pipe fabrication at site.
All flange connections were assembled and tightened to the specified torque requirements to ensure the integrity of the high-pressure piping system.
Before hydraulic flushing, a pneumatic pressure test was carried out to verify that the joints had been correctly assembled and tightened.
The hydraulic hardline was then looped at each actuator tap-off using hoses and flushed until a NAS 5 cleanliness level was achieved.
Following successful flushing, the system underwent hydraulic pressure testing in three stages:
The final pressure of 315 bar was held for 15 minutes to verify the integrity of the system and check for leaks or pressure drops.
After the successful test was witnessed by the client, the pressure was safely released and the hardline was connected to the HPUs and test actuators.
The flushing and pressure testing certificates were subsequently signed by the client for project records.
The completed hydraulic system was commissioned by Ashok Leyland with support from Cenergy Offshore technicians.
The system was tested and confirmed to operate to the customer’s requirements. Upon successful completion, Cenergy Offshore prepared the project documentation and project report, which was reviewed and signed by the client, formally completing the project.
Cenergy Offshore successfully delivered the hydraulic hardline piping expansion for Ashok Leyland’s Component Test Lab – Bay 2, building on the successful implementation of the system for Bay 1.
The project provided the additional hydraulic infrastructure required to integrate the test equipment, HPUs and actuators while addressing the demanding vibration and cleanliness requirements of the laboratory.
The use of pre-fabricated non-welded hardline piping helped maintain installation quality and minimise contamination risks associated with conventional site-fabricated hydraulic piping.
The completed system achieved the specified cleanliness requirement, was pressure tested to 4,500 psi with a 30-minute hold, successfully commissioned and handed over to Ashok Leyland.
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