Ingersoll Rand

Client

Ingersoll Rand Industrial Technologies

Ingersoll Rand has participated in the world's construction and mining industries since 1871.

Today Ingersoll Rand is a global innovation and solutions provider with powerful brands and leading positions within its markets. The company features a portfolio of worldwide businesses comprising an enviable roster of leading industrial and commercial brands.

The breadth of the company's products enables participation in virtually every industrial activity that society engages. They employ approximately 40,000 employees throughout the world, and operate approximately 80 manufacturing facilities, more than half of which are located outside the United States.

Objective

• To cool 2 Water Cooled Compressors which dissipated 745,000 kcal/hr when cooling 1,323 1/min water/40% propylene Glycol solution from 35.2°C to 25°C, in a design ambient of 15°C dry bulb
• To cool 3 Water Cooled Compressors which dissipated 1,306,470 kcal/hr when cooling 2,447 1/min water/40% propylene Glycol solution from 34.6°C to 25°C, in a design ambient of 15°C dry bulb

Solution

Ingersoll Rand's contract with Bechtel, Canada, to provide a compressed air system for the Fjarðaál project, Alcoa's 346,000-tonne-per-year aluminium smelter on Iceland's eastern coast, provided the opportunity for Stadco Cooling to supply Air Blast radiator systems to cool their innovative air compressors.

To cool the 2 Water Cooled Compressors requiring a total flow rate of 1,323 1/min with a temperature rise from 25°C to 35.2°C, Stadco Cooling recommended an Air Blast Radiator, 212/4FD, having 12 x 2.2 kW fans which forced air over copper finned copper tubes, per system.

To cool the 3 Water Cooled Compressors requiring a total flow rate of 2,447 1/min with a temperature rise from 25°C to 34.6°C, the company recommended 2 Air Blast Radiators 210/4FD, each having 10 x 2.2 kW fans forcing air over copper finned tubes, per system.

As well as the air blast radiators, other constituent parts included remote control stations, centrifugal electric pumps, expansion vessels and a sophisticated pressurisation set.

The first system comprised:

• Air Blast Radiator 212/4FD, having 12 x 2.2 kW fans forcing air over copper finned copper tubes, fitted with:
  • Single temperature transmitter mounted on each cooler for PLC control of the fans
  • 12 local fan motor isolators
  • Support frame to elevate radiator by a further 3 feet
  • Manifold to provide single inlet and outlet connections
• Electrical Control Station (Radiator), IP65 mounted radiator, housing 6 fans, manual/off/auto selector switches wired down to an internal terminal bar, controlling the fans in pairs
• Centrifugal Electric Pump, fitted with a motor and rated to deliver the required system flow rate at a pressure differential of 3.5 bar, measured at the pump
• 50 litre Expansion Vessel
• Electrical Control Station (Pump), IP65 mounted pump module, housing a single unwired pump with a manual/off/auto selector switch

The second system comprised:

• 2 Air Blast Radiators 210/4FD, each having 10 x 2.2 kW fans forcing air over copper finned copper tubes, each fitted with:
  • Single temperature transmitter mounted on each cooler for PLC control of the fans
  • 10 local fan motor isolators
  • Support frames to elevate radiator by a further 3 feet
  • Manifolds to provide single inlet and outlet connections per radiator
• 2 Electrical Control Stations (Radiator), IP65 mounted radiator, each housing 2 fans with manual/off/auto selector switches wired down to an internal terminal bar, controlling fans in groups of 5
• Centrifugal Electric Pump, fitted with motor and rated to deliver the required system flow rate at a pressure differential of 3.5 bar, measured at the pump
• 50 litre Expansion Vessel
• Electrical Control Station (Pump), IP65 mounted pump module, housing a single unwired pump manual/off/auto selector switch

A Pressurisation Set was also recommended which comprised:

• Pump
• 200 US gallon water tank with ball valve
• Pressure switch control
• Expansion tank
• Pressure reducing valve
• Safety valve

Items were also included to provide a fill and make-up facility at ground level, eliminating the necessity for a high level mains break tank. This was supplied as a skid mounted pre-piped unit.

As well as the above a level transmitter was fitted to the tank, giving a 4-20A output and a pressure transmitter which was positioned on the discharge side of the pump, giving a 4-20mA output.

Result

• Reduction in operating costs
• Improved performance
• Significant reduction of downtime for servicing and/or maintenance purposes
• Improved reliability – sediment free water
• Water conservation as evaporation of water does not occur
• Reduction in corrosion - free air is physically extracted from the air blast radiator and this dramatically reduces internal corrosion of process plant and cooling equipment
• Elimination of limescale - fully sealed systems are not subject to the continual ingress of solids-laden make-up water, which would create a heat insulation barrier between coolant and process
• Reduction in maintenance costs
• Elimination of chemical treatment – as the coolant is not subjected to varying solids and atmospheric conditions, on-going chemical treatment is not required
• Health risk reduction – the coolant is totally sealed within the system and does not depend on vaporisation to effect heat transfer

Endorsement

Ian MacLeod, Global Portfolio Manager, Air Solutions, Ingersoll Rand Industrial Technologies says "We had specific requirements which Stadco took on board and they came up with the most economical and cost effective solution. This was matched to our specification and wasn't over-engineered which is exactly what we were looking for."