Arcteq supplies the Norwegian Island Drilling Company through our new partner Mongstad TavleTeknikk with AQ 100 arc flash protection system, including a high-end re-usable arc quenching device on an offshore drilling rig.
Island Drilling Company selected Arcteq arc protection system with AQ1000 arc quenching device into their existing switchboards on the drilling rig Island Innovator. This is a retrofit installation to existing switchgear installed 10 years ago. The purpose of the installation is to reduce the arc energy level in the case of short circuit and arc failure in the switchgear. The calculated arc energy in the switchgear onboard the rig clearly exceeded the set safety norms. By introducing the arc protection system, the level of potential arc flash energy and corresponding PPE level was dramatically reduced to a level significantly below than minimum requirement and ensure the best safety both for personnel and continued power supply.
The AQ 100 arc protection system is engineered, supplied, and installed by the new Arcteq partner company in Norway, MTT (Mongstad TavleTeknikk AS). MTT joined the Arcteq Relays network only a couple of months back, so this project is a great start for this cooperation “This is the first Arcteq arc flash protection system supply from us, we see an increasing demand for systems like this in the Norwegian on- and offshore industry in the future” commented Geir-Håkon Gotaas from MTT
The personnel on offshore drilling rigs are working under the most extreme conditions present on the globe, and the importance of safe working conditions is huge. Mikko Manninen, the AQ 100 product manager quoted a phrase he heard on the rig while visiting it: “Marine and offshore people are not that afraid of water, they are more afraid of fire or electrical fire”.
The system supply consists of 7 almost identical installations
- AQ-110PLV that detects an overcurrent in the incoming feeder and a light signal from a sub-unit or from a light sensor connected directly to the unit
- AQ-102LV sub-unit, the unit can connect a maximum of 3 fiber sensors for detecting light anywhere in the switchgear.
- AQ-1000 re-usable arc quenching device. In the case of an arc fault, the AQ-1000 gets the signal through a fiber connection from the AQ-110P. The arc fault is extinguished in less than 4 ms, keeping the arc energy under 1 cal/cm2, and the damage to equipment non-existent.
