Case Histories

Repair team works inside pipe to bring power station online

PMP have internally repaired a leaking pipeline at the Killingholme Power Station, North Lincolnshire, using AMEX®-10-seals. During preparations to restore one of the station’s modules to active service, operators at E.ON UK discovered two faulty joints in one of the 1.8m-diameter condenser return pipelines

The joints, located underground below the generator transformer compound, were badly misaligned. The station uses cooling water at a working pressure of about 2 bar, taken direct from the Humber estuary, therefore the replacement seals used needed to have good salt-water resistance. PMP were called in to fit internal AMEX®-10-Seals to repair these joints.

The AMEX®-10-Seal was the ideal choice for use in the harsh salt-water conditions encountered at Killingholme for several reasons. As a low profile mechanical seal, it can repair leaking pipe joints from within the pipe, without causing an obstruction to flow. A robust section of EPDM rubber that spans the joint is fitted using hydraulic expansion of stainless steel compression rings, thus eliminating the uses of chemical adhesives and their associated hazards. The abrasion-resistant seal is able to accommodate substantial joint movement and is quality assured, as each seal has an independently verified life expectancy of more than 50 years.

E.ON UK engineer, Julian Buckley, commented: ‘A delay to the repair of these joints could have delayed bringing Module Two online. The work was completed in just two days, and the results are very satisfactory. Above all PMP provided the solution without any excavation being necessary’.
The 900MW natural gas-fired, combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power station is located on the south side of the Humber estuary. Built in 1991, Killingholme has been out of commission for two and a half years. However, the power station will be fully returned to service this summer.