Jacksonville, Florida (March 10, 2019)
Baker Hughes and local partner Tri-Pacific have worked together over the past few years to enhance pipeline safety with PG&E. The collaboration focused on upgrading existing pipeline systems from worker/monitor/pressure relief solutions to worker/monitor/slam shut solutions for improved over-pressure protection. With the Baker Hughes slam shut solution, the customer redefined the distribution system to help increase performance and reliability.
In most cases, refitting existing pipelines requires major product redesigns to ensure critical needs are met. This includes direct fit replacement, dry contact for minimum power consumption in remote pipelines, and elimination of potential root causes of false trip scenarios – all while maintaining a minimum standard to ensure high quality at all times.
As PG&E looked at upgrades, the engineering behind the Mooney Flowgrid Slam Shut regulator provided the best solution with a product design philosophy that allows line pressure to be shut off and back-feed through other directions in the system, rather than vent methane to atmosphere, or worse, chance line over-pressurization in the event of a relief valve failure.
“PG&E chose to work with our solution because it was not as susceptible to false trips, and it was retrofittable to roughly 90% of their total applications. Many major distribution systems around the country are now engaging in conversations to discuss switching over their philosophy to slam shuts,” commented Gleb Maksimov, Sales Leader Becker & Mooney products. “The Mooney Flowgrid Slam Shut regulator is a high accuracy, secondary, over-pressure protection device that was enhanced, and tested extensively to ensure our repeatability and performance were best-in-class.”
The Becker and Mooney product portfolios include both control valves and regulators to fill the entire distribution station needs for over-pressure protection systems, helping our customers solve complex applications with industry-leading products that are SIMPLE, PROVEN, AND SAFE FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT