News: Rotherham design experts solve engineering problem
Mechanical design experts from Atkins Bennett in Rotherham have solved a major engineering problem using their knowledge of horizontal directional drilling.
Stockton Drilling Ltd called on their expertise when faced with the problem of installing a cable duct for an offshore wind farm in Cumbria that had to go under a railway line and via an environmentally sensitive beach.
Horizontal directional drilling is a technique developed from oilfield technology and enables pipelines to be installed beneath canals, rivers, railways, roads and environmentally sensitive areas without the necessity for unsightly and expensive excavation or trenching work.
A horizontal drill rig is used to drill a pilot hole which is then reamed to a required diameter. Bentonite mud is pumped to the reaming tool creating a "caked" lining before the pipe or cable is carefully pulled through.
Atkins Bennett were responsible for the mechanical design of the duct and developing the route and profile of the drill. They also designed the supporting structure for a jack up barge that provided a working platform out at sea during the complex operation.
The biggest challenge was that the drill exit point was close to the low tide mark, and only exposed for a few hours at a time. In order to minimise the risk and environmental contamination, the experts designed a sleeve that could be installed over the exit point to contain the drilling fluid.
Despite poor weather making the jack up barge inaccessible for several days at a time, the drill was completed and the duct pulled through successfully. The wind farm is in its commissioning phase, and the first of the turbines have already started to generate power.
Stockton Drilling Ltd called on their expertise when faced with the problem of installing a cable duct for an offshore wind farm in Cumbria that had to go under a railway line and via an environmentally sensitive beach.
Horizontal directional drilling is a technique developed from oilfield technology and enables pipelines to be installed beneath canals, rivers, railways, roads and environmentally sensitive areas without the necessity for unsightly and expensive excavation or trenching work.
A horizontal drill rig is used to drill a pilot hole which is then reamed to a required diameter. Bentonite mud is pumped to the reaming tool creating a "caked" lining before the pipe or cable is carefully pulled through.
Atkins Bennett were responsible for the mechanical design of the duct and developing the route and profile of the drill. They also designed the supporting structure for a jack up barge that provided a working platform out at sea during the complex operation.The biggest challenge was that the drill exit point was close to the low tide mark, and only exposed for a few hours at a time. In order to minimise the risk and environmental contamination, the experts designed a sleeve that could be installed over the exit point to contain the drilling fluid.
Despite poor weather making the jack up barge inaccessible for several days at a time, the drill was completed and the duct pulled through successfully. The wind farm is in its commissioning phase, and the first of the turbines have already started to generate power.
Atkins Bennett website
RotherhamImages: bennettmg.co.uk
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