Most advanced habitat system designed

Advanced controller system

The habitat controller system G3 is designed to control overpressure and combustible gas in mobile welding habitats for hot work in potentially explosive atmospheres.

The function of the Fan Control Unit is to blow controlled air into the welding habitat to maintain an overpressure. Air inlet to the fan is controlled by a gas sensor, and fan is stopped if combustible gas – or H₂S (option) – is detected at inlet, to avoid transportation of gas to the hot work habitat.
The fan speed is controlled by the system to maintain a constant overpressure in the prezzurized hot work habitat.

Fan Control Units are prepared for connection of several units in series to a common SCADA system, for common system monitoring from a central position. When several systems are connected in series, a gas alarm or emergency stop in one system will stop hot work in all connected welding habitats. The systems therefore operate as one with all the sensors, giving maximum detection capacity and safety.

The challenge

The challenge was to make a system that oil companies in Norway would deem advanced and secure enough to allow for the operation of several habitats at the same time. Something which up until we released our Generation 3 system had not been possible or allowed.

The solution

StS designed a system with the following features:

• Fail-safe design with PLS\SCADA control system, giving maximum control over hot work habitat operations while minimizing the chance of human error.
• Positive pressure is calibrated continuously, giving stable positive pressure at the chosen setpoint during the whole operation. The setpoint for the pressure sensor can be set by the habitat operator, giving you the option to lower the pressure during operations such as welding the root weld with shielding and backing gas.
• equipped with a new control system which is able to connect and control an unlimited number of welding habitat systems in series, giving the operator full central control.
• Highest safety level of any available welding habitat system on the market today
• Highest capacity fans of any habitat system available on the market, giving us the ability to build bigger and more spacious habitats, with more welding points covered, which is beneficial both for work efficiency and HSE.
• Automatic shutdown if equipment malfunctions, gas is detected, loss of overpressure, if elevated temperature or rapid temperature increase is detected
•  The system also has a solenoid valve, which makes it able to control and shut down air tools, plus automatically disperse water if a fire is detected.
• ATEX certified control system and fans approved for Zone 1

The Result

The system was, and is to this day, an enormous success. The system has set a new standard for efficiency and HSE regarding performing hot work in welding habitats, and the feedback from the contractors and oil companies have been extremely positive. Several jobs, where the oil companies earlier either had planned for a shutdown or a long timeframe for the welding operations, has been made possible in an effective manner by our system.