February 2020 Design Notes

Redesigned hydraulic system speeds loading on new excavator

Komatsu’s new PC2000-11 excavator features redesigned hydraulics and cylinder seals for higher productivity and performance.

With its PC2000-11 hydraulic excavator, KomatsuAmerica, has created a machine that is designed to load 70- to200-ton rigid frame haul trucks faster. Equipped with an EPA Tier4 Final certified engine, the PC2000-11 has more horsepower anda new engine-pump control for faster cycle times and improvedmultifunction performance.

Redesigned hydraulics and cylinder seals contribute to higher productivity and performance.

“The PC2000-11 is designed to load 70- to 200-ton rigid frame haul trucks and is an excellent tool for stripping overburden, loading coal, and loading shot rock,” said Robert Hussey, product marketing manager, Komatsu America. “The PC2000-11 has a simplified power module (cooling package, engine, PTO, and hydraulic pumps) which provides excellent accessibility to major components, low noise levels in the cab, and reduces labor hours when it comes time for planned overhaul.”

The PC2000-11 offers improved multifunction performance, and a productivity increase up to 12%, and can therefore load more trucks per shift. The redesigned hydraulic system monitors work equipment loads and optimizes hydraulic flow based on operating conditions. The PC2000-11 is equipped with selectable working modes to tailor machine performance to application requirements, including the all new “Power Plus” mode. Increased engine power and new engine pump control logic give the PC2000-11 faster cycle times.

According to Hussey, “Improvements were made to the hydraulic system of the PC2000-11 with three main objectives: improve multifunction performance, increase pump absorption from the 12% increase in engine net horsepower, and increase fuel efficiency.”

New for the PC2000-11 are electronic proportional control (EPC) valves which have greatly improved multifunction performance, Hussey added.

The machine controller calculates engine power and pump absorbing torque based on selectable working modes (Power Plus, Power, Economy, Economy 1) resulting in greater hydraulic power at maximum pressure, faster hydraulic speed/cycle times across the flow pressure curve from greater available engine torque, and up to 12% additional machine productivity.

To increase efficiency and reduce hydraulic loss, a swing priority circuit was added to the machine to remove the need for an independent swing pump.

A hydraulic filter bypass detection system was added to alert the operator if the return filter is clogged — this system also transmits an alert via KOMTRAX, Komatsu’s remote monitoring telematics system.

The PC2000-11 has an electronically controlled hydraulic variable-speed fan which provides cooling to the machine based on application demand, reducing fuel consumption.

Finally, the return piping diameter was increased to keep hydraulic oil temperatures cool and increase hydraulic efficiency.

In addition, extended component life comes with thicker, stronger boom plates and castings; strengthened track and center frames; larger diameter carrier rollers and improved hydraulic cylinder seals. The new seals on work equipment cylinders enable the PC2000-11 to withstand the most abrasive applications.

“Heat resistant hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) is used in hydraulic component seals, rod and piston seals in cylinders, and in hydraulic hoses. HNBR is known for its strength and retention properties after long term exposure to heat, oil, and chemicals,” Hussey said. “Hydraulic hoses are estimated to last 1.5 – 2.0 times longer than conventional hoses. All hoses and seals of the PC2000-11 are heat resistant, improving hydraulic circuit life and reliability.”

In addition, a scraper and sub dust seal have been added to the hydraulic cylinders to prevent dust entry. Total sealing of the cylinder (including the piston portion) contributes to a clean and reliable hydraulic circuit.

“These improvements were made to extend component life and reduce maintenance and repair expense throughout the lifecycle of the machine,” Hussey said.

Komatsu’s new PC2000-11 excavator features redesigned hydraulics and cylinder seals for higher productivity and performance.

Other standard features of the new PC2000-11 include:

• Tier 4 Final certified engine technology

• Komatsu’s new U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final emission regulation-compliant SSA12V140E-7 engine has a net horsepower of 1,046hp (up from 956 hp on the PC2000-8)

• Dual Komatsu Diesel Particulate Filters (KDPF)

• No Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system, so does not require a Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF)

• Auto Idle and Auto Idle Shutdown to help reduce fuel consumption

Accessibility and operator comfort

• 45° hydraulically actuated boarding ladder and secondary access ladder

• Platforms and handrails aid service and maintenance

• New, large capacity air conditioning system

• Large cab with excellent visibility

Work equipment and hydraulics

• New EPC valves optimize main valve spool control, increasing work equipment speed, especially during compound movement

• New, stronger boom design for increased durability to complement the productivity enhancements

• Heavy lift mode — 10% more boom lifting force

Finally, KomVision, Komatsu’s allaround machine monitoring system comes standard on the PC2000-11. To increase operator awareness of haul trucks and light vehicles entering and leaving the working area, the 7-camera system provides a full 360° bird’s-eye view of the working area on a dedicated 10.4 in. touch screen monitor.

Komatsu America Corp | komatsuamerica.com

Hydraulic cylinders help revolutionize oilfield pipe cleaning

A machine that’s been 10 years in the making is now seeing success, thanks to hydraulic cylinders from Yates Industries.

When Thomas Services La LLC of New Iberia, La. decided to develop acompletely new concept and class of machine for oilfield pipe cleaning, theycommitted to creating a new higher standard for the definition of ‘clean pipe.’Early on during the conceptual design phase, they determined that hydrauliccylinders were the best solution for many of the operations the machine wouldcomplete. “Working with Yates Industries was a very clear decision,” said WilliamThomas, P.E. of Thomas Services. “Their products are just far superior.”

The Scorpion Tubular Maintenance System (TMS) cleans the internal and external surfaces of any steel tubulars. The Scorpion defines cleaning to include removal of mud, oils, rust, scale, coatings, liners, cement and other matter from internal and external surface of tubulars. The requirement to clean tubulars is a fundamental step in the process of maintaining, inspecting, prepping, and/or salvaging tubulars for a variety of needs in the oil and gas industry.

Photos of NOV Tuboscope’s Scorpion TMS, taken during installation at Tuboscope’s West Texas Facility located in Odessa, Texas, prior to completion of their facility and completion of Scorpion installation.

The Scorpion TMS’ patented designs are based around versatility and capability. It allows users to accommodate any type of tubulars covering outer diameter size ranges of 1 to 48 in. OD and tubular lengths per user specifications ranging anywhere from 1 to 100 ft long. It also allows users to choose from an array of cleaning techniques, processes, and cleaning media methods including high volume water blasting and jetting at variable pressures typically ranging from 3,000 to 20,000 psi, with the option to increase pressure ratings across the system for ultrahigh pressure (40,000 psi) water blasting for special applications requiring extreme pressures. The Scorpion TMS also includes a patented and powerful hydraulic powered wire wheel brusher with an automated and mechanical floating feature for brushing external surface of tubulars. Airpowered cleaning devices can also be used with the Scorpion IDS cleaning system instead of water powered devices if preferred.

“The Scorpion TMS is a state-ofthe-art pipe cleaning machine with revolutionary patented technology, which allows it to redefine pipe cleaning,” Thomas said.

The Scorpion was developed to effectively, efficiently and safely handle any condition of Scorpion TMS (Gen. II) tubulars that may arise.

Other pipe cleaning systems are limited. The Scorpion TMS is engineered to transfer user desired minimum or maximum amount of cleaning power to the tubular with attention to fluid mechanics, horsepower, and precision controls. The Scorpion maintains a minimal footprint, about 50% shorter than other systems thanks to its ID cleaning system and compact OD cleaning system. Enhanced with its pipe rotation system, the Scorpion TMS cleans the internal and external of each stationary and/ or spinning tubular with lateral flow of tubulars incoming to and outgoing from the system.

Scorpion TMS Gen II.

Pipe cleaning machines are used in the oil and gas industry for systematic maintenance of valuable tubular assets such as drill pipe and work string tubulars. Clean drilling and exploration tubulars are imperative to maintain healthy assets. Such tubulars are expensive and often used in critical, high-profile applications. They are exposed to some of the most extreme stresses and harshest elements and environments. These tubulars are used for drilling and prducing oil and gas wells, then returned for cleaning, careful inspection for damages, and re-prepped for continued use. Other tubulars may be for pipelines in which the tubular may have coatings that need to be stripped and base steel prepared for use. Some applications also need to decommission old tubulars and remove contamination prior to recycling or disposing.

The machines rely heavily on hydraulic cylinders from Yates. “Yates cylinders are superior in quality. They are manufactured with precision and constructed for durability. Yates also maintains a very user friendly and useful website, which allows users to custom specify and quickly obtain reliably accurate CAD models and drawings of any user-customized cylinders. This is a valuable tool during the design modeling and throughout the procurement process,” Thomas said. “Yates’ support and service go well with their product. You have access to expertise needed and service that you know is the best in the industry for hydraulic cylinders.”

Scorpion TMS Gen III.

Within the Scorpion TMS, hydraulic cylinders are used to laterally load incoming dirty tubulars into the system and laterally unload the cleaned tubular out of the system usually in a production type of scale with hundreds even thousands of tubulars for certain jobs.

The hydraulic cylinders are also used to actuate muffler devices, which enclose the ends of the tubulars to contain noise and flying debris during the internal/ ID cleaning process. Hydraulic cylinders are also used to precisely position the Scorpion machinery per job or application needs, as tubulars may have a variety of geometry features to accommodate.

The Scorpion PRS (Pipe Rotation System) is hydraulically adjusted via hydraulic cylinders. These rollers allow for stable support of tubular as needed. Support is requires while spinning of the stationary tubular is done, often at remarkably high pipe spin speeds, from less than 1 to 1,000 rpm. This is done for cleaning the outer surface and sometimes during internal cleaning as well.

Scorpion TMS Gen III.

When needed for bent pipe, the Scorpion TMS’ pipe clamp rollers use Yates’ hydraulic cylinders to apply clamp rollers at user-specified pressure and force onto the pipe during cleaning in order to hydraulically straighten bent pipe during spinning. This ensures smooth cleaning and is also used as needed to prevent axial walking of the tubular during some ID and some OD cleaning work. The positioning of the ID, OD, and PRS machinery for a certain job is set via hydraulic cylinders in general. “This adjustability allows for precise, dominant and stable control of tubulars enabling Scorpion machinery to maximize effectiveness and consistency of cleaning results,” Thomas said.

The system performs so well, that a major company in the industry — NOV Wellbore Technologies – Tuboscope-West Texas Div., recently purchased and commissioned into service a new Scorpion TMS at its state of the art new Tuboscope pipe inspection facility located in Odessa, Texas. The Tuboscope Scorpion TMS (Gen II) is refined and more sophisticated than its predecessor prototype in New Iberia. This second-generation Scorpion TMS is a cleaner, more compact, and safer system overall.

With its significant design improvements, advanced controls and proven features incorporated througout, NOV Tuboscope’s Scorpion TMS has proven itself to be a superior new class of pipe cleaning systems and has surpassed expectations as expected, Thomas said.

The NOV-Tuboscope West Texas facility is a state-of-the-art facility for cleaning, inspection, machining, and processing tubulars for the oil and gas industry. Their West Texas Facility and Scorpion TMS, gives NOV-Tuboscope unmatched superior pipe cleaning and service capabilities.

Thomas Services La LLC | thomasservices.org

Yates Industries | yatesind.com

Offline filtration loop adapters ensure clean reservoir fluids

When hydraulic systems need to be cleaned, there’s no easy way to access the fluid inside reservoirs. As any user of fluid power knows, new andused hydraulic fluids typically are not pre-filtered and can be highlycontaminated. One-pass filtration systems aren’t enough. Opening thefiller breather cap while filling the reservoir allows airborne particlesand moisture to enter. Overfilling and spills are common practice,increasing environmental pollution and the risk of personal injury. Finally,draining an overfilled reservoir is problematic and hydraulic components can bedamaged by over filled reservoirs.

Filtering and transferring fluid to hydraulic and lube systems is typically done by inserting tube wands through the filterbreather twist cap or threaded opening on top of the tank and the oil drum or tote bungs. This method leaves reservoirs and drums open to contaminates and spills.

Two models of Reservoir Access Manifolds are available, including a bolt down design and ones made of two pieces including a body and cartridge.

The (RAM) Reservoir Access Manifold from c-change offers a different, safer and cleaner solution. The RAM is an offline filtration loop adapter that allows simple access to fluids inside closed reservoirs, drums and gearboxes. With the addition of one or two internal tubes, users can add and remove fluid using the existing filter breather opening, reservoir cap, or pipe thread reservoir breather opening.

Two models are available. The BD (Bolt Down) uses the standard 6-hole reservoir mount and is made of a single piece of aluminum. The DT and ST models are made of two pieces, a body and cartridge. Both have tubes that enter the interior of the reservoir and terminate below the fluid level. Both models have interconnecting passages in their bodies connecting the interior tubes to the exterior. Each has threaded ports for fitting connections

“I’ve been in the fluid power industry for 40-plus years and I’ve seen firsthand how destructive dirty oil is to component life,” said Marc Watson, Founder of c-change Inc. “The Reservoir Access Manifold, or RAM, is a new hydraulic component that mounts to your reservoir, oil drums, totes and gearboxes and will save oil, components and your money.

“The RAM gives users easy access to the oil in reservoirs, drums and totes with no fabrication,” Watson continued. “They only take minutes to install because they use the existing reservoir breather or cap. This gives you control over what enters and leaves your system. Proactive fluid management just got easier. The RAM lets you easily use a filter cart when transferring oil from drums to reservoirs. It also allows offline filtration with your system on or off while keeping systems closed to contaminants.”

The RAM Manifold from c-change is a safe, clean offline filtration loop adapter that allows easy access to fluids inside closed reservoirs, drums and gearboxes.

The BD RAM (Bolt Down) can replace the standard filler breather and mount directly in its place. Users can remount the original bayonet cap on top of the BD or upgrade to a more efficient filter. The BD comes standard with a 1 in. female pipe thread top breather port. BD RAMs incorporate five functions in one body. Features include:

• Reservoir filler/ breather

• 1-in. positional suction tube

• ¾ in. positional return tube

• Overflow port

• Oil sampling port

The suction and return down tubes are inserted into the bottom of the BD and can be rotated 360°. Both tubes terminate below the reservoir fluid level. They can be straight or bent and positioned in the reservoir for maximum efficiency.

An overflow passage communicates with the reservoir air gap in the event of overfilling the tank. This gives the potentially over-pressurized fluid an exhaust route, without causing damage, all while minimizing spills. Oil sampling is accomplished by using an internal flexible tube within the air breather passage which can be attached to either down tube terminating below the fluid level. Because of the stationary position, reliable oil samples may be taken with the system on or offline.

Models DT and ST accomplish the same functions as the BD model, but without a separate sampling port, and attach to the reservoir differently. DT and ST use a male pipe thread or straight thread mounting connection and offer one or two internal down tubes. Overflow protection and a breather port is provided. The DT and ST models are designed to maximize the internal area by minimizing the internal male thread wall thickness. This reduces the choking effect of having down tubes inside the male attachment thread. The down tube sizes have been selected to maximize air flow while keeping the largest possible suction tube diameter.

A final benefit, said Watson, is reduced oil usage. RAM users can delay oil change outs and reduce system component replacements. “You will now be able to obtain and keep those ISO cleanliness codes. RAMs facilitate the greening of our industry — finally,” Watson concluded.

c-change Inc. | c-changeinc.com