Pyroban® has successfully completed its FAT (Factory Acceptance Test) on a Cat® C18 803 bhp engine which has been modified for use in potentially explosive atmospheres offshore.
This explosion proof Cat C18 is a large multi-purpose engine with a seawater aftercooling system (SWAC) which, when running at this power density, can present a number of problems for explosion protection conversion.
The reason it is harder to gain an ATEX Category 3G T3 IIA/B marking is that the charge air system and compressor side of the turbo reaches the 200degC (T3) temperature boundary very quickly in relatively low European ambient temperatures. The heat can also move around depending on a number of variables.
To overcome this, Pyroban deploys its SCTB (Soft Compound Thermal Barrier) coating technology to reduce the thermal signature. Pyroban has been applying these coatings to the inlet systems of ATEX diesel engines since 2009 and has built up unrivalled knowledge of the process.
Over the last five years, we’ve seen more and more competition coming to the market, which has really been good for Pyroban and made us examine our protocols and risk assessments. However, our commitments remains the same. If you want a truly conforming and safe solution that meets your precise requirements of ATEX, then Pyroban is one of the only businesses with the experience and integrity needed for safe operations.
We continue to see ATEX solutions placed on the market by competitors that we know don’t meet the T class and are therefore (arguably) unsafe. Competitor solutions for the Caterpillar 3406 are a great example. This engine needs additional protection to the charge air system to allow it to be properly certified in ambient temperatures above 30degC.
This Cat C18 was supplied with Pyroban’s ExSCS™ system to eliminate the need for the high-maintenance exhaust flame arrestors and act as a combined safety shutdown and diesel engine control module.
If you have an ATEX conversion enquiry, you can also contact our customer service team on +44 (0) 1273 456800 or email sales@pyroban.com.
