Keeping tbMS
Cool
on The London Crossrail
The London Crossrail route passes through 37 stations and runs 118km east from Maidenhead to Abbey wood, through twin-bore 21km tunnels that lie below central London. Euroflo was selected to install an Industrial Pump System to keep the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) cool by providing it with a continuous supply of water during the excavation process.
THE COOLing System for the TUNNEL BORING MACHINES (TBM)
The system involved using industrial pumps and tanks located at ground level, to pump water down to a shaft, and along the tunnel to the TBM. Once the water passed through the TBM system, the remaining water came back up via a filtration system to the tanks. The water circuit provided 20 litres/second to each TBM, 8 l/s was used within the TBM, and 12 l/s was used to return the water to the tanks. The inlet pressure required ranged between 4 and 10 bar.
The system involved using industrial pumps and tanks located at ground level, to pump water down to a shaft, and along the tunnel to the TBM. Once the water passed through the TBM system, the remaining water came back up via a filtration system to the tanks. The water circuit provided 20 litres/second to each TBM, 8 l/s was used within the TBM, and 12 l/s was used to return the water to the tanks. The inlet pressure required ranged between 4 and 10 bar.
On one site, three TBMs were operating, and the pump system delivered 60 l/s with the use of one single tank (3200m3) and one industrial pump per tunnel. On another site, the installation supported the excavation with just one TBM, pumping at 20 l/s, and a water storage tank capacity of 1100m3.
Euroflo used 37kW vertical multistage industrial pumps for the cooling system, while the TBM excavated through a major underground section of the Crossrail project. Euroflo’s industrial pump system, complete with low level cut off electrodes that are located in the pipework shut down if a low water level was detected. That protected the industrial pump system and maintained the TBM’s productivity.
Euroflo employed an integrated system of industrial pumps, pipework, transducers, valves and inverter controls to maintain the constant flow and pressure required by each of the TBMs during their 3 years of operation. The whole system was mounted on heavy galvanized steel skids for mobility, and was complete with lifting points, so that it could be delivered to site as a package with ‘Plug and Go’ modular construction.
WHY EUROFLO Was SELECTED FOR THIS TUNNEL BORING PROJECT
Euroflo was selected for this project not only because of its experience in the industrial pumping industry, but also because of its management culture and level of expert knowledge in this field.
If you would like more information on this project or how we can assist with your project, then please contact sales@www.euroflo.com.
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