Situation
Tyne Pressure Testing has completed hyperbaric testing on a subsea control module for a leading technology company based in Brazil.
The client required testing on a subsea control module, which enables the remote control and monitoring of subsea based equipment in its working environment, to validate its capability prior to deployment.
To ensure the equipment was fit for purpose, Tyne Pressure Testing was required to replicate the extremes of the operating conditions that the equipment would be subject to, in terms of pressure and temperature, to enable representative function testing.
The client was unable to conduct the necessary tests in Brazil, due to constraints in testing capabilities and chamber size.
Approach
The module was tested within a 3,000 litre capacity hyperbaric chamber where the water was heated to a consistent temperature of 40°C. The pressure in the chamber was raised to 300 bar and held for 15 minutes, before reducing it back to zero. The temperature pressure cycle was repeated three times before the module was function tested to ensure it performed as required.
The temperature of the water inside of the chamber was then reduced to 4°C and three pressure cycles were completed to 300 bar before the module was function tested again, inside of the chamber to ensure it performed as expected.
The hot and cold temperature pressure cycles were carried out a further two times, following a function test at the end of each cycle to complete the testing process. This temperature pressure sequence was made possible by Tyne Pressure Testing’s ability to heat and cool large volumes of test fluid in the hyperbaric chamber.
The testing took place within hyperbaric chamber TPT 1, a vertically operated chamber spanning three meters in length and equipped with an ROV mechanical drive and an array of electronic, hydraulic and mechanical data ports.
On completion of the testing, a supporting detailed test report and test charts were supplied to fully documented the tests undertaken.
“We were confident in our ability to support this type of hyperbaric testing, through previous experience of rigorous testing which involved heating and cooling such large volumes of liquid. It’s been a privilege to support the client to test the component which they couldn’t perform in South America and we’re excited to continue our partnership”.
Result
The results of the testing confirmed the subsea module remained fully operational under the required temperature and pressure conditions, validating its suitability for a subsea environment.
The client’s engineers were on-site throughout the five-day testing process to conduct the function testing required to validate the module’s performance.
Tyne Pressure Testing maintained regular communication with the client leading up to the testing, addressing any enquiries with their representatives in Brazil.