SPARTAN Used to Increase Safety on UAE Jack-Up Rig
SPARTAN hazardous area LED floodlights from Raytec have been installed on several newly built jack-up drilling rigs in the United Arab Emirates. The SPARTAN Flood luminaires have increased safety on-site, providing an effective emergency lighting solution for the lifeboat and life raft deployment systems, and will also provide significant maintenance savings during the course of their operating life.
Demands of the Application.
In emergency conditions, the rig’s lifeboat and life raft deployment systems are critical safety areas so they required a reliable lighting solution which could guarantee a high quality light output at the most critical times.
When launching the lifeboats, lighting is essential to ensure they can be safely accessed and deployed, but under emergency conditions there is a high possibility of a power outage or a dead ship scenario, which would cause normal lighting to fail. The challenge was therefore to find an Ex light which could provide consistent, uninterrupted illumination when both the mains and emergency power generators failed, avoiding the risk of leaving the area in complete darkness in an emergency scenario. This required a luminaire with an integral emergency battery backup which would kick in as soon as mains power was lost and provide light output for long enough so that the lifeboats could be safely launched.
The Solution.
First and foremost, the application required a luminaire which was LED. The advantages of LED technology mean that SPARTAN’s emergency battery module unit is compact enough to be integral to the units housing. In contrast, traditional technology requires a separate UPS system to account for the unit’s higher power draw (a 136W SPARTAN Flood is generally used in place of a 400W SON/equivalent); a significantly larger and more expensive alternative. As a smaller lighter solution, using 65% less power than traditional luminaires with virtually no maintenance, the SPARTAN LED luminaire provided a far more functional solution than any traditional emergency lighting alternatives.
Raytec’s SPARTAN range of LED luminaires, all available as emergency variants, provided the perfect answer to the demands of illuminating the rigs lifeboat system and designated walkways on-board the rig. The SPARTAN Flood FL48, which provides up to 10,000 lumens, was identified as the most suitable unit from the SPARTAN range thanks to its high power and emergency capabilities.
What were the advantages of using SPARTAN?
Smooth transition between standard and Emergency Operation
SPARTAN provides an easy transition between standard mains operation and emergency mode. The ability of the high power LEDs to instantly restrike means there is no blackout period as the unit switches to emergency power. This also makes the unit resistant to short-term voltage drops which would otherwise disable traditional lighting technology.
In order to provide output for sufficient time to launch the lifeboats, life rafts and Jacobs ladders, the rig required a lighting solution which provided up to 30 minutes of output after losing mains power in order to comply with their ABS requirements; SPARTAN was able to far surpass this by providing 60 minutes of output at 100% light output.
SPARTAN’s variable light output also provided the perfect flexibility; the feature allows users to find the perfect balance between required output levels and running time on emergency output to ensure the safe launch of the lifeboats.
Lower Maintenance
As well as ensuring light output is maintained at the most critical times, SPARTAN will also allow the user to make huge maintenance savings over the life of the product. Although gaining access to the luminaire once on-site is generally routine, gaining access to the rig itself is more challenging given that it will normally be located offshore; this is where SPARTANs modular design excels.
A modular design allows key components to be interchanged so the unit can be serviced on-site. This is a major advantage over other LED luminaires which tend to be factory sealed and must be returned to the manufacturer for maintenance work to be carried out. As well as providing major savings in the cost of transportation, it also crucially means that downtime of the light is kept to a minimum. This increased serviceability was another major factor behind the user’s choice of Raytec luminaires.
The Most Comprehensive Warranty
Another major appeal to the user was the fact that all SPARTAN luminaires come with an industry leading 5 year warranty. The Raytec warranty covers both the mechanical build and all components of the luminaire, including the PSU – far more comprehensive than other warranties which often only cover the lighting fixture. End users can have greater confidence that SPARTAN delivers on the long life promises of LED luminaires.
As well as the 5 year warranty, SPARTAN luminaires boast an operating life of 10+ years. Compared to traditional lighting technologies which require frequent lamp & ballast changes, this extended operating life is a big advantage; it means that as well as the modular design making maintenance easier, maintenance is also required less frequently, helping the user to reduce the time and resource invested in lighting going forward.
Summary
In summary, SPARTAN has provided the rigs critical lifesaving systems with a high performance lighting solution which ensures safety on-site. With the lower power requirements of an LED and the integral emergency backup module, which provides a reliable source of illumination when mains and emergency power generation is lost; this solution would have been impossible with traditional luminaires.
To discuss how our lighting design service could benefit your project and provide you with the complete solution,
give us a call on +44 (0) 1670 520 055, or email Raytec Global at hazsales@raytecled.com or Raytec Americas at ussales@raytecled.com
