Non-Pressurising Fast Fuelling System
Fuel Fire - Routine Refuelling Operation
During a routine refuelling operation at an open-pit coal mine in QLD, a fuel fire was reported. The root cause was traced to a failure in the onboarding system. Unfortunately, fires like this are common, often resulting from inadequate maintenance of refuelling equipment, incorrect specification of onboarding systems, and insufficient operator training.
A subsequent third-party review conducted by the mine operator, along with a Brisbane-based engineering firm, concluded that traditional ‘pressurised’ refuelling systems are inherently unsafe for faster flow rates. Furthermore, existing market options for ‘non-pressurising’ systems, which operate with a ‘fail-open’ design, were also found to pose potential risks.
Our Solution
Cooper Fluid Systems was engaged to replace all existing non-conforming pressurised and ‘fail-open’ non-pressurised systems on site, to the Adel Wiggins ‘fail-shut’ JNX system.
The JNX system operates on the principle that if any component of the system fails, the valve immediately closes, preventing fuel from entering the tank. The unique design of the check valve also ensures that if the valve itself fails, the flow of fuel pushes the check into its closed position.
Benefits
- Guaranteed "Fail-Shut" refuelling operation, ensuring overfilling is not possible.
- Increased onboarding flow rate, improving service intervals for trucks and excavators.
- Reduced ongoing maintenance costs by minimising the occurrence of cracked tanks due to over-pressurisation.
CFS Advantage
Cooper Fluid Systems worked with the customer to conduct site audits ensuring all machines were scoped correctly prior to conversion. Additionally, trials were conducted on a range of machines to ensure compatibility with fuel facilities and service trucks.
Once the systems successfully passed the trial period our engineering department developed and supplied drawings for each machine type to assist onsite fitters with a seamless installation.
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