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SOP1 – Ballast Operations
6
2.3. Ballast System Setup and Sea-to-Sea Operation
Begin by setting all 8” and 12” valves and 1.5” bottom-drain valves on pump and pipes assembly
to configuration of operation about to ensue (sea-to-sea, discharge, etc.). most 8” and 12” valves
(with key exceptions including primary and secondary tank isolation valves plus tank fill/drain
trunk drains, which are closed if tanks are full) should have been left half-open or fully-open
(1.5” drain valves) following completion of previous operation. It is key that 8” or 12” valves
required to be closed
are
closed
completely. This may require considerable force and some back
and forth wiggling of the handle. Valve-handle extender bars are used routinely in order to bring
most of the 8” and 12” valves completely closed. The 12” primary tank isolation valves operate
via geared hand-wheels and do not need the extender bar. The two valves (one on each pump) for
fine-tuning pump-discharge pressure should never be left fully closed in order to avoid
imprinting/damaging the rubber boot or diaphragm. Note that sea-to-sea valve line-up prior to
uptake requires the double-block 8” valves in the uptake flow-path are both closed and the 1.5”
bottom drain is open. This is just one of the many anti-contamination features of the system
design and therefore must be complied with.
Isolation valves on pressure gauges and pressure transducers are routinely open, except sea-chest
differential-pressure (DP) valves, which are optional.
Energize control/instruments/PLC/IMAC-net with appropriate circuit breakers in Red-Lion
cabinet. These may be left on if running repeated tests.
Energize both variable frequency drives (VFD) with appropriately labeled circuit-breakers in
480-volt AC circuit breaker cabinet. Energize slurry and biology injectors if necessary.
Using the manual chain-fall, lower 12” intake-hose and sea-strainer-foot-valve to depth indicated
in the test plan. This has typically been approximately 1.5-meters.
Set the 8” and 12” valve line-up for sea-to-sea operation utilizing IMAC guide. Leave valve
immediately downstream from pinch-valve in specified flow-path (sea-to-sea) closed until
priming is complete. This ‘blocking’ valve will help retain priming water in a limited run of
pipe, reducing time required to prime and start pumps. Whether open, closed, or partway open,
all 8” or 12” valves must be locked into a notch with the locking lever on the handle.
Open priming vents on top of intake-manifold, on top of sea-chest, and two valves upon top of
each pump.
Attach priming hose to the pump skid intake port located just after the sea-chest. This intake port
is also used for fresh-water injection during cleaning.
Check that the pier-side fresh-water valves are turned on. Open the valve from barge-side
freshwater manifold, then the valve at the pump skid intake port.
Priming water will first vent from sea-chest and lower pump vents. These lower vents are shut
after clear water (no air) has been emitted. When water comes out of the top priming vents let it
run clear for a minute or two, shutting the intake manifold vent first, the larger red pump vent