Bosch Rexroth wins Hermes Award with underwater actuator

On the first day of the Hannover Messe Digital Edition, the Hermes Award was presented, which this year goes to Bosch Rexroth for developing the first SIL 3 electric actuator for underwater installations, especially in the offshore oil and gas sector. The SVA R2, where SVA stands for Subsea Valve Actuator, offers more precise control with lower energy consumption.

Operating valves in underwater installations in the offshore oil and gas sector has been a job for hydraulic cylinders until now. With the SVA R2 it can now also be done electrically, which makes installation easier because hydraulic pipes are no longer required. Electric cables are already present for the instruments and thanks to the new product they can now also be used for the actuators.

The saving of hydraulic pipes means a lot because some installations in the offshore industry go up to 4000 meters deep. That means kilometers of pipes and therefore also a considerable energy loss. Moreover, such distances also adversely affect the accuracy of the operation. The new SVA R2 delivers significantly better performance in this regard.

The fact that electric actuators have not been used before in this application has everything to do with the desired safety protection. The actuators must be equipped with a spring system to ensure that the valve is closed should its actuation fail. The force needed to overcome the force of the sping made the sector opt for a hydraulic drive.

The solution for which Bosch Rexroth was now awarded, actually still works hydraulically, but the innovative thing is that the entire system, including variable speed pump, is built into the actuator on a small scale. It can thus provide the necessary force to overcome the spring so that, together with the built-in diagnostics functions, it can be used in SIL 3 loops.

The Hermes Award is considered one of the most prestigious prizes in industrial technology and is presented annually to one of the exhibitors of the Hannover Messe.

The Hannover Messe Digital Edition will continue throughout the week with online presentations and networking opportunities.

© Productivity.be, 12/04/2021

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