Alpha Process Controls has expanded its LNG ship-to-ship (STS) transfer technology with the launch of a specialist Fall Arrest System (FAS).
The new braked, cable-activated STS and Emergency STS arrestor systems complement Alpha’s existing package of ship-to-ship and ship-to-jetty transfer equipment, which includes emergency-release collar (ERC) couplings, manifold reducers, hose saddles and flexible hoses.
The FAS is a braking cable system that is attached to the ERC itself, on the outboard half, which is the coupling half that goes overboard in an ERC separation.
Alpha’s ERC system features a mechanical two-stage operation that enables the controlled shutdown of internal valves (ESD1) and the coupling separation (ESD2). Through controlled shutdown of the ERC coupling, even at high flow rates, pressure surges are maintained to a level without compromising pipework or pumps in the event of a vessel drift-away.
The primary function of the FAS is to control the descent of the split ERC and flexible hose assembly as it is guided by the hose saddles over the side of the vessel and into the sea.