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Depot pipes in critical improvements

NAVAIR News Release

Release Date: 11/12/2002

By Gary Rice

It was a big project, one that has had a significant impact on product quality, time and cost savings, and personnel safety at the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Depot Cherry Point. And the engineers in the Mechanical Engineering Branch of the Industrial Production and Planning Division took the bull by the horns and made it happen.

The compressed air piping system in Building 137 supports the depot's Hydraulic/Pneumatic Components Branch. It is a network of pipes and valves that plays a key role in the testing of aircraft pneumatic components at the depot. But after 40 years of service, the old system was worn out and needed to be replaced.

"The new distribution piping system we installed provides high pressure and high temperature compressed air to the pneumatic component test cells," John Vinskus, Lead Mechanical Engineer, said. "In the system we replaced, many sections of piping were found to have deteriorated. There were some sections that were not properly supported, and insulation was coming off in some places. More importantly, there was a significant amount of air leakage."

"We had to replace all the distribution piping for safety and energy loss reasons," Mechanical Engineer Mike Chapoton said. "In doing that, our job in the Mechanical Engineering Branch was to identify the problems with the old system; and in talking with the production and maintenance people, certain issues came to the forefront rather quickly. Based on what we learned from them, we initiated a project to replace the piping."

According to Vinskus and Chapoton, the previous pipe configuration was such that it was very awkward and cumbersome to access valves that had to be maintained or repaired. It did not allow safe exit from the area in the event of an emergency.

"We also found that the pipe did not meet the recommended codes in some areas," Chapoton said. "That problem had to be addressed and corrected for the sake of safety."

"A project of this scope is too large to design in house," Vinskus said, "so we initiated a contract with an outside engineering firm to do the design. We provided a statement of work that described the problems and specified the goals of the project. Safety issues were identified, and a new configuration showing how we wanted the new pipe runs to be laid out was provided. The contractor developed the design, and we worked closely with them to review their drawings, check on their compliance with the appropriate codes, and track their progress."

"I was involved mainly with the test equipment at the tail end of the project," Chapoton added, "including the valves that regulate the flow of air through the pipes."

Chapoton did a lot of piping code analysis with the contractor engineers to ensure the new system was in compliance with all appropriate codes. He also made sure the design of the shortened pipe runs would reduce air and heat loss. During the installation of the new piping, he spent a lot of time ensuring that the valves regulating pressure and airflow would provide the right amount of flow and temperature regulation to allow the components to be tested properly.

"The old system was a long run of piping into the building," he explained. "In the re-design, we wanted to shorten the pipe line. This type of pipe is expensive, about $200 per foot installed, and the shorter line has resulted in both an increase in throughput and a significant savings in cost."

NAVAIR Depot Cherry Point provides maintenance, engineering, and logistics support on a variety of aircraft, engines, and components for all branches of the U.S. armed forces. Employing almost 4,000 people, the depot is the only source of repair within the continental United States for many jet and rotary wing engines. It is the Navy's center of excellence for rotary wing aircraft, providing engineering and logistics support for all Navy helicopters.

The new piping system supports nine aircraft cooling turbine, air turbine starter, and valve and regulator test points that simulate actual conditions on the aircraft. It came on line in November 2001, and the total cost of the project was $1.2 million. The significance of the project is apparent considering that the aircraft valve, starter, and cooling turbine workload represents 27 percent of the depot's total component workload.

"In the past, the guys testing cooling turbines had to spend a lot of time setting up the air pressure and temperature they needed," Vinskus explained. "Pressure fluctuation often caused the tests to fail, which meant they had to be repeated. With this new system, it is much easier for the artisans to regulate the pressure and temperature of the air. The air pressure is far more stable, and it takes much less time to heat the piping and get the needed temperature."

"It has greatly increased our capabilities and precision," Ray Bullock, Pneudraulic Systems Mechanic, said. "We need our test cells to operate properly in order to conduct our tests efficiently and give the government the best possible product. The response of the system and the quality of our testing has greatly improved."

"Though cost and quality were important issues, the biggest emphasis was really on safety," Vinskus said. "Much of the old piping ran right through the building, so if the system ever ruptured, we had the potential of exposing the employees to some serious safety risks. In this new configuration, we routed a majority of the piping outside of the building on the roof. So now, even if there is a failure, the risk to our employees is negligible."

"It really makes life easier," Chapoton said. "Now, the guys doing the work don't have to do something twice because of equipment shortcomings. They're able to do the job right the first time. They can do more accurate testing of components, which in turn increases throughput, and they can work more safely. They can do their jobs more effectively, more efficiently, and more safely. You can't ask for more than that."

NAVAIR provides advanced warfare technology through the efforts of a seamless, integrated, worldwide network of aviation technology experts. From professional training to carrier launch, sensor data to precision targeting, aircraft and weapons development to successful deployment, and real-time communication to aircraft recovery, NAVAIR provides dominant combat effects and matchless capabilities to the American warfighter.