Go-Anywhere Gas Turbine Pump Module
A 2000-gpm pump module that can be transported by ship, air or land for fighting ship fires has recently been delivered to the United States Coast Guard. The unit is the result of a merger of space technology and civilian engineering know-how.
The two-stage pump is powered by a 250-hp Allison gas turbine. The pump and turbine are combined in a housing that is 5 feet high, 6 feet long and 4 feet wide. With two 1250-gpm monitors stored inside the housing and 100 gallons of No. 1 diesel fuel for three hours of operation, the fire fighting module weighs 2695 pounds. The monitors, which weigh 44 pounds each, are made of 4-inch fiberglass pipe.
When the Coast Guard saw the need for such a fire fighting unit, it asked the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for assistance because engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., had acquired a high degree of technical experience in designing efficient, lightweight pumps for rocket engines. The office of technology utilization at the space center directed the project as an engineering applications program.
The portable pumping module was designed and manufactured by Northern Research and Engineering Corporation of Cambridge, Mass.
Single control lever
Perhaps the most interesting feature of the unit is that its operation is controlled by a single, manually operated lever. This single lever is used to start the engine, prime the pump, control the water flow and finally to shut down the engine. The self-priming pump can deliver its capacity within one minute of being started.
The operation of the lever is electronically controlled to be foolproof. If the operator should become panicky and throws the lever to its farthest position, the electronics will begin the starting cycle and after the turbine is operating, obtain a prime with the self-priming pump. After the prime signal is received, the electronics will then give permission to pump. The electronics also performs diagnostic checks for any troubles in the system during the pumping operation. Lights on the control panel indicate the source of any failure.
The pump, which weighs 90 pounds, can draft from a maximum height of 20 feet through 10-inch fiberglass suction tubes. Each 6-foot suction tube weighs but 12 pounds.
The two-stage centrifugal pump has a spiral inducer for operation at low speeds with a high-speed impeller behind it for maximum output. The pump has a 4-inch outlet for direct connection with 4-inch hose. Reducers are available for using smaller hose and there is space in the module housing for storing the reducers along with the suction tubes, monitors and other accessories. The unit can be set up by two persons without special tools and can deliver its capacity within 10 minutes.
The pump module can be mounted on light trucks by fire departments or it can be used on docks and ships. Where a static water source is available, it can be used for forest fires. It might also be used as an emergency booster pump for municipal water supplies.
The small size and weight of the unit will permit it to be transported by helicopter sling, pickup truck or dolly. Placed on a two-wheel trailer, it can be towed by an automobile or light truck.
