Ingenuity Magazine Summer 2021

Outdated Systems Pose Operational and Safety Concerns Built in 1975, the Delta Fueling Facility included an operations building, six fuel storage tanks, and two pumps. As demand increased, the facility expanded to meet flight volumes. Four years later, the operations building was extended to accommodate electrical distribution equipment to power new pumps to deliver fuel to the passenger terminals. Controlling the facility was an automation system originally installed by the Atlanta-based Turbitrol Company. Antique by today’s standards, the system consisted of dozens of electro-mechanical relays that operated the fuel pumps and illuminated various status indicators. The system was housed in an 8-foot metal cabinet occupying more than 30 square feet of floor space. Mounted on the side of the cabinet, a graphic mimic board that represented the fuel system gave the operators a visual indication of the system status. The display stretched 8 feet across and 4 feet high. Since the original construction, the facility has undergone various upgrades, but the switchgear installed in 1979 remained in place until 2021. All the power distribution equipment was in a dedicated room at one end of the operations building. At 40+ years of age, the equipment required constant repair to maintain operation. As power equipment was added over time to serve more electrical loads, it became too complex to operate safely. The equipment no longer complied with current codes and the manual procedure to transfer power to and from the utility and backup generator was especially hazardous. The aged switchgear also put the building at high risk for fire damage which potentially could have disabled the entire facility. This setup required facility operators to start generators manually and open and close large circuit breakers by hand, putting employees at risk. Fortunately, no injuries associated with this equipment ever occurred. Wiring in the field also needed to be replaced. The underground network of electrical conduits, fuel pipe, and concrete foundations made for an impassible obstacle course when considering replacement and made it impractical to add additional conduits. Simply removing and replacing conduits or equipment was not an option because everything had to remain functional. With the power and control equipment vital to airport operations, how could all of this be replaced without interruption to fueling operations? Understanding that addressing this challenge would require a highly specialized team of engineers and designers, Delta conducted extensive Fueling Flight for A tlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport welcomes more than 300,000 passengers on an average travel day, making it a global gateway and one of the busiest airports in the world. The international travel hub prides itself on operational efficiency and possesses the infrastructure to support that claim. In addition to a highly organized runway layout and generous airfield capacity, Hartsfield-Jackson has three robust fueling systems that power their flights. These “fuel farms” are critical to the maintenance of air travel schedules. Without these storage and dispensing systems, a ripple effect of flight delays would occur. Power Switchgear + The Scale Of The Power Distribution System 4 Generators, 2 Transfer Switches + Some of the Cable Tray System 6 Pond | www.pondco.com