RAE Pumps Brave Antarctic Cold
By . Posted on in Engineering Stories
GTPHK vertical immersion pumps used on science base’s power station
Our pumps are no strangers to challenging environments in locations spanning the globe. The 2022 winner for most extreme conditions in the coolest location goes to a trio of RAE pumps at McMurdo Station. Located at the southern tip of Ross Island in Antarctica, a mere 800 miles from the South Pole, temperatures at the station average -20°F in the winter.
Built in the 1950s, McMurdo is the largest of the United States’ three year-round Antarctic science facilities. Its sprawling grounds include a harbor, three airfields, a heliport and more than 80 buildings. In peak summer season, the base houses around 1,200 residents who provide logistics, information technology, construction, and maintenance support to McMurdo’s core scientific operations, as well as to Antarctica’s more remote stations and field camps.
The RAE GTPHK2T vertical immersion pumps are installed on portable units used for draining and filling the facility’s waste heat loop system. Two of the pumps are in use, with the third on reserve as a backup. As you can imagine, it takes some time to get a replacement pump to Antarctica and critical systems such as heat can not be offline for long.
The pumps move a water/glycol mixture through the loop, which is part of the onsite power plant. The flow is approximately 12 gpm at 300 feet of head.
RAE’s GTPHK Series vertical multistage centrifugal pumps are designed for use in higher pressure industrial applications to carry fluids such as water, coolant, light oil and other clean, non-aggressive liquids. The self-priming pumps feature stainless steel construction of immersed parts ensures corrosion-free operation.
“Of course, the challenge on this job was the extreme outside temperatures coupled with the 130°F temperature of the pumped liquid,” explained Andrew Jones, of Wagner Process Equipment, which sold the pumps. “The RAE pumps were chosen for their light weight, small footprint and stainless construction.”