Why IPU’s Hydraulic Engine Starters Are Unbeatable
IPU sells a range of powerful hydraulic engine starters and starting systems for diesel engines and generators. They provide guaranteed reliability no matter how challenging or unpredictable the environment is for diesel and gas engines up to 80 litres. Their independent, dead-ship or black-start capability is ideal as your primary method of starting fire pumps, emergency generators, and compressors.
Hydraulic starting motors require no external power source to function. The process of how the hydraulic starter motors work is explained below:
- Hydraulic oil is stored under pressure inside a piston accumulator
- When the start sequence is activated the oil pressure is released
- This is achieved by either a foot, solenoid or manually operated start valve
- Once released, the oil travels to the starter motor, which engages with the engine ring gear and begins to crank the engine
- Once discharged, the system can be recharged either manually using a hand pump, or automatically using a hydraulic pump or the host machine’s onboard hydraulics
IPU’s starter motors are often installed as an engine’s secondary starting system. Operators rely on them to start fire pumps and backup generators when other systems have failed. They are part of the safety infrastructure that tackles emergencies in hazardous environments. They must be both reliable and safe, so IPU systems incorporate exclusive features that exceed the most stringent safety standards.
RELIABLE
IPU’s hydraulic starters provide primary starting for emergency systems or secondary starting when electric systems fail.
CONVENIENT
IPU’s hydraulic starting systems are self-contained and sealed making them ideal for use in underground and dusty environments.
ATEX APPROVED
IPU starter motors use cast-iron casings. The optional pre-engaged mechanism avoids the potential for sparks in explosive environments.
When safety is important, there is no better choice than IPU’s hydraulic starting systems.
ATEX-approved starting ensures that IPU’s hydraulic engine starters provide the ultimate safety. The name ATEX stands for ‘Atmospheres Explosible’. It is a set of European Union regulations that applies to products intended for use in any hazardous or explosive environment.
IPU’s hydraulic starters are unique in winning ATEX approval for use in both gas and dust environments. They have two technical advantages that are not found on any other hydraulic starters:
CAST-IRON CASING
Constructing our hydraulic starter motors out of cast-iron casings instead of aluminium prevents the thermite reaction which is possible with aluminium casings. When aluminium comes into contact with an oxidiser such as rust and is ignited by heat or a spark, the thermite reaction that follows produces molten metal at a temperature of 3000+°C. This can prove fatal in explosive atmospheres.
PRE-ENGAGED STARTING MECHANISM
A pre-engaged mechanism avoids sparking by letting the starter’s beryllium-copper pinion engage with the engine’s ring-gear before cranking starts. This eliminates the risk of sparks being produced and so allows these motors to be able to be used safely in flammable gas atmospheres as well as underground and other environments vulnerable to combustible dust.
IPU’s category-1 approved, pre-engaged starter motors conform to ATEX EN1834-1 and 2. To find out more about ATEX, click the link below:
We have a range of starter motors to fit your every need. One of our most popular hydraulic starter motors is the M16, which can produce a maximum torque of 48Nm at 3000 psi (207bar) and is fully cast iron, making it suitable for all environments and resistant to damage.
The M16 hydraulic starter motor can also be fitted with a steel or beryllium-copper pinion to reduce the risk of sparks in hazardous environments.
Another of our most popular hydraulic starter motors is the M10. It is the smallest starter motor in the range and produces a maximum torque of 30Nm at 3000 psi (207bar). Like the M16, it is fully made from cast iron which makes it resistant to rust and corrosion and can also be fitted with a steel or beryllium-copper pinion to reduce the risk of sparks.
Key advantages of the M16 and M10 hydraulic starter motors are:
INTERCHANGEABLE DESIGN
The pinions and mounting flanges are interchangeable, meaning the configuration of the M16 and M10 can be altered to fit most engine types.
GUARANTEED START
Hydraulic energy can be stored indefinitely and can also be quickly and easily re-charged using a hand pump.
LOW MAINTENANCE
The motors have low maintenance and replacement costs; their systems are enclosed with all internal components immersed in oil, protecting them from adverse environmental conditions that damage electric or vane starters.
PERFORMANCE IN ALL CONDITIONS
The hydraulic engine starters can operate in extreme conditions from -40°C to +100°C and are also reliable following extensive periods of shutdown.
The ability of IPU’s hydraulic starter motors to operate in extreme temperatures allowed Steve Brooks’ Ice Challenger Snowbird 6to cross the frozen wasteland of the Bering Strait. The Bering Strait is the stretch of water separating Siberia and Alaska. During the winter, the sea freezes over forming an ‘ice bridge’ that links the 2 continents of America and Russia.
The vehicle was powered by a 6-cylinder diesel engine which incorporated an IPU hydraulic starting system. IPU designed the system so that the team could start the engine at -40°Candcould manually recharge the engine for further start attempts should the initial start fail for any reason.
Previous attempts by Snowbird 6 had previously been hampered by the conventional use of battery starting, which was completely unsuitable for immersion in seawater, and the sub-zero temperatures meant the team previously needed to wait over 120 minutes for the electric motor to thaw out before it was able to start.
The use of IPU’s hydraulic starting system enabled Snowbird 6 to be the world’s first land-based vehicle to successfully cross the Bering Strait, creating a new world record.
To find out how IPU’s hydraulic engine starters can help you, follow the link below: