Diesel Engine Air Start Reducing Station

On board a major surface combatant, compressed air, primarily to start the main engine, is stored in a number of high pressure air receivers/ cylinders at typically 4,000psi (276 bar)-4,500psi (300 bar). This stored energy is then reduced in pressure and used to turn the main engine’s air starter motor. Hale Hamilton can supply a complete turnkey air start system, from compressor up to (but not including) the air starter motor, or just the air system components for shipyard installation i.e. reducing stations/ manifolds, panels, valve chests, bottle/ cylinder adaptors, stop/ isolation valves, non-return/ check valves, back pressure maintaining valves, safety/ pressure relief valves, pressure regulators, electrically & pneumatically actuated valves, in-line filters, pressure gauges, pipe couplings and adaptors.

Hale Hamilton manufacture & supply pressure reducing stations/ manifolds specifically designed to safely reduce the stored high pressure air down from typically 4,000psi (276 bar)- 4,500psi (300 bar) to <435psi (30 bar) for diesel engine start.

In the mid-1990’s, the Company developed a range of ‘New Generation Reducing Stations’ (NGRS) – each reducing station feature’s valve inserts from the Company’s Series 30 cartridge valve range. The benefit from using valve inserts is that a faulty valve insert can be quickly replaced by a spare insert and the manifold can be re-pressurised with minimal system outage/ down-time.

For the conventional submarine, Hale Hamilton manufacture & supply pressure reducing stations/ manifolds specifically designed to safely reduce the stored high pressure air down from typically 3,600psi (<250 bar)- 3,000psi (207 bar) to <435psi (30 bar) for diesel engine start.