Originally designed for use by military forces, SEI Industries’ High-Pressure Aviation Refueling System (HPARS) is now available for commercial use. The first company to purchase an HPARS has decided to use it in a mining application on Baffin Island in Canada’s far north. Best defined as a durable, portable method of fueling and de-fueling jet fuel to and from aircraft and fuel tanker trucks, the HPARS uses a self-priming centrifugal pump driven by an electric motor with filtration provided by a horizontal filter separator (per API 1581 5th). It is rated for a maximum flow rate of 750 liters (198 USG) per minute, the HPARS system controls fuel flow via a manually operated globe valve while a flow meter measures the amount of fuel delivered. The system includes several safety features; it’s explosion proof (as per the Canadian electrical code), incorporates easy-to-use emergency stop buttons and controls that can be operated with large winter gloves and provides a deadman switch that can be used by operators during refueling. Fire extinguishers and a small spill kit are also included. It is contained in a steel weatherproof enclosure with its own lighting system, the HPARS is ready for deployment anywhere in the world.
