Flip-Flap Valve Marine Breakaway Couplings

Minimise the risk of hose transfer system oil spills

due to tanker breakout or internal pressure surge incidents

The most reliable and efficient Marine Breakaway Couplings in the world

The Gall Thomson Flip-Flap Valve Marine Breakaway Coupling (MBC) provides an identified safe parting point in offshore
hose transfer strings and automatically shuts off product flow in the event of a tanker breakout, or an extreme and damaging
pressure surge incident during loading and offloading operations.

Minimise risk of spills

Spills can delay contract delivery and add
costs to projects. Damage to assets and the
environment means downtime and cleanup costs. Workforce injury can have short
and long-term consequences. Litigation,
diminished reputation, higher insurance and
investor costs can compromise the focus and
performance of a business.
From a single event, any or all of these
consequences can quickly evolve beyond
your control.
Using the proven technology of the Gall
Thomson Flip-Flap Valve Marine Breakaway
Coupling will remove this risk.
The benefit is peace-of-mind, mitigation and a
demonstration that you have taken reasonable
steps by placing a proven and market leading
Marine Breakaway Coupling into your transfer
system.

Applications
Suitable for certain low viscosity products or
short-term crude oil terminal operations, fuel
and liquid gas (LPG) transfer systems and
temporary loading and offloading systems.

P2

1. Single point mooring, FPSO, FSO, FSU

and other offshore terminal oil production,
fuel and bunker floating hose strings e.g.
barge/pontoon arrangements.

2. FPSO, FSO, FSU and other offshore oil

terminal product reeled and in-air and
submerged catenary hose strings.

6
4

3. Underbuoy and CBM/MBM submarine

hose strings.
4. Subsea and riser high pressure
live crude flexibles.

5. Well choke and kill emergency

disconnect systems.
6. Early Well Test or Early Production
Systems.

lA
 void

major offshore oil spills

lP
 rotect
lS
 ave

the environment

the expense of oil spill clear up

lE
 nhance

lP
 revent

the safety of your workforce

costly system damage

lM
 inimise
lA
 vert

negative media attention

lB
 enefit

from lower insurance premiums

lM
 aximise
lP
 roject

P3

tanker/terminal downtime

terminal integrity

a professional company image

Performance
An unbeatable record for integrity and reliability
Of the large number of tanker breakout or extreme pressure surge incidents employing Gall Thomson Flip-Flap Valve MBCs, every device has operated precisely
as intended; saving untold hose and structural damage, preventing pollution and averting risk to marine operations.
Following MBC activation, each unit has been re-instated for re-employment into its respective transfer system.

Minimum headloss

Maintenance free

No human element

Due to the special Flip-Flap Valve

arrangement which accommodates maximum
open flow path, flow obstruction and headloss
are minimised.

No moving parts during normal service

ensures a lengthy maintenance-free period of
3-5 years.

The system is automatic and instant, requiring

no human activation.

The only other proven MBC in the industry

that offers lower headloss is the Gall Thomson
Petal Valve MBC.

Protected against corrosion

A tried and tested MBC Corrosion Protection
System enhances product longevity. The
corrosion resistant break assembly is reliable
for the full maintenance-free period, as
proven for more than three decades in some
of the worlds harshest environments.

The shut-off is powered by the kinetic energy

of the flowing product acting on the valve
assembly assisted by torsion and compression
springs. The unit is therefore not vulnerable
to the reliability of an external source power
supply.

Buoyancy
Due to the lightweight construction of the
MBC and the standard reserve buoyancy
of adjacent hoses, buoyancy aids are not
usually required when installed in a floating or
submarine hose string.

Self-contained
100% leak-free shut-off
100% leak-free shut-off closure provides total
safety whilst transferring hazardous cargoes
such as liquid gases, refined petroleum
products and hazardous chemicals.

P4

The unit requires no outside power source.

This eliminates dependability on external
components or mechanisms which may
otherwise be prone to damage in harsh
marine conditions.

Self-energised

The springs are not depended upon to effect

valve closure, however, in the event of no
product flow during activation, the springs are
powerful enough to achieve full shut-off.

Re-usable

Compact and lightweight

The coupling can be easily re-instated and

returned to service after a tanker breakout or
an extreme pressure surge; or re-installed in a
new hose string during a routine change out.

The compact and lightweight design negates

the necessity for additional buoyancy and
ensures that there is no detrimental effect on
the hose string. The diameter of the unit being
smaller than the adjacent flanges and hoses,
avoids external mechanical damage to the
MBC and stress fatigue to adjacent hoses.

Long life
Due to the lack of moving parts and protective
design, the Gall Thomson Flip-Flap MBC will
outlive many hose strings and remain in-line
without any maintenance for at least 3-5 years.
The Gall Thomson MBC has a proven life span
of 20 years; assuming maintenance is carried
out at the recommended intervals.

Ease of fitting
The unit is simply bolted between hose joints
in the recommended hose string location
and requires no commissioning or installation
engineer; this function normally being
performed by the usual site personnel or
contractor.

Robust
The design ensures that operational loads
such as bending moments, torsional stresses
and cyclic applied loads created by wave and
wind motion, tanker movement and pumping
vibration are absorbed and have no adverse
effects on function or condition.

P5

Flip-Flap Marine Breakaway Coupling Sequential Break/Valve Closure

1. Valve discs are
positioned in line with the
flow. These lock each
other open, offering
minimum headloss.

2. The coupling
parts, the combined
energy of the bias
springs and product
velocity flip the
discs through a
controlled arc.
3. The discs
continue to rotate
until they have
moved through
90 degrees.

4. The discs snap

onto their seats,
providing 100%
leak-free shut-off.

Specification
Sizes: range from 3 to 24 nominal bore.

Material composition
Offshore grade forgings are used for the main
body components. The break assembly is
made from high grade titanium alloy that is
independently rated, tested and certified.

Activation type

Controlled closure

Instantaneous closure

Linear overload and flow pressure surge

Standard

Standard

Linear overload only

Stabilised

Stabilised

DOUBLE SHUT-OFF

Calibration

Extensive material testing combined with longterm field experience ensures performance
integrity and in-service reliability in all
environmental conditions.

The unit can be pre-set to suit the limitations of

the product transfer system in respect of linear
overload and pressure surge.

Materials can be varied to suit desired

Precision engineering

specifications.

Manufactured to fine tolerances and always

delivering as expected performance when
it matters.*

Breakstud
The final breakstud rating is determined
following basic calibration and proof tensile
testing on sample breakstuds. These samples
are machined from the same titanium material
in its final treated condition as used in the final
product. These breakstuds are not shearbolts
and therefore act in controllable tension.

P6

*Confirmed by field operators performance reports.

Double shut-off

Controlled closure
Variable closure speeds provide anti-line shock
shutdown to protect up-line assets such as pumps
and hoses.

Standard MBC
The Standard MBC will activate in two
circumstances. It is the systems safety fuse.
Linear overload:

Double shut-off provides valve closure on both

the upstream and downstream sides of the
separation point.

Instant closure

The Standard MBC will part on linear overload.

This may occur due to a tanker moving
off station due to a manoeuvring fault, an
unexpected wave, wind or general weather
conditions.
Where usually in this circumstance the hose
system without a Gall Thomson MBC will
rupture and provoke a spill, the Standard Unit
will activate and shut down the flow.
Flow pressure surge:
Where system parameters permit, the
Standard MBC will activate where an extreme
internal pressure surge occurs: caused by an
unusual event such as an inadvertent valve
closure downstream. The activation pressure is
set to suit the systems operational parameters.

Closure delivers instant shut-off. This is suitable for

operations with lower loading rates or short piping
systems where damage to asset due to instant closure is unlikely.

P7

Stabilised MBC
Linear overload:
The Stabilised MBC will activate on linear
overload as with the Standard MBC.
Flow pressure surge:
The Stabilised MBC will not activate due to
a pressure surge but is instead designed to
possess the same integrity as the rest of the
transfer system. The entire transfer system is
therefore designed to withstand the maximum
internal pressure surge that the system may
generate without damage.

The Gall Thomson range

Petal Valve Marine Breakaway Coupling
Flip-Flap Valve Marine Breakaway Coupling
Welin Camlock Coupling
Global support and Aftersales Care

Gall Thomson Environmental Ltd

Pommers Lane, Great Yarmouth
Norfolk, NR30 3PE, United Kingdom
Tel +44 (0) 1493 857936

www.gall-thomson.co.uk

Fax +44 (0) 1493 850888

mail@gall-thomson.co.uk

Queens Award for Technological Achievement

Product descriptions and specifications are subject to change without prior notice. Gall Thomson recommends that all information and data are confirmed with our technical department before pecifying,
ordering or commissioning. Copyright All information provided is subject to international copyright, trademark and patent laws and cannot be reproduced without the expressed and written permission
of Gall Thomson Environmental Ltd. Trademark protected. Gall Thomson. Protected by Worldwide Patents.

G.F.E1304D

+44 (0) 1493 857936

mail@gall-thomson.co.uk

A Signum Technology company

www.gall-thomson.co.uk