Maintenance & rehabilitation |
Reviving history with modern ingenuity
Gilkes explains how it employed innovative 3D scanning, CAD modeling, and modern materials to resurrect a 90-year-old turbine, addressing unforeseen challenges and enhancing performance, while preserving historical authenticity in the heart of an 18th-century building.
Right: Laser scanning
Below from left to right: Original turbine case
Damaged guide vanes and runner New guide vanes and runner
BACK IN 2020, UK hydro-turbine manufacturer Gilkes was enlisted to refurbish components of a damaged 90-year-old Francis turbine situated at the New Lanark World Heritage Site along the scenic River Clyde in Scotland. Here we learn from Gilkes how the company pieced back together the turbine into a working machine, and why it was necessary to modernise aspects with up-to-date materials and components.
What were the most significant challenges encountered during the restoration of the 1931 Boving twin runner Francis turbine at New Lanark Mills? As with all modernisation projects there is an element of unknown until the equipment is stripped down. On this occasion when opening the turbine case it was found that key parts of the machine were damaged beyond repair. A guide vane had badly corroded resulting in it hitting one of the runners, shattering the cast iron guide vane and damaging the runner. As a result, a large amount of refurbished and replacement components were required. However, because of the age of the machine, quality drawings, particularly of the runner and guide vane profiles, were not available. The lack of drawings meant that we had to create new drawings and models.
12 | February 2024 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com
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