| Thordon Bearings Pollution-free solutions
THE RANGE OF THORDON BEARINGS’ pioneering grease-free elastomer bearings and seals is gaining traction across the global hydropower market as the optimum retrofit solution for turbine reliability, performance and cost efficiencies.
Typically used in turbine guides, shaft seals,
wicket gates, linkages and operating rings, Thordon is finding its SXL, ThorPlas-Blue, and Thor-Flex grade polymers are increasingly being specified by hydropower plant operators as they look to overhaul and upgrade plants originally commissioned more than fifty years ago. Compared to the conventional greased metal bearings found in Francis vertical type turbines, operators are finding Thordon’s bearing solutions offer high pressure performance and resilience, as well as extremely long wear life, resulting in significantly lower maintenance and operational costs. This is due to their lower coefficient of friction, low wear in abrasive water environments, and high resistance to shock loading and vibration. A recent example of Thordon’s solution is the five turbines at Vietnam’s Sơn La hydropower plant, the largest hydropower dam in Southeast Asia, which were retrofitted with Thordon wicket gate and linkage bearings five years ago. The bearing specialist was asked to provide
an alternative to a competing system, some parts of which had failed after just two years under the intensive operating conditions at the dam. The original material was delaminated, with severe wear to the bushing surface. Thordon’s solution involved ThorPlas-Blue
wicket gate and linkage bearings with washers as well as Thor-Flex and Thordon SXL materials for the lower and upper gate seals, and SXL for the operating ring wear pads. Thorseals were used in place of the existing rubber seals. The Canadian manufacturer is also playing a vital role in providing water to arid regions, with
EDF’s La Rance Power Plant in Brittany, France
the installation of axial shaft seals and filtration systems to the world’s largest irrigation project in south central India – The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) in Telangana, India. Thordon won a tender to supply 24 large
diameter axial shaft seal assemblies, along with a water filtration system, for the project’s turbine pumps, some of the largest pumps ever built. The company’s SXL segmented shaft seal assembly was chosen for the project based on the product’s superior sealing capabilities, wear life, and easy installation.
Jaideep Singh, Head of Department – Hydro, Soneji Engineering, Thordon’s authorized distributor for the region said: “Thordon’s pump seals were selected because they are manufactured from robust materials proven to withstand the difficult operating environments encountered in these applications.” Thordon’s bearings and seals are also being specified for a number of European projects. For example, in February this year, the company secured a major contract to retrofit SXL polymer radial shaft seals to one of the world’s largest tidal power stations, EDF’s La Rance Power Plant in Brittany, France. The 500GW power plant’s original shaft seals – made of an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and carbon graphite material – required replacement due to their poor longevity and performance.
Axel Swanson, Thordon Bearings’ Business Development Manager – Hydro & Industrial, explained: “We knew from experience that SXL seals not only perform substantially better than UHMWPE and carbon seals, but they significantly reduce leakage rates and extend the wear life far beyond the original installations. Thordon SXL shaft seals have a typical wear life of more than 15 years. The SXL seal is unlike traditional shaft seals in that the elastomeric polymer material used is specifically designed to optimize performance and reduce operational costs.” Operating parameters for Thordon SXL segmented shaft seals are generally similar to those for carbon graphite or phenolic seals in terms of maximum interface pressure and almost always reduces leakage. Elsewhere in Europe, Thordon’s water-
lubricated bearings were selected to replace the existing greased metal bearings on Francis- type turbines at plants in Rijeka, Croatia, and Slovenia.
For the 36.8MW Hrvatska Elektroprivreda (HEP Group) operated plant in Rijeka, Croatia – an established customer dating back to 2002 – Thordon supplied its ThorPlas-Blue wicket gate bearings. The 1500kW Elektro Ljubljana- operated HPP Sava Brod plant, in Slovenia, meanwhile, was retrofitted with new turbine guide bearings using Thordon’s SXL material machined to fit shaft diameters of 305mm (12in). “Globally, more than half of all active
hydropower plants were originally commissioned over half a century ago but upgrades, refurbishments, and the use of more reliable turbine components, such as Thordon’s pioneering elastomer technology, can be hugely beneficial in reducing downtime and keeping the lights on,” said Thordon Bearings’ Regional Manager – Southern Europe & Gulf Med, Malcolm Barratt. “Thordon solutions do not pollute, are simple to maintain, and offer excellent wear performance and abrasion resistance compared to other oil- or water-lubricated bearing solutions in the marketplace.”
info@thordonbearings.com
www.waterpowermagazine.com | May 2024 | 65
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