Power Generation

Wind Turbines

Shades of Green Video

Wind turbine gearboxes are designed to last over twenty years; however many standard gearboxes experience premature failure. These failures are often a result of gear wear and micropitting due to the extreme conditions in which wind turbines are often operated (strong, intermittent wind gusts and the start-and-stop nature of wind in general). Additionally, maintenance not being performed as scheduled, due to the remote, often difficult to access locations where wind turbines are installed further stresses the wind turbine gear box. These factors result in gearboxes accounting for the largest portion of maintenance costs for wind turbines.

Our ISF^® Process brings a new standard of efficiency gains, extended component life and reduced part corrosion to customers in the power generation market. REM is capable of ISF processing parts weighing over 4000 lbs and has also established a refurbishment program which turns otherwise scrap components into better than new parts. These refurbished parts outperform non-ISF processed new gears. Lastly, REM’s ISF Services department can provide a short turnaround time on your power generation components; allowing you to get parts in the field quicker, thereby reducing operating costs.

ISF Wind Turbine Performance Benefits:Before ISF Process

Reduce Friction
Improve Corrosion Resistance
Increase Efficiency
Eliminate Micropitting
Eliminate Fretting
Reduce Lubrication Requirements and Cost
Reduce Metal Debris
Increase Part DurabilityAfter ISF Process

Steam and Gas Turbines

The capacity of a typical steam or gas turbine can range from 50 kW to several hundred MW for large utility power plants, placing exceptionally high performance demands on components such as gears and airfoils. Depending on the load and speed, gears typically operate in harsh conditions and premature wear and subsequent failures are frequently encountered. Similarly, airfoils must have smooth surfaces to avoid stress corrosion cracking, air resistance, and subsequent efficiency losses. Moreover, airfoils are belted manually, which reduces throughput, produces inconsistent results, and is labor intensive.

REM’s ISF Process solves these problems for steam and gas turbines. The ISF Process extends component life, thus reducing maintenance and downtime. Also, in the case of airfoils, the ISF Process eliminates the need for hand belting, resulting in more consistent results. Furthermore, the ISF Process is capable of deburring and radiusing sharp edges, reducing the likelihood of stress corrosion cracks and air flow resistance. Lastly, the ISF surface reduces the accumulation of deposits on airfoils, again resulting in an improvement in their overall efficiency.

ISF Steam and Gas Turbine Performance Benefits:

Gears

Increase Durability
Reduce Lubrication Requirements and Cost
Eliminate Break-in
Reduce Contact and Bending Fatigue
Reduce Warranty Maintenance Costs
Recycle Used Gears by Refurbishment

Airfoils/Blades

Reduce Stress Corrosion Cracking
Reduce Air Resistance
Increase Efficiency
Reduce Amount of Deposits Sticking to Blades

Interested in learning how REM and the ISF Process can add significant value to your parts? Simply contact us for more information.