Associate Editor, Turbomachinery International Magazine

Rory Pasquariello

Even the most ardent supporters of natural gas generation acknowledge that curbing emissions is a good thing. Many main­stream power and oil & gas executives are some of the loudest voices calling for improve­ments. And they have been joined by U.S. President, Joe Biden.

The Administration unveiled a several tril­lion-dollar infrastructure plan that set the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The plan would require major changes in the energy sector. (At this time of writing, the bill has yet to nego­tiate its way through Congress, and the overall amount is being trimmed down).

At an Earth Day climate summit, Biden called for cutting U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 50% to 52% from the baseline year of 2005. In compar­ison, Obama’s target was 26% to 28%. The power industry is under the microscope as part of these plans as electricity generation accounts for 25% of U.S. emissions. That said, the sector has a much better record of curtailing emissions over the past twenty years than the transportation, commercial, or agriculture sectors. This is largely due to the switch from coal to natural gas, increasing adop­tion of renewables, and the implementation of effi­ciency and emissions reduction measures.

The administration’s plan would establish an Energy Efficiency and Clean Electricity Standard (EECES) to incentivize “more efficient use of existing infrastructure and continuing to leverage the carbon pollution-free energy provided by existing sources like nuclear and hydropower.” What his ultimately means to natural gas genera­tion is anyone’s guess. Opinions vary from it being a benign approach that will gradually phase out natural gas generation over many decades to a ploy to outlaw natural gas via extreme emissions requirements.

A tax reform proposal is included that would eliminate billions of dollars’ worth of “subsidies, loopholes, and special foreign tax credits for the fossil fuel industry,” according to the White House website. It intends to reinstitute financial penalties for companies contributing to pollution.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) believes that ending the tax breaks would have a catastrophic effect on the economy. “Targeting specific industries with new taxes would only undermine the nation’s economic recovery and jeopardize good-paying jobs, including union jobs,” the API.

The American Gas Association (AGA) expressed support for the U.S. Department of Energy’s initiative to fund technologies designed to reduce methane emissions. “We continuously examine our 2.6 million miles of infrastructure for methane reduction opportunities and are investing in ways to help other industries reduce emissions by injecting their methane into our delivery system,” said AGA Pres ident and CEO Karen Harbert.

American natural gas utilities have delivered methane emission reductions of around 73%, according to the 2020 Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Research recently published in the journal 

calculated that existing technologies could cut methane emissions in half by 2030. These methods include reducing oil- and gas-related leaks and methane flaring, in addition to cleaning abandoned oil mines and expanding the use of feed supplements for cattle.

While there are contrasting views on some proposed measures, one area receiving broad support is an investment tax credit to incentivize buildout of 20 GW of high-voltage capacity power lines. This will be overseen by a new Gr id Deployment Authority at the Department of Energy. One of its duties will be to fast track right-of-way approvals for new transmission lines. States have been advised to remove regulatory obstacles that may impede the progress of the network.

Hydrogen is also in the spotlight. The plan calls for pairing 15 hydrogen demonstration projects with a new renewable electricity production tax credit (PTC) to encourage carbon emis­sion reductions. Pioneer facilities would test carbon capture systems on steel, cement, and chemical production plants. Power plant s were omitted from this program.

Green hydrogen from renewable sources is the priority, but there is room for blue hydrogen, produced from natural gas and other fossil-fuel facilities. Such projects may be able to take advan­tage of a production tax credit.

The proposed Storing CO2 and Lowering Emissions (SCALE) Act addresses the development of large-scale carbon sequestration technology. The plan encourages carbon capture, utiliza­tion, and storage (CCUS) through the expansion of a tax credit, intended to make the technology “easier to use for hard-to-decarbonize industrial applica­tions, direct air capture, and retrofits of existing power plants.”

A10-year extension of the produc­t ion tax credit and investment tax credit for renewable energy generation, high voltage transmission, and energy storage is another element of the plan. Biden also appears to be betting on LNG as a smart way to lower the U.S. carbon footprint. This is to be achieved by lowering the emissions profile of LNG while addressing methane venting, fugitive emissions, and flaring.

Click here to sign up for our free eNewsletter!

Articles

The Biden Administration unveiled a several trillion-dollar infrastructure plan that set the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. 

Infrastructure bill

If only we could plug power lines directly into gas turbines, our energy problems would be far less numerous. The guts of the plants that electrify the world are necessary for a safe and reliable power supply. They are just as integral as the turbomachinery that lies at the heart of the plant. A vast army of component and auxiliary system manufacturers supply the sector with everything from seals, joints, and filters to software and sensors.
Turbomachinery International Magazine interviewed many of these vendors about trends in the industry as well as the new products and services they’re developing. For many, 2020 was a rough year. Energy consumption dropped and budgets were suspended, leaving plant operators with little choice but to defer maintenance and upgrades. But 2021 has a much rosier outlook. Sidelined projects have been revived. Spare parts are in higher demand. The move towards carbon reduction is being served by component manufacturers via better filtration and tighter seals. With remote monitoring becoming the norm, the market for software and sensors has strengthened.


Cutaway model of the FreeSpin In-line Turboexpander (FIT).


Calnetix manufactures high-speed permanent magnet motor generators, magnetic bearings systems, and power electronics. The company is particularly attuned to the industry shift towards the electrification of drive systems for sustainability.
It is seeing higher demand for integrated machinery in applications such as air separation, offshore source gas compressors, gas processing companders, gas storage compressor and expanders, compressed air energy storage, supercritical CO2-based waste heat recovery equipment, and hydrogen compressors and expanders. Integrated high-speed machines add value but have higher costs. For example, hermetically sealing a high-speed compressor requires redundant seals and sealing controls. But integrated machines offer a minimum of a 1% to 2% efficiency gain, and the cost of deployment (equipment, installation, commissioning, and field work) is lower.
Calnetix has created a subsidiary, Sapphire Technologies, to focus on auxiliary expander systems. That unit developed FreeSpin In-line Turboexpander (FIT) systems that use magnets in a hermetically sealed system to capture the energy lost in pressure reduction from natural gas and hydrogen applications.


FIT produces electricity by extracting energy from gas pressure let down processes. High-pressure gas flows into the FIT and expands through the radial turbine wheel. The expansion energy is converted to rotational energy, which drives the shaft coupled to the permanent magnet generator. All rotating components are levitated by the active magnetic bearing system, providing frictionless operation. The generator produces electricity and transfers it to the variable speed drive (VSD), where the frequency and voltage are regulated to match the local grid. After expansion, the gas exits the FIT with the same conditions as the existing downstream gas network.


CDI Energy Products produces materials such as elastomers, fluorpolymers, and thermoplastics.

CDI Energy Products manufactures polymer products and components for the oil & gas, LNG, fluid handling, aerospace, power generation, refining & petrochemical, and industrial processing industries. It produces materials such as elastomers, fluoropolymers, and thermoplastics.
2020 brought a rethink in operational planning, plant footprint, and traditional office structure. This included the relocation of manufacturing equipment.
The company sees 2021 through a much more optimistic lens. It has several products and materials in the research and development phase. It is about to launch something for the well service packing market and hydraulic fracturing industry as part of its Tuff Breed line. It addresses a major pain point service providers face with frac pump efficiency and fluid end failure.
One of the materials in the company’s dures brand was recognized in the API 610 Twelfth Edition for stationary wear or rotating parts applications selection. The proprietary thermoplastic polymer composite used in dures 200 was developed to service applications with aggressive acids and bases, aromatics, and amines. The dures brand also includes the A451 and XPC2, both of which were recognized as meeting API 610 standards for stationary wear or rotating parts applications. Items produced with dures include case and stationary wear rings, impeller and rotating wear rings, throat or stuffing box bushings, and bowl bushings.


Donaldson, a manufacturer of inlet filtration systems, has seen plant operators take a greater interest in increasing plant optimization as well as steps toward cleaner energy production. That includes increased use of filter pulsing systems, upgrading to (H)EPA-level final filtration, and increasing power output. The company also reports greater interest in remote equipment monitoring.
The company offers a range of products and services, including Turbo-Tek (H)EPA filters (that capture more than 99.5% of the most penetrating particle size particles), evaporative cooler replacements, pulse system upgrades, and remote monitoring. Its iCue connected filtration service, for example, remotely monitors air intake performance. It measures filter differential pressure (dP), static pressure, temperature, and relative humidity to help minimize unplanned downtime, support efficient maintenance and operation, and capture critical compliance data. This technology can be helpful in coastal regions or other areas where the weather and temperature along with plant processes can produce particulates that are tough on filters and can wear down equipment.


Fluid Energy Controls (FEC) is a manufacturer of custom accumulators, and a distributor of fluid power products offering pumps, motors, valves, filters, cylinders, accumulators, and other hydraulic components. Joe Cheema, General Manager at FEC, said he noticed a slowdown during the first five to six months of the pandemic, and watched anxiously as a few suppliers closed shop. But the company is now much busier than it has been over the past year. Little adjustment was needed at FEC other than reducing the number of people working in the building at the same time.
FEC has been offering variations of current products. The company represents manufacturers such as Parker, Rexroth, Rineer, Denison, Muncie, Barksdale, Ausco, Fairfield, and others. Its main product is the LOSA accumulator, a specialty accumulator customized for applications for turbo-compressor, turbo-expanders, and emergency lube oil storage for high speed bearings in turbines.
“Turbomachinery is coming back strong, especially U.S. manufactured products being shipped for overseas projects,” said Joe Cheema. “Spare parts are in bigger demand because stalled repairs are now going ahead.”

GE FS7F Exhaust Diffuser upgrade by Schock Manufacturing

Schock Manufacturing specializes in the engineering and manufacturing of auxiliary equipment for gas turbines used in power generation, oil and gas, and industrial applications. With limited in-person inspections during 2020, the company experienced a rush of orders once units started coming off-line for scheduled outages. It has adjusted stock material levels to support emergency upgrades.
Schock’s newest development is an Exhaust Diffuser Liner upgrade and exterior trough expansion joint for GE FS7F series gas turbines. The diffuser liner requires no maintenance and can be quickly installed.
“With the ageing installed base, and the more frequent cycling of GTs, the aftermarket upgrade segment is strong,” said Jeff Cozbey, Project Manager at Schock.


Voith OnCare.Health IOLIS digital measurement system.

Voith Turbo offers drive solutions and systems for industries such as oil and gas, energy, mining and metal processing, mechanical engineering, ship technology, and rail. Valentin Chocano, Retrofit Expert at Voith, foresees the near future of the industry to be the Internet-of-Things (IoT). Voith has invested heavily in the digital transformation of its product portfolio. This requires changes in engineering, manufacturing processes, supply chain, sales, technical support, and services to support new IoT products.
Errors, failures, and mistakes caused by manual processes, he said, can be eliminated through smart process automation (SPA) with the help of IoT devices and sensors. Smart retrofitting is one opportunity Chocano identified in brownfield areas to increase productivity. During a standard overhaul of a production machine, the analog instrumentation can be replaced by smart instrumentation, including advanced visualization.


“If a company wants to be competitive in future, it needs IoT solutions,” said Valentin Marcos Chocano Enriquez, Retrofit Expert at Voith.


In the summer of 2020, Voith introduced its new digital measurement system called “OnCare.Health IOLIS” for variable speed fluid couplings. The reliability of an existing centrifugal pump, controlled by a Voith VSD-like S-coupling, can be improved by upgrading the existing analog instrumentation with the IOLIS system. Current status of pressure, temperature, vibration, speed, and other paraments is transmitted digitally via the fieldbus to the Distributed Control System (DCS). The visualization of relevant and necessary technical evaluations and diagnostics can be displayed remotely on any device within the operating network.


Waukesha Bearings’ instrumented polymer-lined journal pad.

Waukesha Bearings, a division of Dover Precision Components, designs and manufactures hydrodynamic fluid film bearings, active magnetic bearing systems and seals for high-performing turbomachinery and rotating equipment in oil & gas, power generation, marine, and industrial markets. In response to market disruptions, the company is deploying remote assistance tools to provide customers with real-time insight on engineering drawings and support for field operations without safety concerns or costs of travel.
“The trend toward decarbonization accelerated during 2020,” said Brian Draeger, Director of Sales, Waukesha Bearings.
In 2020, the company moved into a new innovation lab in Houston. The lab is being used to improve bearing performance, develop materials for harsher environments, and test new seal and damper designs. Polymer bearing technology, for example, is growing in importance in high-load applications like gas and steam turbines, as well as wind turbines. Polymer-lined bearings offer predictable performance and other benefits over babbitt-lined bearings, such as greater strength, higher operating temperatures, and superior tribology properties at start-up. Company engineers have been collaborating on field analysis of polymer-lined tilt pad bearing performance and validating monitoring techniques to increase confidence in the technology. ■

For many component and auxiliary system vendors, 2020 was a rough year. Operators deferred maintenance and upgrades. 2021 has a rosier outlook.

Turbomachinery components & auxiliary systems loom large

Doosan Skoda engineers perform a gas turbine overhaul. 

There’s no app for this. There are no shortcuts. In the 21st Century, turbomachinery requires just as much repair and maintenance as ever, only now those repairs can be more accurately predicted and planned in advance.
The name of the game is efficiency. Technologies are emerging to perform maintenance, repairs, retrofits, and overhauls while gauging asset health remotely. Engineers are adopting video calling to train other engineers and operators to perform their duties. Drones are even being deployed for inspections. Part availability, too, is a hot issue. Plant operators increasingly seek alternatives for parts.
Meanwhile, several shops note a slowdown in overhauls and retrofits as cash-strapped utilities kick the can down the road. Fewer projects and more competition could spell trouble for smaller service companies in the months ahead. In some cases, residual life assessments are replacing traditional maintenance outage windows. Information gathered from continuous diagnostics and monitoring dictate if and when an outage takes place.
As grids grow more reliant on renewables, combined cycle plants in the U.S. have largely shifted from base load to cycling operation. Faster, more frequent cycling and harder duct firing wreaks havoc on heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) gas- and water-side components.
But let’s hear what the experts have to say. Those interviewed include HRST, Doosan Škoda, EthosEnergy, Rotating Machinery Services, Rotoflow, Sulzer, John Crane, Siemens Energy, MAN Energy Solutions, Riverhawk, and BRG Machinery Consulting. They offer insight into engineering and technical advisory services, OEM and non-OEM retrofits and upgrades, field services, repair/replacement of parts, 3D scanning, and on-site machining.


Liburdi Turbine Services is a specialist engineering and repair company for turbine flow-path component repairs, compressor airfoils, fuel nozzles, combustor parts, turbine blades, and vanes and shrouds. Most of its repairs involve bringing a part back to the form, fit, and function of the original. Any change, even in the coating applied, could affect the part to a degree that could require testing, which adds cost.
Liburdi relies on an institutional understanding of metallurgy and the various competing damage mechanisms in any gas turbine. The company created rejuvenation and reconstruction processes to refurbish and fortify parts to mitigate against future damage.
“Operators do not want to scrap their components, and neither do we,” said Robert Tollett, Director of Marketing at Liburdi.
There’s an inherent contradiction in the trends identified by Liburdi engineers. As the next generations of gas turbines are commercialized, components will be progressively optimized for efficiency. The achievement of efficiency generally adds complexity. Yet complexity is unforgiving in terms of design margin and reparability.
“There could be a time when most turbine parts become one-use expendable,” said Tollett. “That will be an unfortunate waste of resources akin to the cellphone industry.”
In response to COVID-19 restrictions, Liburdi noticed shortages of available parts as well as deferral of outages. Yet its shop has operated close to full capacity for a year.



HRST has observed a significant uptick in high-pressure drum weld cracking due to steam drums bearing the brunt of cyclic operation damage. This often requires nondestructive examination and analysis to determine if the unit is fit for service and what repairs are necessary. Aging duct burners and superheaters/reheaters are also impacted by cycling and duct firing.
The company is embracing new technologies to address these problems, as well as the need for more frequent inspections of turbine exhaust ducts, expansion joints, liner systems, catalysts, and silencers. HRST now uses drones as part of its inspection routine.
“During offline inspections, duct burners, catalysts, silencers, and stack dampers can be inspected by a drone at a fraction of the price of erecting scaffolding,” said Sam Shaw, Systems Engineer at HRST. “Drone technology allows for high resolution photography of these components while maintaining a safe distance for the inspector.”
Drones can also be equipped with Forward Looking InfraRed (FLIR) cameras to perform online thermal inspections. This can prove useful in detecting pen seal failures, expansion joint failures, casing hot spots, and insulation degradation on HRSGs and simple cycle exhaust duct work. Weeping pressure safety valves on some HRSGs, for example, can be detected this way as the silencers run at an elevated temperature.
Another market shift noticed by HRST is that peaking units see more run time and starts as more renewable generation comes onto the grid. This sharpens the requirement for reliability and preventive maintenance. It can mean more frequent inspections for peaking turbines and related duct work.


EthosEnergy engineers inspect a turbine. 

EthosEnergy has seen greater focus on a risk-based maintenance strategy and away from traditional OEM recommendations. This results in increased demand for condition-based maintenance programs and fast response to unplanned outages. The company has adapted by enhancing its engineers’ capacity to handle technical or commercial concerns.
The company is one of many reporting a slow, steady return to pre-pandemic business activity. This includes the gradual return of normal outage planning and repair and maintenance service requests.
Even before the pandemic, cost cutting measures had created higher demand for remote access to shops and technical personnel. Now, the company says that has become a standard necessity. EthosEnergy now has a live video feed for customers to interact with engineers in real time. Additionally, the company’s life extension and rotor solutions address changing asset demands and duty cycles, as well as energy security and grid stability challenges.
Rotating Machinery Services (RMS)
RMS is an OEM provider of AC-brand axial, centrifugal, and oil-free screw compressors, and Conmec-brand axial and centrifugal compressors, as well as gas and steam turbine repair and maintenance services. The company performs overhauls, repair and refurbishment, upgrades, spare parts and kit boxes, and nondestructive testing and analysis. As maintenance budgets tighten over time, RMS customers are increasingly cost-conscious of spare parts, overhauls, rerates, and redesigns.
“We serve as the OEM (for AC Compressor) but have always been a service provider to all nameplates of equipment,” said Alex Tetlow, Vice President of Sales at RMS. “This mix of OEM and non-OEM knowledge allows us to be creative in our solutions.”
Staying current with the latest technology in 3D printing, CFD, FEA and CAD is a priority for RMS, as well as the integration of remote communication and measurement into field maintenance routines. Over the past year, it has been difficult to schedule field crews to perform planned turnarounds. But now, there is more urgency in the market to conduct urgent repairs due to unplanned outages.


A Rotoflow technician examines an impeller. 


Rotoflow, an Air Products business, is a manufacturer and operator of rotating equipment, offering turbo expander repair, field service, machine rerates, root cause analysis, nondestructive testing, and reverse engineering. As well as repairing and maintaining turbomachinery, the company develops strategies to improve uptime, including proper sparing, site assessments, and condition-based monitoring.
During the pandemic, Rotoflow adopted video calling to show customers test data in real-time as an alternative to an in-person mechanical spin test. The company also redeployed field service technicians who were no longer able to travel to customer locations. As travel restrictions eased, the field service team is now performing work at customers’ sites, both planned and emergency maintenance and repairs, while following strict safety protocols.


MAN Energy Solutions offers services for spare parts, turbomachinery maintenance and repairs, modular service agreements, and individual consulting and field service. For non-MAN rotating equipment, the company offers services under its Omnicare brand through a global repair shop network. It also safeguards equipment with remote machine diagnostics and provide training for operational and maintenance skills with a service called PrimeServ.
Like others, MAN has noticed a shift from time-based to condition-based maintenance.
“Customers seek higher uptime and reliable, uninterrupted operation with longer maintenance intervals,” said Oliver Tromm, Head of Product Center Zurich/Berlin, MAN Energy Solutions, MAN PrimeServ. “Optimization of residual lifetime is key today so high equipment reliability must be ensured.”
MAN is adjusting to the same trends as the rest of the industry. Turnarounds were shifted, investments into upgrades and modifications were questioned and delayed, a higher degree of remote services was requested, stock inventory was checked, and risks were minimized with higher stock levels.


Siemens Energy services drivers and driven equipment, including aeroderivative gas turbines, medium and small gas turbines, steam turbines, generators, all types of compressors, and gas engines. It provides OEM services for parts, field service, repairs, overhauls, inspections, and remote operational services. The company listed several trends: customers want no repairs to go unplanned, minimal outages time, lower emissions, reduced inventory over time, and higher employee productivity, with a tendency towards using its own employees and teams rather than subcontracting.
“Customers are keen to adopt new technologies, like additive manufacturing, sensors and remote monitoring,” said Erhard Eder, Senior Vice President, Industrial Applications Services for Siemens Energy. “They also want more predictive maintenance options, like asset performance management to transition to condition-based maintenance.”
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the company invested more in its remote offerings. This begins on the factory floor, with remote testing, then to the field with remote performance monitoring and diagnostics, and field service when needed. Accordingly, Siemens Energy trained its regional field teams to carry out maintenance with remote tools. Remote Inspection and Testing Acceptance (RITA) allows customers to be virtually present when its turbomachinery is being tested. Cameras film the components during actual test procedures. Footage and critical data are transmitted in real-time.


Riverhawk designs and manufactures bolt tensioning solutions and is a full-service diaphragm coupling manufacture and repair center that specializes in refurbishing OEM diaphragm couplings. Along with its coupling offerings, the company supplies all the installation tooling to install couplings and torque management solutions. The biggest challenge it faces is the demand need for service within weeks rather than months.
Most users shut down for only a brief period of preventative maintenance. If there is no spare coupling, they need an existing coupling serviced and returned before completion of the turnaround
“Returning a coupling in as-new condition with a short lead time can be a challenge, especially if parts are damaged beyond repair and need replacement,” said Riverhawk’s Pat McCormack, Business Development Manager.
Over the years, the company has seen formal safety standards shift. Sometimes it means showing a simple video on a facility’s safety requirements. In other cases, it requires an all-day class before entering the facility. In addition, the company has seen a growing demand for detailed documentation of repair work such as Material Certifications, Calibration Certificates and pictures of certain portions of the repair.
Riverhawk has no plans to abandon face-to-face meetings. But they are being supplemented by video conferencing software and high-resolution cameras to provide proper guidance in the use of tooling. Overall, McCormack said maintenance spending was down about 20% from initial 2020 projections. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic that 2021 will be a good year for those in maintenance and repair.


C. Hunter Cloud, Ph.D., President of BRG Machinery Consulting, a Virginia-based provider of rotating machinery technical services, commented on a long-term trend of fewer experienced machinery engineers being present in plants. As a result, he often sees repairs made without addressing the root cause of problems. The rush to return critical machinery to full operation can contribute to a lack of due diligence that should include a thorough failure analysis by internal or external technical experts.
As margins in operating plants shrink, Cloud said, decisions to refurbish aging equipment are being delayed. Repairs attempt to extend the life of inefficient equipment, often beyond the original design. Cost reductions have also led to the use of third-party repair shops who can be unfamiliar with the equipment’s design, placing more reliance on the user to determine which repairs are necessary.
Some large manufacturers, Cloud added, are evolving into global organizations. At times, this can create barriers to having the right people involved with a repair or failure investigation. Further, field support may now involve quarantine before and after, which affects timing and costs. Oversight of shop work requires more detailed documentation along with virtual inspections, such as for bluing contact checks and witness of rotor balancing.


Sulzer is constantly keeping up with customer demand for spare parts. 


Sulzer is an OEM for pump parts and offers maintenance and repair services for pumps, turbines, compressors, motors, drives and generators. The company is constantly keeping up with customer demand for alternatives for spare parts. This is especially important for a non-OEM service provider like Sulzer, whose main focus is increasingly seal reliability.
Since the start of the pandemic, Sulzer has seen fewer overhauls in a more competitive market. Fernando Romero, VP Engineering at Sulzer, said clients often want a re-rate until they know the cost.
Sulzer has invested in automation in the form of computerized numerical control capabilities to support manufacturing, dimensional inspections and, welding.
“With remote maintenance, you lack control over the capabilities, workmanship, and resources of the party at the other end of the line,” said Romero. “Care is required in the division of responsibilities.”


John Crane offers project management services for turbomachinery performance restoration as well as pre-commissioning and commissioning services. The company manufactures gas seals, separation seals, conditioning, and asset monitoring systems. It works constantly to raise seal, speed of rotation, diameter, and resistance to process gasses, in addition to running at colder temperatures.
“We have made progress of late raising the understanding of seal health dry gas seal lifespan,” said Mike Weegenhausen, Director, Turbomachinery Products & Services at John Crane.
He gave examples of the type of projects the company is engaged in. The operational lifetime of centrifugal compressors, for example, can be cost-effectively extended by upgrading components such as motors, impellers, seals, bearings, and control systems. A common upgrade is a dry gas seal retrofit for oil-seal-equipped centrifugal compressors.


Turbomachinery services are a key line of business for Doosan Škoda Power. All types of overhauls and inspections of machines in combined cycle power plants have remained the key driver in turbomachinery services. The company also sees growth in the waste-to-energy industry and in the nuclear segment.
Doosan Škoda Power can perform online remote borescopic inspections of turbine internal parts and remotely access turbogenerator control systems as part of long-term service agreements. This enable tuning and adjusting of operating parameters and alarms.
“We can manufacture spare parts in the original quality in the same workshop used for new build installations,” said Stanislav Šnejdar, Director of Service at Doosan Škoda Power. “Our service team is located under one roof along with all subject matter specialists and R&D engineers.” ■

Technologies are emerging to perform maintenance, repairs, retrofits, and overhauls while gauging asset health remotely. Drones are being deployed for inspections. Some parts can be scarce, so plant operators are increasingly seeking alternatives.