2018 02 Paper: When is Too Much Thrust Not Enough – Managing Turbine Suppliers Quality

Hydro Tasmania is completing an ambitious Turbine Re-runnering Program which involves the design and manufacture of components for a number of different turbine designs to ensure continued reliability of aging assets. Through collaboration with a turbine manufacturer the program redesigns the complete turbine distributor; from the initial review of design studies for the machine operation through to the manufacturing of the turbine distributor components including runners, guide vanes, top covers and bottom covers. This paper looks at the challenges associated with integrating a new design with original components while managing quality and design issues throughout design, manufacturing, installation and commissioning of
the new turbine designs. A specific example at Liapootah Power Station is presented and discussed. The new turbine hydraulic thrust exceeds the original design hydraulic thrust resulting in original supporting components such as the thrust bracket and stator frames being subject to load in excess of design.

• Author: Max Janes, Richard Monks
• Exchange: 2018 - Albury AGL
• Company: Hydro Tasmania
• Topic: Quality, Runner, Turbine
• Key Words: