Turbomachinery: The backbone of progress

Couplings play a crucial role in connecting and supporting critical equipment. (Photo: Regal Rexnord)

Turbomachinery is at the heart of many major industries, including power generation, oil refining, critical standby power, and even marine vessels like cruise ships and aircraft carriers.

These machines are pivotal in ensuring smooth operation to critical infrastructure that keeps the world moving. However, the unwavering demands placed on turbomachinery components to perform lead to inevitable wear and tear which poses significant challenges to maintenance and operational efficiency.

Couplings play crucial role

Among the many components within turbomachinery design, couplings play a crucial role in connecting and supporting critical equipment. Despite their importance, couplings are often overlooked in maintenance plans.

High-performance couplings are designed for extremely long operation cycles when operated within their rated capacities. However, real-world conditions often introduce less than ideal conditions which lead to potential failures, unplanned downtime, and expensive repairs to your equipment.

Damage down the line

The repercussions of coupling failures extend beyond their immediate repair costs. Unscheduled downtime can easily disrupt production and operation schedules, leading to substantial financial losses and operational inefficiencies.

In some severe cases, coupling failures can damage additional critical equipment, further escalating repair costs and downtime. Proactive maintenance of couplings is essential to safeguard the overall performance and reliability of turbomachinery.

Due to the critical issues caused by downtime with coupling repairs, operations have started keeping spares on hand for easy replacements.

By ensuring on-site replacements are available for immediate use, substantial downtime is subverted while repairs and maintenance can be done on the damaged components.

Recertification – the best of both worlds

Coupling recertification has emerged as a viable solution to address the challenges posed by standard wear and tear without needing a complete replacement. This process involves returning used couplings to the factory for reconditioning to a ‘like new’ condition at a fraction of the cost of buying replacements.

The recertification process includes comprehensive mechanical and metallurgical evaluations, replacement of fixable elements, and rebalancing to original certification standards. This approach not only restores the coupling’s performance but also extends its service life ensuring continued reliability on the jobsite.

Monitoring software as a catalyst

Utilizing the recertification process requires the ability to tell when your equipment may be affected or trending towards complications. Advanced monitoring systems like Powerlign® further support proactive maintenance by detecting potential problems early. Within the turbine industry for example, these systems can monitor turbine performance and predict issues such as blade fouling and reduced system efficiency, enabling timely interventions before damage escalates to more severe problems, or increased fuel burn down the line.

Savings and efficiency

The benefits of coupling recertification are paramount. It offers substantial cost savings, and with recertified couplings costing about half the price of new ones, these savings can factor into your initial and overall investment into your operation. In addition, the lead time for recertification is significantly shorter, sometimes up to 60% faster than acquiring new couplings in some cases. This expedited process helps maintain operational schedules and minimizes downtime.

Coupling recertification can also reveal underlying issues in other equipment. For instance, disc pack fretting or cracks in the outer disc may indicate resonant torsional frequency or excessive misalignment. Having a team to assess and identify these issues during recertification allows for timely modifications to the coupling and powertrain design, enhancing future performance and mitigating risks.

The future forward

Understanding common wear and tear in turbomachinery is crucial for the success of operations everywhere. Incorporating coupling recertification and smart monitoring systems into maintenance plans can significantly enhance the reliability and efficiency of your machines and operation. Industries can proactively address issues, ensuring the longevity and optimal performance of turbomachinery components.

These advancements not only offer substantial cost savings but showcase the way for a more efficient and sustainable future.

About the author: Tyler Courtney is director energy sales at Regal Rexnord.