Corrosion in Power Plants

 

Energy technology is undergoing global transformation. Rapidly expanding renewable energy and other, more volatile power generation plants require significantly higher flexibility of conventional plants. This has resulted in a number of new challenges for ventilation equipment, including:

  • An increased number of start and stop operations
  • Fewer full-load hours
  • Increased partial load operation
  • Lower exhaust gas temperatures due to residual heat utilization
  • Smaller gap to acid dew point  

These factors cause an increased load on the systems which carries increased risk of corrosion during operation. This favors dew point corrosion, which can lead to total failure of fans and system components.

TLT-Turbo offers you a tailor-made solution for your plant by implementing effective corrosion protection measures to maintain uptime of your fans.

Efficient Protection against Corrosion

TLT-Turbo Corrosion Protection for fans includes two key actions: Preventing corrosion where possible and protecting components where corrosion cannot be prevented.

Avoiding corrosive conditions:
  • Preventing or reducing leakage of sealing air
  • Heating of fan components
  • Optimization of insulation
Use of corrosion resistant materials:
  • Weather resistant steel
  • Polymers and polymeric coatings
  • Stainless steel
  • Ni-based coatings or base materials

In order to select the measures suitable to preventing and addressing corrosion on fans operating at your facility, TLT-Turbo conducts an individual corrosion risk assessment. This assessment is based on your operational and environmental conditions.

TLT-Turbo provides further support by conducting an analysis of your specific operating conditions, e.g. on a dew point measurement based on a plant inspection.

Contact TLT-Turbo to discuss your corrosion protection needs and to find the right service package to suit your on-going requirements.

Optimal Protection against Corrosion for Existing Plants

TLT-Turbo conducts corrosion risk assessments and implements suitable preventative measures when designing and manufacturing new fans. These measures can also be carried out when retrofitting existing plants or as part of preventative maintenance during a scheduled shutdown.

Contact your service representative or the TLT-Turbo Service Department for more information on conducting a tailored risk assessment at your facility.

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Join us for a live webinar on Basics of Fan Aerodynamics and Optimization Potentials

Date: May 19, 2021 | Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. (CET)

During a short journey through the topics of fan aerodynamics, our TLT-Turbo fan experts pick you up at the aerodynamic basics and show you which improvements are possible through aerodynamic optimizations.

Starting with the basic understanding of volume flow and pressure rise, the journey continues via the origin and definition of the operating points to the various aerodynamic control types of fans in technical systems. You will understand the differences between fan types and the definition of efficiency. The journey ends with the identification of different optimization potentials of axial fans and how TLT-Turbo can support you in optimizing them.

Unable to make the Live Webinar? Visit www.tlt-turbo.com to view the simulcast after the live date.

We look forward to hosting you!

Regards,

TLT-Turbo

 

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Join us for a live webinar on Basics of wear and wear protection for Heavy Duty Fans

Date: Nov 12, 2020 | Time: 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. (EST) /16:00 p.m. – 16:45 p.m. (CET)

Join us for a demonstration and discussion with TLT-Turbo fan experts on the preventative measures you should be taking to avoid particle wear and abrasion on your fans.

Our guest speakers, Jesse Dravenstott and Patrick Baumgärtner, will be discussing the basics of wear and solutions to prolong the lifespan of your ventilation equipment.

Webinar participants will have direct, exclusive access to our guest speakers and expert team for questions and discussions.

Date: Nov 12, 2020 | Time: 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. (EST) /16:00 p.m. – 16:45 p.m. (CET)

Unable to make the Live Webinar? Visit www.tlt-turbo.com to view the simulcast after the live date.

We look forward to hosting you!

Regards,

TLT-Turbo

 

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Adapting Field Services & Customer Experience in the Time of COVID-19

No business has been left untouched by COVID-19. The global pandemic has created an unprecedented uncertainty for business operations as numerous federal and state governments instituted travel bans and national lockdowns to mitigate the spread of the virus. TLT-Turbo has taken numerous steps to ensure operational continuity for our clients’ ventilation equipment and have launched several new platforms for the delivery of field services. These new platforms will be showcases in an upcoming webinar available by invitation to TLT-Turbo clients in Germany.

Many of our clients run the world’s most essential businesses – mines, manufacturing plants, power generation plants and processing plants. Some are facing the challenges of operating a business through unprecedented shutdowns or feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. None of us could have foreseen the scenarios we are now facing – but at TLT-Turbo we have taken steps to ensure that we are facing them together. And whatever scenario your business finds itself in today, TLT-Turbo is here to help you keep your operations running.

As TLT-Turbo continues to navigate the changing tides posed by this pandemic, our priorities remain the same – to provide excellent, swift, and expert services.

We invite you to join us for a webinar session in which we present how TLT-Turbo is using innovation, creative thinking, and new tools to evolve and address customers’ critical needs now and in the future as we move towards the post-COVID-19 era.

Key discussion points will include:

  • TLT-Turbo Remote Service Support: Expert support to beat downtime is just one click away
  • TLT-Turbo’s Service Centre of Excellence: Bringing together our experts to help our customers succeed
  • TLT-Turbo Field Service Continuity Program: Maintain field service team availability under travel restrictions
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TLT-Turbo On-site Test Lab Advances Product Quality

Global ventilation fans and systems manufacturer, TLT-Turbo GmbH, has spent the past five years investing in and equipping its on-site test lab. The test lab now provides streamlined processes for research, advancing product quality and expanded capabilities for material testing. With a focus on particle impact wear testing, the test lab is driving innovation forward at TLT-Turbo as the results help improve product reliability, quality and performance in their final operating environment.

Patrick Baumgärtner a Research and Development Engineer – and expert in wear and corrosion protection – at TLT-Turbo, has played an instrumental role in building up the test lab – located at the TLT-Turbo Development Centre in Zweibruecken, Germany – to its current capabilities. Together with Sabine Groh, Industrial Fans Product Manager at TLT-Turbo, they have been spearheading the current research.

Currently, the core field of research at the test lab is the testing of new wear-resistant materials and coatings for fan components. Baumgärtner says that the testing takes place in the lab’s solid particle impact wear test bench. There, various types of dust or abrasive particles are blasted onto the test material, varying the angle and speed of the blasting to observe the resulting wear. “We also carry out caking tests in which we select, for example, anti-adhesive layers for our fans, in order to find suitable solutions for customer applications. A further main focus is the analysis of process residues that can have an abrasive or corrosive effect. Here the composition, size distributions, pH value and conductivity in the eluate are determined,” Baumgärtner explains.

(Above) Part of the materials testing laboratory in Zweibrücken

TLT-Turbo’s approach is to continuously test materials, coatings and components in order to produce fan components that are designed for performance excellence in any operating environment – no matter how abrasive. This testing is applied to current and new products in development but also to samples that are brought in from client sites in order to establish the wear patterns caused by their specific environment. In this way, TLT-Turbo is able to provide each client with a customized solution that will last longer and require less maintenance. 

The test lab now offers facilities for metallography, a stereomicroscope, a pycnometer for determining the density of materials and coatings, and an automated solid particle impact wear test bench. “The capabilities of the test lab open a lot of doors for advanced research that will make a positive contribution to the engineering community at large as well,” says Baumgärtner. “Under my supervision, studies and thesis research takes place in the laboratory in cooperation with local colleges and universities. For me, this is the basis for successfully researching and developing new solutions in our field.”

According to Groh, the test lab has almost endless possibilities for the improvement of product delivery to clients. “Our customers are often operating TLT-Turbo fans in abrasive and/or corrosive environments. To develop suitable solutions that match the wear resistance against particle impact we use our automated solid particle impact test bench. Compressed air accelerates a defined mass flow of abrasive particles to velocities up to 300 m/s and propels them onto a piece of sample material. This leads to material loss and wear that we can examine.  It is even possible to use original dust from a customer’s plant to evaluate the most suitable solution for them. By varying the impact angle we can observe system characteristic wear curves. With this knowledge we can provide customized solutions for many processes.”

(Above) Exchangeable impeller blade exposed to massive wear

These customized solutions can be best illustrated in the selection of coatings. This, says Groh, has an immensely positive impact for TLT-Turbo clients. “If we were to propose a new coating for a customer, the wear rate of the coating would be determined first. That is the main scientific-based decision criteria for wear resistant coatings. If the coating has a superior wear rate compared to other coatings or at least a wear rate that is on par with other coatings and another beneficial quality such as anti-stick effect, corrosive resistance or a cost advantage it will be implemented into TLT´s coating portfolio.”

Groh says that they have also conducted tests that have led to the development of completely new proprietary coatings. “During the manufacturing process, coatings were tested to see the influence of welding heat on coating qualities – such as the development of cracks – to ascertain how to avoid damage caused by heat or weld splashes. We conducted research and testing on combining welded coatings and thin layer coating into a Hybrid Coating which can dramatically increase the operational lifespan of TLT-Turbo fans at their clients’ plants.”

This is one of numerous examples of how TLT-Turbo’s testing capability can positively impact ventilation systems across all applications. “Due to the broad database of wear tests on various materials and coatings, we are able to offer tailor-made wear protection solutions for various processes of our customers,” Baumgärtner acknowledges.

(Above) Blasting nozzle and sample holder of test bench

Groh agrees, adding that the wide variety of chemical compositions and coating conditions such as acceleration of coating powder and heat development make it extremely difficult to objectively find the best coating by carrying out testing at a customer plant. “The process of reaching just initial findings in these conditions is very time consuming. In addition to this, there is a broad variety of conditions to contend with at different customer plants that hinder an accurate comparison of different coatings at different plants. If you test different coatings on one machine you might get a rough estimation what coating is superior, however different wear rates of coating cause imbalances in the impeller and vibrations at the fan.”

She elaborates by explaining that finding a precise comparative measurement on different coatings is impossible without being able to analyse how the wear rate changes at different angles. “At the test lab we can control the conditions to find precisely what we are looking for in a shorter timeframe. Additionally we are able to replicate the fan’s operating environment. We can run tests using dust collected from the client site while simulating particle speeds that match the client’s environment to precisely simulate wear rates.”

In the laboratory environment, the TLT-Turbo team is also able to determine additional coating properties as they have the capability to run additional experiments, e.g. corrosive resistance, anti-stick effect, robustness, heat resistance, suitable application methods, and combination possibilities like hybrid coatings.

The test lab has afforded TLT-Turbo engineers a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind wear and the effects of specialized solutions. This has led to new approaches in product advancement and development that are grounded in providing solutions that meet market requirements.

“The analysis of residues from plants has a great influence on product development as we are making more informed decisions when choosing materials for corrosive and abrasive environments,” says Baumgärtner.

This has also had an impact on TLT-Turbo’s aftermarket service offering. The test lab, has allowed for new customer services can be generated, such as the performance of specific tests for customers. “The development of new solutions for specific customer problems is now much faster and more accurate. Also the suitability of low cost approaches or solutions that allow for wear induced damages to be repaired on-site integrate effortlessly into TLT-Turbo’s existing solutions,” Groh concludes.

The test lab enables TLT to continuously improve their solution portfolio for different customer problems with a focus on wear. The combination of understanding the client’s exact requirements and challenges and having a tool that allows engineers to find the best solutions from a scientific basis are a key factor for success in the market and play an important role for TLT-Turbo’s on-going product development and quality client delivery.

– ENDS –

MEDIA CONTACT                                                       TLT-TURBO GLOBAL CONTACT

Oxigen Communications                                            Global Marketing Office

Nicola Weir                                                                 Anna Renner

nicola@oxigencomms.com                                        a.renner@tlt-turbo.com

About TLT-Turbo

TLT-Turbo GmbH builds radial and axial flow fans for virtually any application. First-rate engineering, tradition and progress in air handling technology and a worldwide support network have been the cornerstones of their excellent global renown as a fan and systems manufacturer for more than 140 years. TLT-Turbo GmbH fans and the associated system components are deployed successfully all over the globe. To date over 10,000 fans have already been installed. Their subsidiaries, branches and agencies span the globe including TLT-Turbo offices in Germany, China, Austria, Russia, South Korea, USA, Chile, Hungary, Australia, India and South Africa.

Visit www.tlt-turbo.com for more information.

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New Service Workshop Now In Operation

Repairing up to 40 tons in four weeks! Our new service workshop enables cost-effective and fast overhauls of industrial fans.

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important for industrial ventilation systems. Significantly fewer new investments are being made in this area and old systems are used and maintained for as long as possible instead. In order to support its customers, TLT-Turbo GmbH, one of the world’s largest fan manufacturers, commissioned a new service workshop in Bad Hersfeld at the beginning of November 2017. In this workshop, all types of large industrial fans – both radial and axial –with weights of up to 40 ton will be overhauled and repaired in the future. In addition, the production area was expanded by 1500m² and the production and assembly areas were updated to meet new requirements.

“With regard to revisions, our customers increasingly make their decisions based on price and leadtime, which can be explained by growing cost pressure,” explains Matthias Adamy, Sales Director for After Sales Services at TLT-Turbo GmbH. “This increases the need for cost-effective and fast revisions. This is why we have decided to set up a service workshop that supports our customers with fast, flexible and uncomplicated service. Rapid processing in particular is an essential requirement here as the rapid replacement of defective or maintenance-needy rotors is crucial. Downtime can be shortened and system availability increased thanks to a short throughput time. For this reason, three types of revisions will be offered in the service workshop in future, which are characterized by a standardized procedure for diagnosis and repair. In addition to the standard and findings-oriented overhauls, there is now also a so-called rapid overhaul. This only takes four to six weeks, which means a time saving of about six months compared to conventional maintenance and repair. The reduction in processing time is also accompanied by a reduction in costs.”

Despite the short duration, TLT Turbo can guarantee the highest quality with the aid of component tests, functional tests for rotors, quality and surface crack tests. For this purpose, the specialist workshop has qualified personnel, all the necessary machinery and testing equipment for disassembly, cleaning, diagnosis, repair and assembly, as well as close links to the specialist departments, such as design and quality assurance. “In contrast to a repair on site, it is more advantageous to have a diagnostic report made in the service workshop, as the equipment, workshop and personnel support at the location where the fans are used are often not ideal,” Adamy explains. “An inspection directly at the customer should therefore always be an exception due in special circumstances”.

Process optimisation for smooth handling

In order to ensure that orders can be processed smoothly in the workshop even at full capacity, separate sections for dismantling and final assembly were set up and route and transport optimisation was implemented. “Due to the greatly reduced processing time, the new concept requires continuous improvement of internal processes and external communication. Through efficient cooperation and communication with subcontractors, for example, spare parts can be delivered and installed more quickly,” Adamy confirms. Especially for components with comparatively long delivery times, TLT-Turbo offers its customers consulting appointments with regard to spare parts stocking, so that revisions can be carried out as quickly as possible. The spatial extension also allows significantly more flexibility and space for handling workpieces of all kinds. For this purpose, several storage racks were installed in which up to 450 pallets can be accommodated. TLT-Turbo attaches particular importance to the transparency and traceability of the orders: This means that the status of the revision can be queried online at any time.

The new service workshop was presented to selected business partners at a Customer Day on 8 November 2017. “We want to signal to the industry that our focus is on service. To this end, we deploy highly qualified personnel who are familiar with diagnostic findings, repairs and the replacement of parts,” concludes Adamy.

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