More Polymer Shaft Seals Ordered by Chinese Turbine Industry

For Immediate Release - October 2005

Dongfang Electrical Machinery Co., Ltd (part of Dongfang Electric Corp.) and Harbin Electric Machinery Co., Ltd. have recently placed additional orders for Thordon SXL elastomeric polymer segmented turbine shaft seals bringing the total on order or already installed in 2005, to six sets. The shaft seals sold by Proco International Co. Ltd., Thordon's exclusive Distributor in China, are/will be installed at the Kangyang, Sanbanxi, Xiafu, Baishan and Nalan power plants in China and the Tekeze Hydropower Plant in Ethiopia.

Sealing large hydro turbine shafts from 400mm up to 2000+mm (16 up to 80 in.) diameter can be a maintenance challenge for power plant operators. Typically, turbine seals consist of two or three sets of stacked segmented carbon rings that can be difficult to install without breakage and can be subject to relatively short life if misaligned or subjected to abrasives.

Since its first shaft seal installation in 1982 at the Manapouri Power Station in New Zealand, Thordon Bearings has compiled a history of segmented shaft seal installations. In 2003, Thordon embarked on a program to further optimize it's segmented shaft seal design utilizing its proprietary SXL material. SXL is formulated using a tough elastomeric synthetic polymer alloy offering ease of installation, high natural abrasion resistance and good sealing performance.