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Design of lifting devices for a horizontal hydro turbine generator unit

Our team was contracted by Yukon Energy Corporation (YEC) to provide a complete tooling solution for handling the horizontal rotor and turbine components of the AH3 unit at the Aishihik hydroelectric plant. This project was part of the first major overhaul of the AH3 unit, a horizontal Francis turbine-generator installed 356 feet underground and put in operation in 2010. The mandate was to design and supply custom tooling for efficient and secure handling of the rotor, shaft, and main turbine components in compliance with industry safety standards.

Challenges

The main challenge was to design lifting equipment to support and manipulate the rotor safely, without damaging sensitive components, without the use of an overhead crane. As the AH3 unit was installed deep underground, the structural elements had to be adapted to the specific constraints of this cave-like environment, in addition to complying with the rigorous lifting standards and technical requirements of the hydroelectric industry.

Solutions

Our team provided a complete solution, including inspection of the unit, design of the necessary tools and supply to the customer. The main solution consisted of a sliding gantry, designed to support the shaft end of the generator and rotor during extraction.

  • Structural assessment of the tooling: Finite element analysis (FEA) of base materials, welded joints and bolted connections.
  • Safety verification: Validation of hydroelectric components (shaft and rotor) to confirm that they would not be damaged during handling.
  • Conformity to standards: Compliance and recommendations according to ASME BTH-1.
  • Industry best practices: Integration of hydroelectric expertise to ensure tool safety and resistance.
  • Optimization of costs and lead times: Complete supply chain management to reduce costs and lead times.

Results

With our expertise, the customer was able to perform maintenance operation on the rotor and shaft of the AH3 unit safely, while respecting strict lifting standards and a tight schedule. The proposed equipment was designed to protect sensitive components and ensure risk-free handling. Effective management of the supply chain, schedule and costing enabled us to deliver a solution on time.

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