The AIE TA3 rotor project team from Left to right; Willie McIntyre, Don McNeil, Scott Whyte, Richard Lewis, Steve Sands (project manager), Shane Jeffray and Ken MacDonald www.engineeringnews.co.nz 13 was performed and reported on which showed no signs of any defects. During the shut for the rotor exchange on TA3, the drive end coupling from the old rotor was removed, dressed and cleaned, then reassembled to the new rotor. The coupling was checked both with diameters, the coupling face and overall length checked. With the coupling fitted, the rotor was balanced at AIE to G1 specification. The new rotor was transported to Norske Skog ready for assembly and AIE installed the new rotor into the turbine casing. However, the real success was only fully known once the rotor is installed and running. For Norske Skog’s Don Pedersen, the new TA3 rotor solved a major issue – reliability. He says the level of research done by AIE in terms of purchasing, 3D modelling, pricing and the intricate details of materials was key. “They understand the impact of what a shutdown means to our business. It took 13 days to install, and in the ensuing months the rotor has performed extremely well. We’ve had none of the problems we’ve had during past shutdowns. Hopefully we can just forget about it now.” Pedersen also stresses the importance of collaboration and cooperation on the project. “We understood each other. We understood their capability. They understood the job and overall it was the logical thing to do.” He says the old rotor was badly deteriorated. “It was broken when we took it out. We discovered one of the blades was broken and was about to fly off. It was a bit of a time bomb.” AIE had recommended opening the rotor up three months after the new TA3 rotor had been installed but it appears there was no need. It’s running very well and can be turned off and on again like an electric motor.” Steve Sands says there were many points where the project may have gone off the rails if it weren’t for the skills and efficiency of teams from both Norske Skog and AIE and external equipment suppliers. “We have all breathed a sigh of relief. It was a big project to take on, but we knew we could do it and we’re glad to have had the opportunity to work on such a landmark project.” Turbine-9 C-cut ‘The Art of Engineering’ – the TA3 rotor ready to dispatch
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