Decatur Industrial Works on Environmentally Friendly Retrofit & Upgrade
In an effort to go green, our customer’s facility is shutting down coal to steam operations. They have an MR compressor application that is driven by a steam turbine. The process engineering team requested our assistance with motor application expertise and guidance in retrofitting to an electric motor driven solution for the existing compressor.
D.I.E collaborated with the customer’s engineering team on a motor and mounting adapter base solution to the existing compressor frame. This solution needed to reliably function in a somewhat challenging environment. We strategized in a team effort arriving at an adapter base and motor design that provided the required torque within the challenging thermal and dimensional limits available. We determined that this application would require a 1500hp motor torque requirements with a very specialized adapter base. The adapter base and motor will be built by the Siemens Above-NEMA (ANEMA) motor plant in Norwood, OH. (story continues below picture.)
This upgrade will maximize their process efficiencies. Steam turbines are less efficient, compared to electric drive systems. This is especially true when heat losses from steam are considered. Steam turbines also require more planned shutdowns, and due to their significant number of moving parts, are comparatively less reliable than electric motor drive systems. These advantages combine to maximize the customer’s equipment uptime and productivity.
Decatur Industrial would love to help your facility see what productivity gains you can achieve through similar upgrades. Thanks to their efficiency, reliability, and attractive price points, electric motor variable speed drive systems are an attractive option.
