Join Hydro in Mississauga for the CANDU Maintenance & Nuclear Component Conference. Visit us at Booth 20 and learn about the services we have developed to help our nuclear customers achieve safe, reliable operation of their pumping systems.
Tag Archives: nuclear
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education
Join Hydro at the American Nuclear Society’s Conference on Nuclear Training and Education!
Mike Mancini, President of Hydro Total Solutions, will be presenting during the Teaching and Learning for Workforce Challenges technical session on Hydro’s process for training that maximizes learner material retention.
Hydro will also be partnering with Southern Nuclear at the exhibition to demonstrate our IMPEL interactive maintenance procedures.
Troubleshooting Axial Shuttling through Field Testing & Analysis
A nuclear utility had been observing axial shuttling on their three single stage, double suction Condensate Booster pumps. To better understand the circumstances driving this phenomenon, they asked Hydro Reliability Services to provide in-depth field testing of the equipment at different operating loads. Continue reading
Reverse Engineering – An End to Obsolescence
A nuclear utility had a large circulating water pump with severe vibration issues that required refurbishment in an emergency time frame. Hydro’s Aston, PA service center, which has a 50-ton crane and a history of providing quality repair for nuclear non-safety related equipment, was chosen for this work. Despite the unique challenges in machining and maneuverability presented by large pumps, the DCI and refurbishment were performed in under 2 weeks. Continue reading
Refurbishing a Contaminated Nuclear Casing
Creative approaches that extend beyond original designs, standard tools, and traditional engineering practices can provide significant savings and higher reliability of pumping equipment. For example, in one such situation, the casing of a charging pump at a European nuclear plant had been over-pressurized and needed to be refurbished. Not only was the pump service radioactive, but the casing was also found twisted with its internal components unable to properly fit into the casing, and the machined surfaces out of alignment.
The original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the pump stated that they could not repair the casing and that the only option was to purchase a new one. The nuclear plant’s engineers approached Hydro, Inc., a global aftermarket pump service provider, for assistance in finding a spare casing. When no spare was found, Hydro initiated a more detailed discussion with the plant about refurbishing the casing.
Hydro’s team inspected the pump, the casing, and the internal element and explored all possible options (Figure 1). Hydro was able to find an inventive solution by machining the casing in the contaminated state and developing creative methods to guarantee a proper fit-up when the casing repair was completed. Despite the OEM suggesting a new pump be purchased, the service provider was able to find an innovative and cost-saving way for the plant to repair the casing and reduce downtime. Continue reading