Magnetic bearings perform well in boiler feed pump application
An eight-stage, 553-hp boiler feed pump with magnetic bearings has been successfully operating since last November at the 58-MW, 1950-vintage Greenidge Unit 3 of New York State Electric and Gas Co. This paper reports that the installation was funded by the Empire State Electric Energy Research Corp. The utility will pay for a year of testing. The application of this new technology, the first one of significant size in the utility industry is described. The current installation uses external magnetic bearings in air replacing the conventional, externally mounted, oil-lubricated bearings. The twin-boiler generating unit has three 50% capacity (450-kW each) boiler feed pumps, two operating and one spare. Each operating pump has a flow capacity of 300,000 lb/hr. The demonstration project involved the purchase of three new pumps, two conventional and one with magnetic bearings. For all three pumps, the basic design is conventional. The pump with magnetic bearings, however, requires no lube oil auxiliary system one side of its skid is empty. The testing program will compare the operation of the pumps with oil-lubricated conventional bearings with the pump with magnetic bearings.
- OSTI ID:
- 5285223
- Journal Information:
- Power Engineering; (United States), Journal Name: Power Engineering; (United States) Vol. 95:10; ISSN POENA; ISSN 0032-5961
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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