Carbon free technology: Water lubricated stern tube bearings for the marine industry to replace synthetic and oil bearings at the propeller of the ship.
Water lubricated stern tube bearings eliminate the potential of oil spill into waterways. Please watch our Green Energy presentation to learn more.
Hydro Tech Inc. is pleased to announce that it has filed for patents in both the United States and Canada for its unique split-sleeve technology.
The purpose of a shaft sleeve is to restore or modify the proper outside diameter or wear surface of the shaft in a bearing for optimal hydrodynamic performance. Traditional sleeve installation requires a sleeve that is designed to be either bolted or welded together. Welded sleeves require precision machining at a manufacturing facility or onsite, while bolted solutions do not achieve an adequately precise interference fit.
Hydro Tech’s innovation is a split-sleeve design that is factory-machined to exact dimensions for the required inside shrink fit and final outside diameter. This unique split-sleeve design requires that the sleeve be heated for installation. Once cooled, it provides an exact interference fit to the shaft, eliminating the need for field machining.
Hydro Tech has already deployed this split-sleeve solution on previous projects and will be looking for appropriate projects with our existing and new clients who wish to take advantage of this offering.
The filing of this patent demonstrates Hydro Tech’s leadership in the North American Hydro Electric services market through innovation and applied research.
Hydro Tech is now expanding its renowned hydro bearing expertise to the international bearing market and has partnered with Movena Korea Co., a South Korean-based maritime engineering and consulting company that has extensive knowledge in the marine propulsion industry.
To achieve this expansion, Hydro Tech is receiving advisory services and up to $500,000 in research and development (R&D) funding support through the Canadian International Innovation Program (CIIP). CIIP is a funding program offered by Global Affairs Canada in collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program that supports industrial R&D collaborations between Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises and international partners. Additionally, Movena Korea is receiving funding support from the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology.
Together Hydro Tech and Movena Korea will collaborate to develop complete bearing solutions for marine and hydroelectric bearing applications through a three year project to generate economic growth and development for both nations.
The research and development collaboration program is good news for Hydro Tech. “Our vision for the project is to enable Hydro Tech to mature as an organization, ensure there is no compromise to quality and dependability, while growing to meet the demands of all customers in the Canadian, U.S., and world markets.” says Hydro Tech President Mike Dupuis. “Within three years, we expect to achieve a substantial increase in international engineering and bearing supply which will, in turn, provide significant growth.”
The funding support provided through CIIP has already enabled the small enterprise to hire on additional full time staff members.
A 2018 inspection reveals very little wear has occurred to the 3,000,000+ lb capacity PTFE bearing that was installed in 2003. The bearing upgrade in 2003 from Babbitt to PTFE was conducted due to repeated bearing failures which occurred every 2 to 5 years. This bearing conversion was one of North America’s first PTFE bearing installations and has not had any failures over the last 15 years.
Hydro Tech recently completed an inspection of the PTFE bearing and is pleased to report that very little wear has occurred, and projects “a further wear life of 70 years or more“.
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We are pleased to announce the opening of our new branch office at the Northtown Plaza, 4300 Drummond Rd., Suite 102, Niagara Falls, Ontario L2E 6C3. Our newest location will enhance our ability to collaborate with new and existing customers, and suppliers, both locally and internationally.
Hydro Tech Inc. is proud to announce the acquisition of North American PTFE Bearing LLC as of March 6th, 2017.
HYDRO TECH INC., a North American leader in the supply of bearing expertise and generator/turbine mechanical rehabilitation services to the hydro industry, announces that it has acquired NORTH AMERICAN PTFE BEARING, LLC (NAPTFE) from U.S. owner Kjell Nyqvist. Ownership of the company transferred to Hydro Tech Inc. effective March 6, 2017.
With the acquisition of NAPTFE, Hydro Tech has signed an exclusive North American agency agreement with Russian company, EnEnergo, a 40-plus year manufacturer of PTFE bearing pads. Hydro Tech is headquartered in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, with a second location in Portland, Maine readily providing services throughout Canada and the United States. Hydro Tech is a proud member of the Russell Group of Companies (Russell Industries Corp.) which offers a full range of project and maintenance services from coast to coast.
This acquisition enables Hydro Tech to provide expedited design and supply of PTFE bearings, while continuing to offer its current and future clients a varied choice of bearing materials: babbitt, bronze, Lignum Vitae, and Zincaloy. Bearing services offered by Hydro Tech include, but are not limited to: upgrades; rehabilitation; new designs; bearing studies; thrust bearing spring optimizations; field services; re-babbitting; oil-to-water conversions; and water-to-oil conversions.
In announcing the acquisition agreement, Mr. Mike Dupuis, President of Hydro Tech Inc, commented: “Hydro Tech is excited to be North America’s exclusive supplier of EnEnergo’s PTFE bearing pads. We have worked closely with NAPTFE and EnEnergo for many years, and this was a natural addition to Hydro Tech’s bearing design and supply service.”
Established in 2001, Hydro Tech has a strong reputation for providing reliable and innovative engineering and contract services to the hydroelectric industry.
For more information, please contact:
Mike Dupuis – President at HydroTech Inc.
Email: mike.dupuis@hydrotech-inc.ca
Phone: 705-946-3182 x31
Hydro Tech Inc.
65 Industrial Court B
Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6B 5Z9
Hydro Tech Inc. and the Volta River Authority of Ghana, Africa, have successfully completed six thrust bearing installations at the Akosombo Generating Station in Ghana.
Akosombo is a 6 x 170 Mega-Watt (1020 MW total) generating station that has been experiencing recurring thrust bearing damages which required frequent repairs, and in some severe cases caused bearing failure necessitating replacement of the Babbitt bearing pads. The bearing failures were attributed to turbine runner upgrades which had increased the loading on the thrust bearings. Under the increased loading, original thrust bearings were slowly deteriorating to eventual failure. Several attempts were made by the OEM to correct this problem by modifying various parts of the thrust bearing with only partial, temporary success followed by eventual bearing failure.
After approaching various sources in their pursuit for a reliable and permanent solution, the Volta River Authority contracted with Hydro Tech Inc. to formulate a solution. Hydro Tech developed and supplied a new bearing with the support of EnEnergo of Russia which designed the PTFE bearing pads.
The thrust bearing has eighteen spring supported PTFE bearing pads. The bearing pads consist of a PTFE surface with a steel backing plate supported by a bed of precision manufactured thrust springs. The thrust runner plate is divided into four segments, which are supported by a thrust block and held in place with radial keys and eight vertical bolts holding the runner plate securely to the thrust block. The runner plate segments are tightly bolted and keyed together, then machined to provide a solid, smooth and polished running surface. The new bearing design has reduced the operating temperature (to ambient) by approximately 25% to 30%, and increased thrust load capacity by more than 70%. The new thrust bearing supports 1132 imperial tons of thrust load.
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