Krytox™ Lubricant Articles
Krytox™ XHT-BDZ Case Study
Nov
Krytox XHT BDZ Case Study
Krytox XHT BDZ Steam Turbine Governor Control Valve Application
An American electricity generating company reduces downtime and helps improve the bottom line by switching greases.
Major U.S. Supplier to the Electric Grid Improves Performance and Saves Money by using Krytox XHT BDZ grease
A major electricity generation company located in the United States was experiencing problems with the governor control valves in its steam turbines, because the grease it was using was drying out. This problem required the utility to shut down the base load unit for repair and to re-sleeve the bearings at least four times a year. Because the base load unit provides more than 500 megawatts to the electric grid, these frequent downtimes compromised the power supply and cost the company a significant loss of revenue.
The Challenge
The valve configuration used by the company is unique because it is only 10 feet from the turbine rather than the standard distance of 30 feet or more. As a result, the control valves are exposed to significantly higher temperatures than a control valve typically experiences. The company needed a grease that could handle extreme high temperatures that the cam shaft bearings and fulcrum pins are exposed to on a daily basis, and
not evaporate and cause the valve to seize— like the lubricant it had been using. This is where Krytox XHT BDZ grease helped.
The Solution
Krytox XHT-BDZ grease easily withstood the extreme high temperatures of this application without evaporating, enabling the control valves to operate continuously. By switching from a competitor’s product to Krytox, the company was able to help eliminate the need for costly quarterly shutdowns, which meant improved reliability of supply to the electric grid and enhanced company revenues.
Key Advantages
- Using Krytox grease, the utility was able to avoid frequent shutdowns, thus improving the reliability of supply to the electric grid and enhancing the bottom line.
- Cam shaft bearings and fulcrum pins stay well lubricated day in and day out, despite constant exposure to extremely high temperatures—thanks to Krytox XHT BDZ grease.
- Krytox XHT BDZ grease can provide similar benefits for steam turbine governor control valves used in paper manufacturing, chemical processing, or refinery operations.
Krytox™ is a trademark of The Chemours Company FC, LLC.
The recommendation made here with and the information set forth with respect to the performance or use of our products are believed, but not warranted to be accurate. The products discussed are sold without warranty, as to fitness or performance, express or implied and upon condition that purchasers shall make their own test to determine suitability of such products for their particular purposes. Likewise, statements concerning the possible uses of our products are not intended as recommendations to use our products in the infringement of any patent.
