The required couplings pushed the boundaries of disk coupling design. They had size constraints, huge peak torque requirements from the generators, and a large amount of axial growth from the steam turbines.
The Turboflex design provides a massive level of torque density that can handle the required torque capacity within the space limitations imposed by the turbine design. Bibby engineers spent many hours working in conjunction with the OEM engineering team, including meetings at the customer’s office, to develop custom coupling solutions that met the application specifications and ensured the drivetrain characteristics were suitable.
To connect the steam turbines to the drivetrain gearboxes, Bibby supplied 1000 mm (39 in.) and 1428 mm (56-in.) long Turboflex couplings with diameters over 600 mm (23.6-in.). These units had max speed ratings of 5510 RPM and 8754 RPM respectively.
Bibby also supplied Turboflex couplings with a torque capacity of 822,000 Nm (606,276 lb.ft.) and a fault torque rating of 1,800,000 Nm (1,327,611 lb.ft.) to connect the drivetrain gearboxes to the generators. These 800 mm (31.5 in.) long, 680 mm (26.7 in.) diameter couplings had max speed ratings of 2600 RPM and 4400 RPM respectively.
Bibby Turboflex
www.bibbytransmissions.co.uk