Foreign-designed turbines and compressors seen over the years
Thread Content
This post was last edited by yunqishilz_JGLQ on 2022-3-28 at 13:14. I studied *mechanical manufacturing equipment and processes; after starting work in a factory, I was mainly dealing with various processing issues, focusing more on process-related tasks. After leaving the state-owned enterprise in 2005, I went to work for a foreign company in a management role. I was shocked by their design of steam inlet systems for turbines, and it was only after seeing their rotor designs that I truly realized there are always better ways to do things. In 2010, I joined a foreign company that specializes in industrial steam turbines and centrifugal compressors. What surprised me once again were the designs of the impellers and flow channels. This post is intended to showcase these classic designs; everyone is welcome to share their thoughts.
The upper and lower halves of the high-pressure inner cylinder are connected by three red rings rather than bolts, eliminating the need for flanges at the mid-separation plane as well as the preheating process required during unit startup.
The attached figure is a three-in-one unit diagram commonly seen in the chemical industry. In the middle is the industrial steam turbine; on the left is the air compressor, and on the right is the gear-type compressor (which performs a second compression of the gas produced by the air compressor)
It must be admitted that in the field of turbine and air compressors, the products of foreign companies are still superior to those of domestic companies, particularly in terms of material heat treatment, manufacturing processes, and design capabilities. We still have a long way to go; by learning from advanced practices and gradually replacing these components, increasing the proportion of domestically produced items is the only viable path forward.
Indeed, but the technology of SAIC and Dongfeng Motors in China is still quite good
After graduating from university, I worked at Dongfang Electric for ten years, focusing on high-pressure inner cylinders, high and medium-pressure outer cylinders, nozzles, diaphragms, retainer rings, bearing housings, and valves; I never worked on rotors. When I went to Alstom, my main tasks were the processing and assembly of stator components, and it was only in the past ten years that I have been mainly involved in the inspection and maintenance of rotors. After a careful comparison of the designs, SAIC can be said to have the strongest technology, while Dongfeng Motor offers the fastest and best after-sales service.
It’s true :handshake
To be honest, domestic companies have made significant progress in recent years, but there is still a big gap; otherwise, why would everyone strive to purchase imported equipment?
In recent years, domestic enterprises have made significant progress as well. For example, in the chemical industry, compressor manufacturers such as Shenhua Group produce ethylene compressors and pipeline compressors; they have also developed large-scale air separation units with a capacity of 100,000 cubic meters. Shaanxi Gas Turbine Group holds a substantial share in the domestic market for axial flow fans. But overall, there is still a significant gap in new machine manufacturing compared to German companies such as Siemens and Mannesmann; even when it comes to screw compressors from companies like Atlas and Ingersoll Rand, we are still far behind.