EDF continue to trust AIS to repair and replace turbine fleet insulation jackets
Building trust is at the forefront of what we do. Therefore, we are delighted to report that EDF has used ContraFlex® jackets to repair and replace jackets on valves, governors and stops in various stations for over eight years. Since every turbine is unique, our team continues to make bespoke applications to fit the customer's turbines. Furthermore, the removal and maintenance of our jackets is up to three times quicker than traditional methods - resulting in millions in cost savings for EDF.
Highlights
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Solution
Turbines use "superheated steam" (steam that's hotter than its vaporisation or boiling point at the absolute pressure where the temperature is measured) which may cause health and safety risks if not insulated. At AIS, we design, manufacture, and install ContraFlex® high-temperature insulation jackets so they are capable of operating at 900 °C. Therefore, they can withstand the 700 °C limit of gas turbines (GT) with ease. This is through the use of specially selected infill materials and fabrics, and staggered joints between the layers of insulation, ensuring minimal heat loss and maximum efficiency. As a result, EDF continues to trust our insulation solution.
Our track record
Typical applications include insulating intermediate pressure (IP) and high pressure (HP) turbine half joints, main boiler feed pumps (MBFP) in addition to ancillary equipment such as; stops, governors (Gov), valves and strainers including; vacuum tubes (VT) and idle control valves (ICV). The table below illustrates our continual work with EDF power plants across the UK:
Results
Our ContraFlex® jackets reduced the removal, maintenance and reinstatement schedule from seven days using traditional insulation to three. This reduction in outage time for Hartlepool and Heysham 1 provided over £5 million in cost savings. From steam leak sectioned areas to full turbine overhaul, our Thermal Insulation Engineers (TIE) are available to assist on any major turnaround/fabric maintenance campaign.
