GGB Bearing Technology's HPM™ and HPF™ fiber-reinforced, plastic composite bearings meet the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' specifications for self-lubricating bearings for wicket gate applications in hydropower turbines, according to tests performed by Powertech Labs, Inc., Surrey, B.C., Canada.
"In general the bushings performed well with very little evidence of operating stress," concluded the final test report. "There was no indication of damage to the journals or damage to the bushings."
Powertech Labs subjected the bearings to accelerated wear testing under dry, wet and low-speed, edge-loaded oscillating conditions, simulating those encountered in actual hydropower turbines. The HPM™ bearings exhibited acceptable coefficients of friction and wear in dry testing, and generally low wear rates in wet and edge load tests. The final test report also cited the material's robust construction and PTFE brand, self-lubricating properties.
The HPF™ bearings performed extremely well with low friction values regardless of test conditions, according to the Powertech report. Wet and edge-loaded testing yielded extremely low wear rates. Dry wear rates varied somewhat over the course of the testing, but remained well within the specification.
Developed specifically for hydropower applications, GGB's HPM and HPF materials provide high load capacity, excellent shock and edge loading capacity, low friction, superior wear rate, corrosion resistance and dimensional stability. Because the bearings are self-lubricating, they are also environmentally friendly.
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