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Public works outlines repairs after hydroelectric gearbox returned with defects
Summary
Public works staff reported mechanical damage to the city’s hydroelectric gearbox after a repair shipment returned from the vendor; staff described plans to replace couplings and bearings and pursue vendor remediation.
Mount Pleasant public works staff reported Sept. 23 that the city’s small hydroelectric generating unit suffered mechanical damage and that returned repair parts did not meet specifications. Staff described repeated bearing and seal failures and said vendor workmanship on a recently returned gearbox assembly appeared to have left the component out of alignment and damaged.
Public works said the unit’s drivetrain runs the hydro wheel at roughly 400 RPM into a gearbox that increases speed to about 1,200 RPM for the generator; staff said the design has experienced bearing wear and that the current failure affected couplings and bearing galleries. Staff said they had asked the vendor to make good on the repairs and that options under consideration include replacing the rubber couplings with a more rigid custom coupling, replacing worn bearings, and conducting a borescope inspection of internal gears. A vibration specialist has inspected the assembly and advised removing the unit from service to avoid further damage.
The public works presenter said the vendor acknowledged shortcomings in the returned assembly and offered to work with the city to correct the defects; staff will obtain quotes and proceed with repair work. The generator remains out of service while staff secures parts and vendor remediation. City leaders said doing the repair correctly now should reduce repeated outages and bearing replacements in the future.
