Farrat 3rd Generation LA16 Levalator’s supplied to Alstom, for the installation of 12 steam turbine generators across power plants in Thailand

Alstom was awarded the contract back in 2015 by Gulf MP Company Limited. The 12 35MW to 45MW geared reaction steam turbine (GRT) generators, auxiliaries, and condensers will be installed by 2019.

As steam turbines require stable, level foundations to support the machine bed and reduce the impacts of machine-induced vibrations, Farrat’s LA16 Levalator was specified to act as the efficient connection between steam turbine and foundation.

The Farrat LA16 Levalator overcomes the deficiencies of alternate machine levelling solutions on the market, such as Jackscrew supports.

The LA16 consists of a high grade cast iron basebox, machined on the inside to support the screw-driven, fully machined lower-wedge (high grade cast iron) and elevate the fully machined steel top-wedge. A spherical disc sits in a spherical recess on the top surface of the steel wedge, providing a spherical seating to correct misalignment and complex angles between machine and foundation.

Jackscrews however, are inadequate for large machine support as they are ‘pivot only’. Pivot only supports are not stiff enough horizontally or vertically and will distort under excessive loads – limiting hold down bolt tension and creating localised stressing, in both machine bed and support plate. The LA16 is Farrat’s 3rd generation Levalator, independently tested to 2,500 kN capacity without failure, allowing us to uprate our Load Capacity to 1,000 kN. From a UK Foundry, we have increased the material grade of the carbon steel used, so that the LA16 has higher Tensile Strengths. Quality has also been increased, with the introduction of the 3.1 material certification for all castings and the Height Adjustment per full-turn has been decreased from the original Levalator, to offer higher accuracy when installing.

The project’s first GTR steam engine installation using Farrat LA16’s was commissioned in 2016. The remaining power plant installations are expected to be complete and operational by 2019, offering additional capacity to the grid of Thailand and providing steam to the power plants’ neighbouring industries.

For more information on Farrat LA16 Levalators, please visit our wbeiste www.farrat.com.