hydro

The sluice gate at Faraday Dam in Oregon operates fully submerged with approximately 40′ of head at the middle of the gate. The estimated operation pressure on each of the bushings is around 4,000psi (4ksi). The gate is used for water level control, therefore continuously makes small adjustments to its elevation.

The gate was removed in September 2014 to perform inspection of gate wheel assembly and bearings. It was determined that several of the wheels had either stopped working or fallen off due to corrosion and lack of lubrication. The remaining bearings were found to have excessive clearance due to wear. New stainless steel sleeves were fabricated by Portland Manufacturing and welded onto the gate wheel stub shafts. New composite greaseless bushings supplied by CIP were installed to replace the failed bearings.

Hydropower has been used for thousands of years and represents the largest, most efficient and proven renewable energy source on the planet. The rehabilitation and repowering of existing generation stations, as well as developing generation at non powered dams, and introducing pump storage strategies provide a multitude of opportunities for continued growth within the industry. Water management in much of the world is faced with changing regulations to support the balancing act between power generation, ecological sustainability, and agriculture irrigation. New technologies, equipment, and modern controls systems to optimize production are aiding the industry in this balance while continuing to increase power generation.

Suppliers, like Columbia Industrial Products, must be equipped to provide quality assurance, formal documentation, and products that will perform for decades in mixed use environments. CIP has built a solid reputation while working with the US Army Corps of Engineers, Utilities, and Contractors fulfilling these requirements while providing a high quality bearing product.

CIP Composites is the leading manufacturer of environmentally friendly, self-lubricating bearings and wear pads designed to replace greased bronze components inside a variety of turbine designs, gates and valves, and auxiliary equipment. CIP composite products provide the perfect balance of performance, availability, and cost to satisfy the most rigorous demands of your hydro generation project, no matter the schedule or scale.