The Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) is a public service infrastructure company that was founded in 1992. The objective of the state-run company is to make an adequate and reliable supply of electricity and water available to the people of Dubai.
There are hundreds of valves in the desalination and power plant and the butterfly and non-return valves regulate the seawater, potable water and brine recirculating water in the entire water circuit. The valves are removed and stripped only if there is an issue with its operation and that has been anywhere from 2 to 10 years. Whenever the valves are stripped, the end user has to replace the bushing, which raised many issues.
After hearing the issues that DEWA was having with the OEM bearings, Thordon’s authorized distributor in the United Arab Emirates, Ocean Power International, proposed a solution that included ThorPlas-Blue bearings. They first checked the load calculations to ensure that ThorPlas-Blue could withstand the pressure in this application. The pressure for this application was between 1.5 and 2 MPa (218 to 290 psi). ThorPlas-Blue can withstand operating pressure of up to 45 MPa (6,527 psi). Ocean Power International then performed a complete refurbishment.
ThorPlas-Blue bearings were first installed in this application in 2015, and after five years, the original valve remains in fine working condition. Based on the success in the original unit, Ocean Power International has installed ThorPlas-Blue in a number of valves at the Dubai Electricity & Water Authority facility since. WW
Thordon Bearings manufactures high performance, oil- and grease-free bearing systems, seals and other shaft line products for the global marine, clean power, pump and industrial markets. Learn more at www.thordonbearings.com.
