Complete Bearing Solution
Depending on size and orientation, generators use the full range of Waukesha Bearings products as internal bearings or complete assemblies with a housing.
Power generators tend to use the conventional material combination of babbitt (aka whitemetal) and steel backing. Polymer bearing surfaces can provide electrical insulation to prevent damaging stray currents from passing through the bearing. Hydrostatic jacking for start-up and run-down is common on larger machines.
Journal Bearings
Waukesha Bearings custom engineers tilt pad and fixed profile journal bearings to specific operating conditions. With specialized features, such as ‘Directed Lubrication’, our bearings are designed to transfer radial loads with minimum power loss and optimum dynamic characteristics.
Thrust Bearings
Waukesha Bearings offers fixed profile thrust bearings for lightly loaded applications and advanced tilting pad solutions for more demanding operating conditions. Tilt pad designs may be non-equalizing or self-equalizing with flooded or ‘Directed’ lubrication to support unique application requirements.
Horizontal Assemblies
Waukesha Bearings horizontal bearing assemblies include highly customized journal or combined journal and thrust bearings designed to interface with an external pressurized oil system or operate as a fully self-contained unit.
Vertical Assemblies
Our vertical bearing assemblies can be customized with options such as cooling arrangements, electrical insulation, hydrostatic lift provisions and instrumentation.
Active Magnetic Bearings
Waukesha leads the industry in custom-engineered magnetic bearing systems for large turbomachinery and high-performing rotating equipment. Our advanced systems provide extremely high reliability and availability in even the most challenging environments.
Maxalign® Journal Bearings
Optimized for large-frame turbomachinery, Maxalign bearings meet the demand for greater misalignment capability and reduced power loss. Central to the design is a patented ball and socket pivot support.
Case Study
When Alstom Power identified a phenomenon of spiral vibration close to the trip level on a 450 MVa hydrogen-cooled generator, our proprietary predictive tools and extensive industry experience on equipment of this size made Waukesha the clear choice to design and manufacture a drop-in bearing replacement.
Leading Vibration Solutions
With our in-depth understanding of system rotordynamics, Waukesha Bearings offers proven solutions to improve stability and control vibrations. Chief among those solutions, our ISFD® technology provides highly engineered damping and stiffness to maximize energy dissipation at the bearing locations.