There are many things which we take for granted, including stable and reliable mains power. Whilst the lights are on, the machines are running, and the computer screens remain alive, we rarely give any thought to how dependant we are on electricity to keep our businesses and infrastructure going.
When the main power source fails, and you need to turn to standby power, it’s essential that all elements of the emergency generator set, including the drive coupling, are ultra-reliable and capable of sustaining the demand for back-up power as and when needed until the main power supply is restored.
Stand-by power generators operate in a variety of applications, environments and ambient conditions but irrespective of the situation, the drive coupling will always be expected to transmit the loads required whilst also delivering an extended service life before repair or replacement is required.
For Gen-Set manufacturers, the key to mitigating any perceived risk that might be associated with the drive coupling element of the system, is to use products that already have an established reputation for field proven and predictable performance within the sector.
The power generation sector is an area where Reich coupling technology excels, and with many thousands of hours of failure free operation, Reich’s Arcusaflex® and TOK ranges can be found at the heart of Gen-Sets from many of the world’s leading manufacturers.
Arcusaflex® – High Performance With Failsafe Features
Reich’s Arcusaflex® coupling is a highly flexible flywheel coupling with an axial plug-in facility and provides a torsionally soft connection with constant torsional stiffness between the combustion engine and the alternator. This characteristic is achieved by a disc shaped rubber element with a toothed outer profile, attached to the alternator shaft by a bolted hub which in turn mates with a separate aluminium or cast iron flange that bolts directly to the engine flywheel. The coupling element can be subjected to high torsional loads and compensate for misalignment. During operation the coupling is backlash free, and the toothed profile design provides a failsafe mechanism in the event of an overload situation protecting either the engine or alternator from damage.
To ensure suitability with the diverse application conditions that may be encountered in the field, a selection of different rubber compounds are available to provide the correct torsional characteristics for the application and meet the anticipated ambient operating temperatures (up to 130°C).
(Reich’s Arcusaflex® Coupling Combines High Performance With Valuable Failsafe Features)
Also, widely used in stand-by generator applications, the TOK coupling range is specifically designed for applications that require very low torsional stiffness. The Reich TOK coupling is particularly well suited for flexibly mounted engine applications requiring large radial, angular and axial displacements. The TOK coupling has a torque range up to 258000Nm and to date has been used on gensets up-to 5MW.
(The TOK Coupling Has Been Used On Gen-Sets Up To 5MW)
With a history spanning over 70 years, REICH has built up unrivalled expertise in the design and manufacture of drive couplings for use across a wide range of industries and applications. The company has earned an enviable reputation not only for the quality and performance of their product range, but also for their ability to provide application and customer specific solutions through the company’s D2C (Design to Customer) philosophy.
