Earlier this year we received a call from one of our regular clients in South Africa.
They own, operate and maintain numerous generator sets around the country with 21 installation teams working around the clock, and it had been noticed that the performance of their RR151 turbochargers was suffering.
This particular application was installed at an altitude of 1170m with an ambient air temperature of 40°c – something that the engine manufacturer had failed to consider. This meant that they were unable to generate sufficient boost pressure to get to rated power when ambient temperatures reached their maximum.
Only on colder days (20°c), with very little humidity, were they able to get to rated power.
Together we came up with 2 options:
- Change the Aspect Ratio (AR) of the turbine housing to increase the turbocharger speed, as the current speed is low.
- Change the compressor wheel to give higher output.
The client chose to replace the turbine housing.
We were able to meet their requirements by changing from WG04 AF12 spec to WG04 AF10, therefore reducing the area and improving performance.
Have you experienced something similar?
If there is anything we can help you with, contact us and we would be happy to assist.
