Pepperell Rehab Progress

    Rehabilitation of missing T-2 turbine-generator unit started with delivery of the vertical Leffel B turbine and gatecase to the SRHOCO machine shop and delivery of the new 675 kW generator to Pepperell (see picture of generator delivery) in February 2004.  The first task was to take the gatecase apart so that best wicket gate, link, and steady vane could be used as patterns so that new parts could be poured at a foundry.  In addition, new wicket gate pins and bolts and gate control ring operator arms could be machined in the SRHOCO shop.

T-2 gatecase disassembly

Down to the bottom plate of T-2 gatecase                   Machining new wicket gate operators

The next task was to find a shaft for the new T-2 turbine-generator set.  Fortunately, a shaft was found in the mill building where SRHOCO's shop is located that once powered all the drive shafts for the textile mill. It was rigged out, turned down on SRHOCO's giant lathe, shortened and a new coupling added to one end.

A 60' long steel shaft being machined to proper diameter and length in SHROCO's shop

    At the same time, new trashracks were fabricated at the shop and stockpiled for installation at the T-2 intake when the crane would be on site to install the new Atlas Polar trash rake order from Canada.  Next, the Pepperell powerhouse had to be cleaned out and the old slate control panels removed to make way for new switchgear and to give room to laydown the T-3 turbine and generator that was next to be replaced by a new efficient Francis turbine being fabricated by American Hydro turbine design group in York, PA.  The T-3 Leffel runner had been damaged in recent years by the Pepperell Paper Company operators, so a replacement runner was ordered similar to T-1, which had been installed only 4 years ago.

    First, the T-3 generator was uncoupled from the turbine shaft, so that the shaft and flywheel could be set aside in the turbine pit. The generator was then lifted off of its pedestal and place on the T-2 generator mount for short-term storage. Then, the T-3 wicket gatecase was unbolted from its embedment and carefully lifted up and over the T-3 turbine shaft and set down in the turbine pit for later refurbishment of gate links with new bushings.  The rigging was done through the generator hole from the bride crane and lifting points set in the powerhouse floor. The following pictures show the week long rigging job as it progressed.

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