Home > About Us > Press Center > 2003 Press Releases : Press Release
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Home > About Us > Press Center > 2003 Press Releases : Press Release |
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GE Hydro’s X-Blade Turbine Design Selected for California Plant Refurbishment LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (December 9, 2003) — GE Hydro will apply its advanced design X-Blade runner for a turbine refurbishment project to upgrade the performance of the New Melones hydroelectric plant located on the Stanislaus River near Sonora, California. The work will be performed by GE Hydro under a contract of more than $8.8 million awarded by the Mid-Pacific Regional Office of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in Sacramento, California. The scope of GE’s contract includes the replacement of the turbine runners for the two Francis hydro turbines at the site, plus major turbine overhauls. GE Hydro of Lachine, Quebec, Canada will coordinate the project, which includes model testing, turbine runner design, procurement and manufacturing, refurbishment work and site work. The installation of the first unit is scheduled to be completed by mid-2005 and the second unit will be completed one year later. GE Hydro’s X-Blade technology increases efficiency across a broad range of operation for hydropower plants with large variations in head and flow, such as New Melones. “With its very wide operating range, the New Melones project is technically challenging,” said Robert Balletti, GE Hydro’s USA Regional Manager. “The head range of 300 to 580 feet is much larger than most hydro sites in the United States, which is exactly the type of challenge our X-Blade technology was designed for.” Key benefits of the new technology include improved stability over large ranges in flow and head; strong cavitation behavior, especially inlet cavitation; low-pressure pulsation levels; and higher part-load and overload efficiency levels. GE developed its X-Blade design during the early stages of the Three Gorges project in China. The technology also is being implemented at the Cougar upgrade project, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers site in Oregon. GE Hydro, a unit of GE Power Systems, is a world leader in the supply of hydro turbines, generators and related electro-technical equipment for the hydropower production industry. Capabilities include complete water-to-wire solutions for new hydroelectric plants and refurbishment and service for existing plants. About GE Power Systems GE Power Systems (www.gepower.com) is one of the world’s leading suppliers of power generation technology, energy services and management systems with 2002 revenues of nearly $23 billion. Based in Atlanta, GA, GE Power Systems provides equipment, service and management solutions across the power generation, oil and gas, distributed power and energy rental industries. > Press Contacts > More 2003 Press Releases |