Success Stories   Protecting Allegheny Power’s ID Fan from Fly Ash Erosion Download PDF here. (106KB)   PROBLEM: Allegheny Power’s Harrison Station suffered repeated ID fan erosion problems. The blade liners were unpredictably failing, causing a loss in power generation and significant damage to the fan. SOLUTION: There was no question about Conforma Clad’s ability to withstand the erosive effects of an aggressive fly ash environment, because our tungsten carbide cladding is metallurgically bonded to the steel substrate and is porous free. However, in previous applications, the cladding was applied to separate nose and center plate liners. The vulnerable junction seam was protected by an inferior weld overlay. As a solution, Conforma Clad developed a one-piece liner that completely eliminated the weak point of the weld seam. Our clad blade liners were installed on two ID fans. They operated for over 3 years before being replaced. The best performance this utility had received from liners using alternative protective materials was 3 months. In another innovative move, Conforma Clad tackled the problem of the weight of wear resistant liners. Even though our cladding weighs barely 7% of that of equivalent amounts of erosion resistance in chrome carbide weld overlay, the traditional substrate material adds significantly to the weight of the liner. We developed a revolutionary thin wall design that addressed the critical need for maximum protection at reduced weight. Using the same proven cladding on thinner substrate material, we now provide the same protection as previous Conforma Clad liners, but have reduced the overall weight of the protective plate by an additional 50%. Six easy steps to avoid unplanned outages and extend run time between outages: Call Conforma Clad On-site measurement Design of components Fabrication Cladding process Installation ADVANTAGES Metallurgical bond High carbide loading No check cracks or porosity Complex geometry components Insurance against catastrophic failures Resists chipping & spalling Reduced weight Geometry control & flexibility Conforma Clad’s tungsten carbide cladding has been cited by the Electric Power Research Institute as the most resistant, of approximately 30 materials, evaluated in fly ash erosion tests. © 2003 Conforma Clad Inc. All rights reserved.