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TB Wood's Form-Flex® GCH Couplings with Locking Hubs for Natural Gas Fueling Station Compressors
A leading packager of reciprocating compressor equipment required a reliable coupling
solution for its line of compressor packages used at natural gas vehicle (NGV) refueling
stations. These stations are needed to support the growing number of natural gas
powered municipal bus and truck fleets as well as passenger vehicles. The multi-stage,
skid-mounted compressors feed the gas to on-site storage vessels for distribution to
individual vehicle dispensers. The couplings are used to connect the electric drive motor
to the compressor that operates at ranges up to approximately 75 scfm.
TB Wood’s engineers worked closely with the customer to design a custom Form-Flex
GCH 240 disc coupling to meet the application duty requirements, while allowing easy
setup of the equipment on site. The supplied heavy-duty coupling features a ductile iron
spacer, fully-machined carbon steel hubs, high carbon steel unitized disc packs, and a
torque rating of 240,000 in.lb. Form-Flex couplings provide high torsional stiffness, zero
backlash and a long service life. Units have no moving parts and require no lubrication
for worry-free operation.
A hub with an external keyless locking device was used on the compressor and motor end
of the coupling allowing for easy installation and removal for compressor maintenance.
The keyless locking device also allows for motor rotation testing during compressor
installation. Hubs with external keyless locking devices eliminate fretting of hub to shaft
while combining the ease of a slip fit with the power of a shrink fit.
Highlights
- Custom Form-Flex GCH
disc couplings
- Torque rating up to
4,000,000 in.lb.
- Fully-machined carbon
steel hubs
- Zero backlash
- Keyless locking device
incorporated on the
compressor and motor
shafts for easy installation
and removal
- API671 compliance is
optional