Vorecon Variable Speed Planetary Gear
The Vorecon is a hydrodynamic variable speed planetary gear. The Vorecon controls the speed of pumps, compressors and fans. Your driven machine operates at the speed demanded by the process. The result is tremendous energy savings in comparison to throttle or bypass control systems. The Vorecon installation can be amortized in just a few years of service.
The Vorecon combines reliable mechanical design with hydrodynamic power transmission. Hydrodynamic power transmission is wear-free. This helps the variable-speed gear to achieve a mean time between failures (MTBF) of 48 years. System reliability exceeds 99.98%. Your operation will run for a very long time without unplanned downtime, boosting the productivity of your system.
Are you planning a project with variable speed drive in the power range 1 to 50 MW? Please contact us and together we can look for the best solution. Jointly, we can consider all of the costs incurred over the planned system service life. We prefer to work through the cost calculation collaboratively with you in a team setting so that you are comfortable with the methodology.
Voith Turbo GmbH & Co. KG
Variable Speed Drives
Voithstr. 1
74564 Crailsheim, Germany
Tel. +49 7951 32-261
Fax +49 7951 32-650
vs.drives@voith.com
Service, Spare Parts, Repair
Tel. +49 7951 32-1666
Fax +49 7951 32-903
coupling-service@voith.com
Service Helpline (24/7)
Tel. +49 7951 32-1616
Technical data
| Power | 1 – 50 MW |
| Output speed | Up to 20,000 rpm |
| MTBF | ~ 48 years |
| Reliability | ~ 99.98% |
| Overall efficiency | Up to 2% better than that of electronic variable speed drive systems |
| Lifetime | Up to 3x longer than variable frequency drives (VFDs) |
| Required installation space | Up to 68% less than for electronic variable speed drive systems |
Advantages and benefits
- We combine hydrodynamic power transmission with mechanical parts designed for a long life. Our drive system has no failure-prone power electronics. This permits the Vorecon to achieve a MTBF of 48 years and an average reliability of 99.98%. Your operation will run for a very long time without unplanned downtime, boosting the productivity of your system, and your profits along with it.
- Vorecon operation is based on the principle of power splitting. This permits the Vorecon to achieve an efficiency exceeding 95%. Drive systems featuring the Vorecon have very few required auxiliaries that burn additional energy. The result: overall efficiency is up to 2% greater than that of electronic variable speed drive systems. Speed control using the Vorecon saves energy. Your operating costs are lower, and with fewer CO2 emissions, you play your part in protecting the climate.
- The Vorecon unit is comprised of a speed control system, gearbox and oil supply. This means the drive system needs up to 68% less installation space than comparable electronic variable speed drive systems. The reduced space required for installation means much lower infrastructure costs, particularly in offshore applications. The Vorecon saves on installation space and reduces the overall system weight. You save on overall system construction costs – quite significantly in the case of space-critical offshore platforms and vessels deployed for offshore petroleum and natural gas production (FPSO, FSO, FLNG, FSRU).
- Hydrodynamic power transmission is wear-free. The mechanical power transmitting components are robust and designed for a long service life. Compared with variable frequency drives (VFDs), the service life of the Vorecon is more than three times as long. The Vorecon is a product built for the long term. It gives you long-term planning security – over many decades.
- Vorecon system components don't just have a long service life. We also manufacture our systems to be low-maintenance. This, combined with overhaul intervals of 8 years, ensures both low operating costs and high availability. Maintenance costs are low and service outages can be planned and scheduled in advance. You reduce both the downtime and operating costs of your equipment.
Typical applications
Speed control for
- Gas lift compressors
- Depletion compressors
- Injection compressors
- Export gas compressors
- Pipeline compressors
- Wet gas compressors
- Refrigerating compressors
- Acid gas compressors
- Process gas compressors
- Hydrogen recycling compressors
- Flash-gas compressors
- Boil-off gas compressors
- Loading pumps
- Boiler feed pumps
- Boiler fans
- and more
Technical information
Technical information
Driveline
In the driveline, the Vorecon is located between the driving motor and the driven machine.
Design and function
- The input shaft is connected to the ring gear of the planetary gear.
- A large proportion of the input power is thus transmitted to the planetary gear directly, mechanically and almost loss-free.
- A hydrodynamic torque converter is also coupled with the input shaft.
- The pump wheel of the torque converter is linked to the input shaft and "diverts" a very small proportion of the input power.
- A flow of fluid transmits this power from the pump wheel to the turbine wheel of the torque converter (hydrodynamic power transmission).
- The "diverted" power is transmitted to the planet carrier of the planetary gear via the turbine wheel.
- The power from the ring gear and from the planet carrier are combined in the planetary gear.
- The planet gears transmit the combined power to the sun gear, the output shaft and, finally, to the driven machine.
- Adjustable guide vanes control the flow of fluid in the torque converter and determine the speed of the turbine wheel. This allows the speed of the driven machine to be adjusted steplessly.