Energy

Hydra Service® launches revolutionary hydraulic turbine starter – HydraStart™

Written by Abby Davey

Hydra Service®, industry-leading manufacturer of Dynapower pumps, motors and turbine starters, announced today the launch of HydraStart™, a new hydraulic turbine starter system, engineered to the tightest tolerances and able to spin even the largest turbines with zero-carbon footprint and a reliability unmatched by traditional gas and air start systems.

Powerful and compact, HydraStart can be customized to generate the right amount of torque to start all sizes of turbines consistently and cleanly. It is significantly more reliable, easier to maintain, and has an overall lower cost of ownership than air and diesel options. Described by users as “smoother, faster and quieter,” HydraStart is a rigorously engineered system with minimal moving parts, distinguishing it from the industry’s standard failure-prone designs. HydraStart maintains legacy form, fit and function, enabling easy upgrades from old systems, regaining valuable space and reducing weight in the process.

“Hydraulic starting is significantly cleaner and more cost-effective than classic combustion, and now that we’ve cracked the code on consistent starts, HydraStart is easily the best option out there,” said Matthew Webber, President of Hydra Service. “This is a big step forward in a sector seeking clean innovation that has fallen drastically short of its goals. HydraStart allows older, inefficient turbines to continue spinning and helps industry leaders achieve green goals in a way that no other technology can.”

Hydra Service eliminates downtime by guaranteeing delivery dates for all products, including HydraStart. The first-ever HydraStart was installed on a GE Frame 5 on an emergency rush project for a municipality that needed to tear down, upgrade and restart their turbine in three months. Hydra Service spec’d, built and delivered their HydraStart on day 45 and the turbine was producing power one day later. Since then, the HydraStart system has worked flawlessly, with unanimous feedback from the turbine operators and municipality that other starters could not match the performance in their challenging environment, nor could they get the service they received from Hydra Service. They have happily recommended Hydra Service and the HydraStart to other utility companies and municipalities – one of which has two HydraStart systems on order.

Municipalities with aging systems are just one potential use-case, and Hydra Service has received interest from vessel operators in the US and foreign governments to design HydraStart systems for their ships. The team at Hydra Service has unrivaled experience in hydraulic starting with products and service performed on every continent. Whether on land or sea, HydraStart will perform quicker, quieter, smoother and cleaner.

For more information about Hydra Service, visit hydraservice.com