Bearings for Wave / Tidal / River Power


marinebearings

The world’s oceans are a vast global resource of non-polluting, endlessly renewable energy and with the ever increasing demand for electrical power, harnessing this force has become a major priority. Many companies and countries have invested heavily in developing systems that will generate power and yet still withstand the harsh underwater environment.

Thordon Bearings is the world’s leading manufacturer of high performance, long lasting bearing systems that require no oil or grease. Our polymers offer the best combination of strength/stiffness with flexibility/elasticity, along with high abrasion resistance.

For over 35 years, we’ve been supplying environmentally friendly bearing solutions for thousands of hydro turbine and marine applications across the globe. Our customers include Power Generating Plants as well more than 40 Navies and Coast Guards, cruise ships, tankers, ferries, dredgers and many other types of commercial ships.

Thordon’s non-polluting and maintenance free bearings are available worldwide through our factory trained distributor network that spans more than 100 countries. Our application engineers and global technical support will work with you to deliver innovative bearing solutions.

Thordon offers a choice of water-lubricated bearings, each delivering specific advantages in unique water environments and operating conditions. Bearings are available in sizes up to 1.2m (4’) and bearings with multiple pad segments up to 3m+ (10’+).

 



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Design

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The final (fully finished) sizing of a Thordon elastomer or ThorPlas bearing can be determined by using the Thordon Bearing Sizing Calculation Program.

You cannot run the Thordon Bearing Sizing Calculation Program Version 2017, Release 10 without a User Registration Number. Once you have a User Registration Number you can download the Program below and enter it when prompted.

Click here to Request a Bearing Sizing Program User Registration Number

If you have a Bearing Sizing Program User Registration Number, you can download the program here

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Our Newsletter

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  • News-Thumbnails-320x160-NewsWorks2019-1

    Thordon Hydro NewsWorks 2019

    Thordon’s web-based newsletter specifically developed for hydro and clean power users of oil-free and grease-free bearings. This newsletter includes feature articles about multiple successful turbine guide bearing conversions, T-G DNALOP purchasing a small hydro power plant in Poland, and a recent success of Thordon installed in a tidal energy application.
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Recent Hydro Power News

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  • thordonnews-hydrowebinars_thumb

    Back by Popular Demand! Thordon Experts Discuss 30 Years of Hydro Turbine Experience in a Series of Online Technical Seminars

    May 09, 2022
    Thordon Bearings will run a series of web-based technical seminars to help Canadian hydro power plant operators recognize and solve common problems with wicket gate bushings, turbine guide bearings, turbine shaft seals, and cooling water & filtration systems.
    Learn More
  • ThordonNews-Sep24-thumb

    Genesis Energy's Tekapo A Plant Completes Thordon Bearing Upgrade

    Sep 28, 2020
    New Zealand’s Genesis Energy has completed a first phase refurbishment of the 190MW hydro power plant at Lake Tekapo, in the South Island. Through its Auckland-based distributor Henley Group, Thordon supplied ThorPlas-Blue wicket gate bushes, Thorseal lip seals (which replaced nitrile rubber sealing rings in the lower and intermediate wicket gate bearings), and SXL operating ring wear pads. A new SXL turbine guide bearing, upgraded with better tolerances, was designed, supplied and installed. The shaft seal carbon segments were also replaced with SXL segments.
    Learn More