Power Generation, either Nuclear, Fossil Fuel, Solar Thermal, Gas (Combined Cycle), Hydro, has been a very important industry and special design demanding for Texas Controls.

Although many applications such as piping flanges and some pressure vessels require standard bolt tensioners, there are many specific applications, in many cases OEM depending, for which we developed special designs, such as gas turbine casings, turbine rotors, recirculating pumps, control valves, steam generators, etc.

Our designs, together with our close relationship with companies like Hydratight or Biach, allow us to provide a complete line of special tools and services to the Power Generation Industry.

Multi-Stud Tensioning (MST) systems are capable of tensioning every single stud in a joint simultaneously.

By designing the MST in segments, the operator is able to easily and quickly connect each segment to the joint and link together to provide same time loading. This provides a very accurate and fast closure system with applications on pumps, valves, and steam-generators.

Case Study 1 (Nuclear): Inspection Port Manways
MST systems by Hydratight are the fastest and most accurate means of loosening and tightening studs on Primary, Secondary, Hand-hole and Inspection Port Manways.
Innovative designs, using special ram areas and strong lightweight materials allow for 100% coverage which can reduce bolting time by as much as 75%.

Case Study 2 (Nuclear): Speciality Tensioners
The challenge? To design a custom tensioning system for the 93A Reactor Coollant Pump which will allow the utility to tension, rather than heat, two dozen 4.5″ studs to a 500,000 lbs. preload.

Hydratight’s solution: The slimline tensioner. This intelligent design used six equally spaced tensioners and tightening studs in four passes to substantially increase accuracy and save time. In fact Hydratight’s slimline tensioner managed to cut the time taken to perform this activity by 25% as well as addressing the Utility’s ALARA goals.