Showcase Projects
Solar Turbines

Products designed and manufactured by Solar Turbines play an important role in the development of oil, natural gas, and power generation projects around the world. Many of Solar Turbines' gas turbine power system solutions are developed and tested in its Kearny Mesa Manufacturing Facility, where creative thinking and unique approaches to problem solving are the norm.

Innovators themselves, Solar's engineers demanded no less from University when they called upon us to fabricate and install two thermal oxidizers. Solar requires these units to burn smoky exhaust emitted during liquid fuel-turbine engine testing operations. Burning the exhaust mitigates the odor associated with the smoke that is generated during certain stages of testing. The exhaust stream is diverted to the thermal oxidation units, where the temperature is raised to between 1700 and 1800 degrees Fahrenheit, completely burning the unburned fuel and hydrocarbons present in the exhaust.

University's work entailed installing a complex system of ductwork, expansion joints, diverter valves, and controls at two locations in the Solar facility. Our shop fabrication capabilities were at center stage for this one-of-kind effort. Our shop crews rolled 11-gauge 304SS (stainless steel) material into 70-inch diameter spools and then welded custom-rolled 70-inch diameter 304SS flanges to each end of the spools, thus creating individual spool pieces that would tie into Solar's existing equipment. We also installed two 40,000-pound oxidizer stacks and burner skids that tied into our ductwork.

All of our construction activity was precisely coordinated to ensure that Solar Turbines maintained its existing operations with minimal downtime.

The Solar Turbines Thermal Oxidizer Team:
Engineer: Solar Turbines
Prime mechanical contractor: University Mechanical & Engineering Contractors
University project manager: Dan Hirst
Piping foreman: Jim Davis
Sheet metal foreman: Jim Murphy; Roger Fewkes
Ductwork shop manager: Rick Tenbroek

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