Centrax
Encyclopedia
Centrax, also known as Centrax Gas Turbines is an engineering company based in Devon
in the power generation industry making generating sets with Rolls Royce
gas turbine engines. These are known as industrial gas turbines.
in the early stages of jet engines at Power Jets
. It was known as Centrax Power Units Ltd on Victoria Road in Feltham
.
In 1955 it opened its compressor and turbine blade factory in Devon and became Centrax Ltd, and still retained its London site. In 1964 it entered into a joint arrangement with Misco Precision Casting (the Michigan
-based Misco division of Howmet Castings
of Ohio
) of the USA and formed Central-Misco Ltd, a division of the company that made metal products with investment casting
. It operated separate to the main company. In the early 1970s it had around 2,000 employees. In January 1970 there was a serious strike at the factory, with over half the workforce on strike for more than three months.
In early 1974, the company was bought by GKN. GKN
Centrax Gears was based at Heathfield and made axle
s, and in 1975 it became part of the GKN Axles group.
For most of its recent history, since the 1970s, it has been packaging the small Rolls-Royce 501 engine, but in September 2007 it signed an exclusive deal with R-R to be the only company to package the R-R Trent 60 engine in a generating set in Europe-wide projects. It opened a new factory on its site to build the Trent 60 sets.
s), discs, shafts and casings.
systems - usually large manufacturing plants that require large amounts of heating or steam. It exports 95% of its turnover.
engines. Its turbine components include much of a complete jet engine except to combustion equipment.
It offers the following options of generating sets:
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
in the power generation industry making generating sets with Rolls Royce
Rolls-Royce plc
Rolls-Royce Group plc is a global power systems company headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second-largest maker of aircraft engines , and also has major businesses in the marine propulsion and energy sectors. Through its defence-related activities...
gas turbine engines. These are known as industrial gas turbines.
History
It was founded by Richard HH Barr OBE, the chairman, and Geoffrey R White, the technical director, who had worked with Sir Frank WhittleFrank Whittle
Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS was a British Royal Air Force engineer officer. He is credited with independently inventing the turbojet engine Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS (1 June 1907 – 9 August 1996) was a British Royal Air...
in the early stages of jet engines at Power Jets
Power Jets
Power Jets Ltd was a United Kingdom company set up by Frank Whittle for the purpose of designing and manufacturing jet engines.-History:Founded on January 27, 1936, the company consisted of Whittle, Rolf Dudley-Williams, James Collingwood Tinling, and Lancelot Law Whyte of investment bankers O T...
. It was known as Centrax Power Units Ltd on Victoria Road in Feltham
Feltham
Feltham is a town in the London Borough of Hounslow, west London. It is located about west south west of central London at Charing Cross and from Heathrow Airport Central...
.
In 1955 it opened its compressor and turbine blade factory in Devon and became Centrax Ltd, and still retained its London site. In 1964 it entered into a joint arrangement with Misco Precision Casting (the Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
-based Misco division of Howmet Castings
Howmet Castings
Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Howmet, a division of Alcoa is a world leader in the investment casting of superalloys, aluminum and titanium primarily for jet aircraft and industrial gas turbine engine components...
of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
) of the USA and formed Central-Misco Ltd, a division of the company that made metal products with investment casting
Investment casting
Investment casting is an industrial process based on and also called lost-wax casting, one of the oldest known metal-forming techniques. From 5,000 years ago, when beeswax formed the pattern, to today’s high-technology waxes, refractory materials and specialist alloys, the castings allow the...
. It operated separate to the main company. In the early 1970s it had around 2,000 employees. In January 1970 there was a serious strike at the factory, with over half the workforce on strike for more than three months.
In early 1974, the company was bought by GKN. GKN
GKN
GKN plc is a multinational automotive and aerospace components company headquartered in Redditch, United Kingdom. The company was formerly known as Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds and can trace its origins back to 1759 and the birth of the Industrial Revolution.GKN is listed on the London Stock...
Centrax Gears was based at Heathfield and made axle
Axle
An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle...
s, and in 1975 it became part of the GKN Axles group.
For most of its recent history, since the 1970s, it has been packaging the small Rolls-Royce 501 engine, but in September 2007 it signed an exclusive deal with R-R to be the only company to package the R-R Trent 60 engine in a generating set in Europe-wide projects. It opened a new factory on its site to build the Trent 60 sets.
Awards
In 2010 and 2002 it won a Queen's Award for Enterprise, and in 1969 a Queen's Award to Industry for export achievement.Gas Turbine Division
It packages the Rolls-Royce gas turbines. For open cycle operation, the smaller gas turbines vary in efficiency from 25-32%, and the large units have around 40% efficiency. The division also packages combined heat and power units with the appropriate boilers and steam generators (heat recovery steam generator]]s).Turbine Components
It is one of the few companies, outside of Rolls-Royce, to make precision components for jet engines, namely compressor and turbine aerofoils (bladeTurbine blade
A turbine blade is the individual component which makes up the turbine section of a gas turbine. The blades are responsible for extracting energy from the high temperature, high pressure gas produced by the combustor. The turbine blades are often the limiting component of gas turbines...
s), discs, shafts and casings.
Worldwide
It has training establishments in- ZoeterwoudeZoeterwoudeZoeterwoude is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers 21.91 km² . It had a population of 8,526 in 2004....
, Netherlands - GießenGießenGießen, also spelt Giessen is a town in the German federal state of Hesse, capital of both the district of Gießen and the administrative region of Gießen...
(Wieseck), Germany - Warsaw, Poland
- MontaleMontaleMontale is a comune in the Province of Pistoia in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 25 km northwest of Florence and about 8 km east of Pistoia....
(Rangone), Italy - Ormes, LoiretOrmes, LoiretOrmes is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France....
, France - Oeiras Municipality, Portugal
- Castellón, Spain
Market
It sells its turbine blade components to civil and military aircraft companies and operators around the world. Its industrial gas turbine generating sets are sold for power generation and combined heat and powerCogeneration
Cogeneration is the use of a heat engine or a power station to simultaneously generate both electricity and useful heat....
systems - usually large manufacturing plants that require large amounts of heating or steam. It exports 95% of its turnover.
Products
Its generating sets range from 2.5MW to 64MW and are based on the Rolls-Royce 501 (c.5MW) and Trent 60Rolls-Royce Trent
Rolls-Royce Trent is the name given to a family of high bypass turbofan aircraft engines manufactured by Rolls-Royce plc. All are developments of the RB211 with thrust ratings of . Versions of the Trent are in service on the Airbus A330, A340, A380, Boeing 777, and 787, and variants are in...
engines. Its turbine components include much of a complete jet engine except to combustion equipment.
It offers the following options of generating sets:
- KB3 - 2.7MW
- KB5 - 3.9MW
- KN5 - 4.5MW
- KB7 - 5.3MW
- KN7 - 5.7MW
- KH5 - 6.3MW
- Trent 60DLE - 52MW
- Trent 60DLE ISI - 58MW
- Trent 60WLE - 60.5MW
- Trent 60WLE ISI - 64MW
See also
- Components of jet enginesComponents of jet enginesJet engines are complicated devices that come in many forms, but have many components in common.-Major components:The major components of a jet engine are similar across the major different types of engines, although not all engine types have all components...
- Centrax, the brand name of a benzodiazepineBenzodiazepineA benzodiazepine is a psychoactive drug whose core chemical structure is the fusion of a benzene ring and a diazepine ring...
anxiolyticAnxiolyticAn anxiolytic is a drug used for the treatment of anxiety, and its related psychological and physical symptoms...
drug also known as prazepamPrazepamPrazepam is a benzodiazepine derivative drug developed by Warner-Lambert in the 1960s. It possesses anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, sedative and skeletal muscle relaxant properties. Prazepam is a prodrug for desmethyldiazepam which is an active metabolite of prazepam...