OIL TO WATER
Film Review
Oil to Water” is a short documentary about making a hydro-turbine greener by eliminating the oil lubrication for the main guide bearing. No company names are referenced and it is clearly not promotional. The viewer might deduce the location, utility and bearing designer/supplier but these were considered of marginal importance compared with the basic story of how the job was done.
A very complex subject, the film is intended as a training tool for utilities operating hydro machinery, for schools teaching Engineering and for anyone interested in technology that works in cleaning up the environment. Hydro turbines are just about the oldest man made machines still working on the planet, essentially unchanged in design. Hydro power engineering is a fundamental area of study for Mechanical and Electrical Engineers.
Funded by Thordon Bearings of Canada, the film shows the innovation used to design a system that has worked perfectly in two American locations and is being applied in a number of other international locations. All design and manufacturing was done in Burlington, Ontario.
Location
Shot in California’s High Sierras, the film was a two year project for CSI. Timing was influenced by permissible down time for the utility, weather and availability of the components.
Production
13 minutes in full HD. Aspect ratio 16×9. Blu-ray version available on request. No charge.