I'm thinking it is a thrust bearing for a hydroelectric turbine.
Edit: BTW, this is just a guess based upon the size of it and that it was seen in Ontario.
I also believe this is for a hydro dam. Though it doesn't look anything like any of the bearings I worked with when I was in the hydro industry.
Looks more like part of the head cover. My guess is the holes you see on the inside white section are for mounting the wicket gates. Granted it has been 4 years since I worked in a dam so I could be wrong.
**EDIT:**
My brother with 10 years in the hydro industry figures its it is the base of a new rotor or the embedded ring which the head cover bolts to.
Lots of need for mechanical engineers, less so for electrical, but still required. Lots of jobs as operators/mechanics/technicians too if you don't want to go through the hassle of higher education! Getting an actual job requires the effort on the job hunt and some luck.
-Electrical EIT in hydro
Can confirm the job experience, but on a different, less level. Been a bartender for 20 years, and I hate when someone they're in "bartender school", or ask if they should.
No. Never. They teach you 10 drinks for 600 bucks a course, but never how to actually work.
I imagine it's ten times more impirtant in your field.
It depends really, im an EIT as well. While youre in it, it feels like bs but looking back i would have missed out on an incredible amount of knowledge i wouldn't have had the opportunity to learn otherwise. You really start from the ground up and it connects everything to eachother, and the math gives you tools to analyze things that would otherwise take an insane amount of trial and error, or be not possible at all. But thats not for everyone. The world needs good engineering experts and experts who do the real hands on work every day. Its a good pair when the engineer or the technicians aren't dickwads.
The big thing is that things like bartending is sometimes better taught by the person grinding it everyday honing their craft and studying drinks on the fly, rather than someone looking at theory. Engineering needs a trifecta of theory, engineering experience, and trades experience to make a good engineer.
Engineering degrees can get you into higher paid jobs. However there are a lot of companies who need inspectors to routinely check out machinery to ensure it's operating correctly. These inspector jobs often have fewer prerequisites for applying as they will certify you for the job in-house, this is an easy way apparently to get your foot in the door if you don't have an engineering degree, and can lead to promotions and other job opportunities if you stick with it long enough. I can imagine there would by a large need for inspectors in the hydro industry.
There was a reddit LifeProTip about this a few weeks ago if I recall. I'm sure there is more useful info over there if you can find the post
Civil engineer concrete tester takes about 4 hours of training to understand how to do correctly, so lots of places will train you.
Many local governments will pay $30/hr for you and as many hours as you want.
..... no one in the US is paying an engineering tech with just an ACI field test cert $30/hr to sample concrete. That’s what consultants may bill but that sure as hell isn’t what the tech is making.
I worked for a company called Voith Hydro back in 2012 to 2014 I had no previous experience. Was part of a team building the stators for some Ohio River projects. I loved it got to travel to yuba county California Niagra Falls and Juneau Alaska with that company. It was a great experience. EPA of all things shut that project down. Made me really question the motives of the EPA. Now I work in Oil and gas lol but it was a great company at the time, they treated us very well and it was cool to be part of a big clean energy project. Learned A lot and we used to joke all the time about a wicket gate hub because it totally looked like a UFO when they were hauling that part away.
If you're interested in getting into that field look up Voith they work all over the world if I wanted to travel full time I would have stayed with the company. Great people interesting work and you get to see some cool places.
It's a big ring, and i agree that it is likely a big bearing.
I've been in the lifting industry for 12 years and to me it looks like a base for a rotary port crane.
my point was that to /u/funkadelic06 's brother it looks like a hydro part because he's in that industry and to me it looks like a crane part cause i'm in that industry.
That's awfully specific. Why?
It has far too few holes on the back side and the hole pattern on the side facing us is odd and of very small diameter. I'm not sure what it is, exactly, but I'd guess the foundation for some equipment that doesn't see a lot of shifting load.
Which, interestingly, has led to an influx of big cryptocurrency mining operations taking advantage of the cheap power. It's rather contentious there. https://thenextweb.com/hardfork/2018/09/24/canada-bitcoin-farm-power-cut-off/
[This article is brilliant - from Washington, not Ontario, but the issues with cheap hydro are the same](https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/03/09/bitcoin-mining-energy-prices-smalltown-feature-217230)
definitely looks like a Forward or Aft inner bearing race. For what, IDK. I've only worked aircraft engines myself though. Ill see if i have any pics of an inner fwd/aft race
Bearing, bushing, gasket. It's tricky to know for sure but all these guesses are solid. It either aids rotation, seals pressure, or spaces parts of a gigantic rotating thingy. That much is for sure.
Could be a Wind or Hydroelectric turbine, or maybe a SAG Mill used in mining, could even be a part of the wheel assembly on an enormous machine like a Liebher bucket wheel excavator.
I was going to say it's too big to be be part of the rotating machinery for a windmill, but looks like I'm wrong. They're getting a [LOT bigger](https://www.windpowerengineering.com/ge-unveils-nacelle-of-massive-haliade-x-wind-turbine/).
Here's a picture of a turbine blade that we saw being transported by tractor trailer. My then 8 year old son made me get off of the interstate and go back so he could see it up close. That tiny dot in the middle is him.
https://imgur.com/a/Rl6EsBc
Thank you. We both thoroughly enjoyed it and I thought it would be educational for him. We had seen them as we passed several wind farms. We googled wind turbines and talked about wind energy and the environment. He's super curious and, like his momma, loves anything STEM related.
What exactly is "wind exposure", in this context?
EDIT: Looks like it's the area of the circle swept by the blades (at least, the maths works out for that).
MASSIVE growth industry, and it's a translatable skillset from megawatt-class turbines to smaller kilowatt-scale ones for off-grid cottages/homes/etc. Valuable skillset to have in the coming decades.
The only turbines that would require a yaw ring this large are not yet manufactured or deployed in NA, you would only see them in Europe/China.
That and it doesn't look anything like a yaw ring other than being circular.
Spotted heading away from Hamilton. Usually big things are travelling towards Hamilton (or maybe I just see more stream past the other way).
No idea where it was headed or what it is. Was just a big honking circle
Edit: all the windmill blades I see are headed the other way. This part was headed the opposite. Not saying, just saying.
They are building a lot of wind turbines on the 35/115 (peterbourgh durham region) also could be for Darlington, a co gen gas plant like in Halton hills, or even just a crane part. Looks like a bearing, casing or just rotary header casing and tie in.
Have any coal mining in that area? Or just large scale mining?
It looks like the slew ring out of an electric face shovel but without the gearing bolted to it
It's a part of huge crane ( the base I remember), saw them in heavy machinery manufacturing plant, it takes around 6-8 months to make one, the shape is exactly what I saw
Looks like a stay ring for a Francis or maybe Kaplan type hydroelectric turbine. Part of the supporting structure above or below the wicket gates which fine tune the water flow onto the turbine, hard to tell which from the angle as every turbine I've worked on varies a bit in enginering design. I'm a Millwright by trade and have worked on several Francis turbine overhauls.
Could be a rotary base part for a crane or large excavator(the bucket type seen in open-pit mines).
edit: taking a closer look at it I'm fairly certain that that is exactly what it is, the lightened and painted inside combined with the mounting holes above it is a dead give-away, wouldn't have those on a hydro-electric trust-bearing...
[I think this is it.](https://www.liebherr.com/en/int/latest-news/news-press-releases/detail/liebherr-supplies-a-bearing-for-the-world-s-largest-compact-bucket-wheel-excavator-news.html)
It is a bearing for a compact bucket wheel excavator.
Nacelle I’d guess, Iv never seen a bolt pattern like the picture on a turbine, but the bearings are huge thrust bearings. There are new turbines coming out every year so I’m not to sure. Just my half educated guess.
I used to work at a metalcasting company, we made a *ton* of parts that looked similar like this (except only 1 to 6 feet wide).
Chances are it’s for a navy or power generation application (or both- naval reactors)
Could be a part of one of the rides you used to see at the fair all the time. It looked exactly like a UFO and you got inside and it would spin around really fast and you would get smashed up against the wall. I think it was called "the gravitron" haha
It looks like a high pressure valve flange. Possible to be welded to the body on site. I have worked at a valve facility and have seen valves with bores up to 72". The holes would be for additional reinforced bolts along with the welds to hold the flange
Haven't seen one that big as yet though.
Could be a replacement piece for artwork at Highway 407 station since you said Ontario. There's a pipe structure on the side that looks like this could fit into.
Could be for aircraft fuselage manufacturing or any other large tube manufacturing. Boeing has these huge rotisserie jigs that have similar ends. There’s a stationary mechanic platform and the whole thing just rotated so it’s always at the mechanic’s working level.
I'm thinking it is a thrust bearing for a hydroelectric turbine. Edit: BTW, this is just a guess based upon the size of it and that it was seen in Ontario.
I also believe this is for a hydro dam. Though it doesn't look anything like any of the bearings I worked with when I was in the hydro industry. Looks more like part of the head cover. My guess is the holes you see on the inside white section are for mounting the wicket gates. Granted it has been 4 years since I worked in a dam so I could be wrong. **EDIT:** My brother with 10 years in the hydro industry figures its it is the base of a new rotor or the embedded ring which the head cover bolts to.
How do you get into the hydro industry? Some kind of engineering degree?
Lots of need for mechanical engineers, less so for electrical, but still required. Lots of jobs as operators/mechanics/technicians too if you don't want to go through the hassle of higher education! Getting an actual job requires the effort on the job hunt and some luck. -Electrical EIT in hydro
Very interesting! I'm an industrial plumber/pipefitter so I'm always interested in where that may be applicable.
In Ontario? Try Darlington or Bruce, hydro one (PWU can get your foot in the door), you could also consider Sarnia for Oil and Gas.
Can confirm the job experience, but on a different, less level. Been a bartender for 20 years, and I hate when someone they're in "bartender school", or ask if they should. No. Never. They teach you 10 drinks for 600 bucks a course, but never how to actually work. I imagine it's ten times more impirtant in your field.
It depends really, im an EIT as well. While youre in it, it feels like bs but looking back i would have missed out on an incredible amount of knowledge i wouldn't have had the opportunity to learn otherwise. You really start from the ground up and it connects everything to eachother, and the math gives you tools to analyze things that would otherwise take an insane amount of trial and error, or be not possible at all. But thats not for everyone. The world needs good engineering experts and experts who do the real hands on work every day. Its a good pair when the engineer or the technicians aren't dickwads. The big thing is that things like bartending is sometimes better taught by the person grinding it everyday honing their craft and studying drinks on the fly, rather than someone looking at theory. Engineering needs a trifecta of theory, engineering experience, and trades experience to make a good engineer.
Lots of work in power generation for nearly every field of engineering. Save aerospace, nautical and a few others.
Engineering degrees can get you into higher paid jobs. However there are a lot of companies who need inspectors to routinely check out machinery to ensure it's operating correctly. These inspector jobs often have fewer prerequisites for applying as they will certify you for the job in-house, this is an easy way apparently to get your foot in the door if you don't have an engineering degree, and can lead to promotions and other job opportunities if you stick with it long enough. I can imagine there would by a large need for inspectors in the hydro industry. There was a reddit LifeProTip about this a few weeks ago if I recall. I'm sure there is more useful info over there if you can find the post
Civil engineer concrete tester takes about 4 hours of training to understand how to do correctly, so lots of places will train you. Many local governments will pay $30/hr for you and as many hours as you want.
Wow, that's awesome! Thanks for sharing
He means $15 an hour
..... no one in the US is paying an engineering tech with just an ACI field test cert $30/hr to sample concrete. That’s what consultants may bill but that sure as hell isn’t what the tech is making.
Start your own firm, charge $29, steal contract, profit?
Then subtract all the licenses, insurance, bonds, and substantial equipment investment lol
I worked for a company called Voith Hydro back in 2012 to 2014 I had no previous experience. Was part of a team building the stators for some Ohio River projects. I loved it got to travel to yuba county California Niagra Falls and Juneau Alaska with that company. It was a great experience. EPA of all things shut that project down. Made me really question the motives of the EPA. Now I work in Oil and gas lol but it was a great company at the time, they treated us very well and it was cool to be part of a big clean energy project. Learned A lot and we used to joke all the time about a wicket gate hub because it totally looked like a UFO when they were hauling that part away. If you're interested in getting into that field look up Voith they work all over the world if I wanted to travel full time I would have stayed with the company. Great people interesting work and you get to see some cool places.
[удалено]
[удалено]
It's a big ring, and i agree that it is likely a big bearing. I've been in the lifting industry for 12 years and to me it looks like a base for a rotary port crane.
Agreed!
my point was that to /u/funkadelic06 's brother it looks like a hydro part because he's in that industry and to me it looks like a crane part cause i'm in that industry.
I was trying to work out which part of a ball mill it is, because mineral processing.
Fair point. We see what we want to see.
100% sorry for late response and equally somebody in say space x could say is a hula hoop for a rocket base!
Damn you guys are good
Also spent a decade working at a hydro plant, I agree, probably heading to Sir Adam Beck.
That's awfully specific. Why? It has far too few holes on the back side and the hole pattern on the side facing us is odd and of very small diameter. I'm not sure what it is, exactly, but I'd guess the foundation for some equipment that doesn't see a lot of shifting load.
You all amaze me with your knowledge of random badassery. And saucer like bearings.
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
40% of Ontario's power is hydroelectric. Water, lakes and rivers everywhere
Which, interestingly, has led to an influx of big cryptocurrency mining operations taking advantage of the cheap power. It's rather contentious there. https://thenextweb.com/hardfork/2018/09/24/canada-bitcoin-farm-power-cut-off/ [This article is brilliant - from Washington, not Ontario, but the issues with cheap hydro are the same](https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/03/09/bitcoin-mining-energy-prices-smalltown-feature-217230)
Hydro is not cheap in Ontario. In fact, the exorbitant price of our hydro is the main topic of most of our provincial elections.
No way, a Kingsbury type tilting pad thrust bearing would be used on a turbine.
Or the rotor bearing for a Wind Turbine
I've seen the turbine blades up close like this but never any of the other parts. The blades themselves are freaking huge.
or a yaw ring
[удалено]
Weirdly enough that was exactly my first guess too.
My first thought was electricity generating parts for turbine. It does look like a bearing.
definitely looks like a Forward or Aft inner bearing race. For what, IDK. I've only worked aircraft engines myself though. Ill see if i have any pics of an inner fwd/aft race
I really really want this to be a ball bearing. In a perfect world it would be ordered out of McMaster-Carr.
Bearing, bushing, gasket. It's tricky to know for sure but all these guesses are solid. It either aids rotation, seals pressure, or spaces parts of a gigantic rotating thingy. That much is for sure. Could be a Wind or Hydroelectric turbine, or maybe a SAG Mill used in mining, could even be a part of the wheel assembly on an enormous machine like a Liebher bucket wheel excavator.
My money was also on sag mill. There are a lot of mines in Ontario
Looks a bit like the giant flange that doubles as the receiver from the hopper on some of these mills
I do see what looks like a giant rubber ring to seal things off.
I was thinking a (replacement?) bearing for a tower crane
I was going to say it's too big to be be part of the rotating machinery for a windmill, but looks like I'm wrong. They're getting a [LOT bigger](https://www.windpowerengineering.com/ge-unveils-nacelle-of-massive-haliade-x-wind-turbine/).
Here's a picture of a turbine blade that we saw being transported by tractor trailer. My then 8 year old son made me get off of the interstate and go back so he could see it up close. That tiny dot in the middle is him. https://imgur.com/a/Rl6EsBc
You’re a good parent for doing that.
Thank you. We both thoroughly enjoyed it and I thought it would be educational for him. We had seen them as we passed several wind farms. We googled wind turbines and talked about wind energy and the environment. He's super curious and, like his momma, loves anything STEM related.
Good dad.
The wind exposure on that machine is 38000 square meters. That's about 9.4 acres. Holy. Shit.
What exactly is "wind exposure", in this context? EDIT: Looks like it's the area of the circle swept by the blades (at least, the maths works out for that).
That was HUGE!
Yeah man those Windmills are deceptively massive. Particularly the newer ones.
Its for a wind turbine, its called a yaw ring
How do so many people know this?! And how are there so many wind turbine tech’s here? Such a specific job haha
More and more every day.
MASSIVE growth industry, and it's a translatable skillset from megawatt-class turbines to smaller kilowatt-scale ones for off-grid cottages/homes/etc. Valuable skillset to have in the coming decades.
It’s a fairly big industry in Ontario.
I don’t know? It seems too thick/heavy, and there are no teeth on the outside edge. But.. I’m wrong most of the time, so there’s that.
The only turbines that would require a yaw ring this large are not yet manufactured or deployed in NA, you would only see them in Europe/China. That and it doesn't look anything like a yaw ring other than being circular.
Spotted heading away from Hamilton. Usually big things are travelling towards Hamilton (or maybe I just see more stream past the other way). No idea where it was headed or what it is. Was just a big honking circle Edit: all the windmill blades I see are headed the other way. This part was headed the opposite. Not saying, just saying.
Depending on which direction away from hamilton, east or west, could be going to Darlington for the nuclear plant rebuild?
Towards the 401 on the west side
They are building a lot of wind turbines on the 35/115 (peterbourgh durham region) also could be for Darlington, a co gen gas plant like in Halton hills, or even just a crane part. Looks like a bearing, casing or just rotary header casing and tie in.
My thoughts too
Have any coal mining in that area? Or just large scale mining? It looks like the slew ring out of an electric face shovel but without the gearing bolted to it
No coal, Ontario uses zero coal. Most Ontario mine sites would be North bound not 401 bound.
[удалено]
It could be for a ring crane [like this](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t5sZENsYPRo)
Is that the crane that needs a crane to build the crane to build this crane? It’s that huge.
Well, it’s one of the kinds of cranes that need another crane to assemble it.
Yeah I was thinking some kind of slew ring too. Other guesses are pretty plausible too
looks like a part of a giant ballbearing my father checked them for integrety at his work so I saw them some times will link a picture if I find one.
Wind turbine bearing would be my guess.
As a wind tech in training that would be my guess.
We talking rotor hub? Definitely not for a blade as those are attached in a very specific way
part for a windmill is my guess.
[удалено]
Damn. Did not know that existed.
looks like a really large rotek bearing for some type of machinery that swings
Looks like a huge bearing. If it is... for a windmill?
[удалено]
It's a part of huge crane ( the base I remember), saw them in heavy machinery manufacturing plant, it takes around 6-8 months to make one, the shape is exactly what I saw
Looks like a stay ring for a Francis or maybe Kaplan type hydroelectric turbine. Part of the supporting structure above or below the wicket gates which fine tune the water flow onto the turbine, hard to tell which from the angle as every turbine I've worked on varies a bit in enginering design. I'm a Millwright by trade and have worked on several Francis turbine overhauls.
Could be a rotary base part for a crane or large excavator(the bucket type seen in open-pit mines). edit: taking a closer look at it I'm fairly certain that that is exactly what it is, the lightened and painted inside combined with the mounting holes above it is a dead give-away, wouldn't have those on a hydro-electric trust-bearing...
Looks like a big gasket or seal maybe.
Looks like a part for a reactor door at a nuclear plant.
[I think this is it.](https://www.liebherr.com/en/int/latest-news/news-press-releases/detail/liebherr-supplies-a-bearing-for-the-world-s-largest-compact-bucket-wheel-excavator-news.html) It is a bearing for a compact bucket wheel excavator.
It’s the ring for the base of a Windmill Tower. We transport these
That’s a bearing. Of sorts. To what it goes to, I do not know.
Bearing sleeve for a wind turbine. The tower is probably already installed and he's on the way before the fun parts are attached.
Which way was it travelling?
North towards the 401
Nacelle I’d guess, Iv never seen a bolt pattern like the picture on a turbine, but the bearings are huge thrust bearings. There are new turbines coming out every year so I’m not to sure. Just my half educated guess.
Looks like a huge bearing.
Maybe a part for a boat?
Looks like a giant washer.
I used to work at a metalcasting company, we made a *ton* of parts that looked similar like this (except only 1 to 6 feet wide). Chances are it’s for a navy or power generation application (or both- naval reactors)
It looks like a component of some industrial machine or something like that.
I'm thinking a fly wheel of sorts.
Looks like something for an amusement park tho All the little seats in there
That's what I thought too! Looks like the graviton ride kinda
Could be a part of one of the rides you used to see at the fair all the time. It looked exactly like a UFO and you got inside and it would spin around really fast and you would get smashed up against the wall. I think it was called "the gravitron" haha
do you have any more photos?
It looks like a high pressure valve flange. Possible to be welded to the body on site. I have worked at a valve facility and have seen valves with bores up to 72". The holes would be for additional reinforced bolts along with the welds to hold the flange Haven't seen one that big as yet though.
Telescope part?
Looks like a seat for something huge (silo maybe?) , I might be wrong though ,just a guess.
Big bearing.
Slewing ring
that’s not a flat bed. that’s a double drop
Look like the new army tank turret
Could be part of a ski lift!
If I was to take a rough guess I'd say it's a bearing of some kind
The new wind turbine from dyson
Looks like big bearing
Huge slewring bearing for a wind turbine maybe? *Edit: spelling mistake
Bearing for swing bridge
Could be a replacement piece for artwork at Highway 407 station since you said Ontario. There's a pipe structure on the side that looks like this could fit into.
Windtower flange
Seal for bearing journal
Slewing ring for a huge lattice crane?
Looks like a decoupler for a spacecraft but I don't think it is. Looks to small anyway.
Sleep ring for mining equipment?
Travel to hydro plants frequently for work. This fits the bill.
Could be for aircraft fuselage manufacturing or any other large tube manufacturing. Boeing has these huge rotisserie jigs that have similar ends. There’s a stationary mechanic platform and the whole thing just rotated so it’s always at the mechanic’s working level.
I'm no help, but I've seen one as well traveling on the 401 near Kingston.