L.A. Turbine Turboexpanders and Spare Parts

Tailor-made turboexpander systems and aftermarket engineering by L.A. Turbine (a Chart Industries company): technical sizing, spare parts and global turbomachinery support.

L.A. Turbine: turboexpander engineering and manufacturing, a Chart brand

Founded in 2003, L.A. Turbine designs and manufactures application-specific turboexpanders with 200+ units delivered and 100+ commissioned worldwide. A Chart Industries company (Baker Hughes) with design, fabrication, assembly and testing headquarters located in Valencia, California.

Full-cycle engineering and manufacturing center in Valencia, California, USA
Over 200 units delivered and more than 100 commissioned across the globe
Applications: hydrocarbon processing, LNG, hydrogen, helium and geothermal
Technical selection and support by unit serial number and nameplate

ARES turboexpander-compressors: skid-mounted active magnetic bearing system

L.A. Turbine delivered ARES as the industry's first turboexpander-compressor featuring a skid-mounted active magnetic bearing control system. The design eliminates external cabling between the skid and control room, drastically simplifying installation for LNG and hydrocarbon processing facilities.

Skid-mounted active magnetic bearing (AMB) digital control architecture
Elimination of interconnecting cabling to remote control panels
Streamlined footprint and reduced on-site installation schedule
Engineered for NGL recovery, dew point control and LNG liquefaction

L.A. Turbine configurations: expander-compressor, generator and dyno units

L.A. Turbine provides tailor-made turbomachinery configurations: expander-compressors with oil or active magnetic bearings, expander-generators for power production and organic Rankine cycles (ORC), and expander-dyno units (oil brake) for precise flow regulation in cryogenic refrigeration.

Expander-compressors with hydrodynamic oil bearings or active AMB
Expander-generators for waste heat recovery (HRS) and geothermal plants
Expander-dyno (oil brake) machines for cryogenic gas separation
Specialized expander units for hydrogen and helium liquefaction trains

L.A. Turbine expander impellers, compressor wheels and variable inlet vanes

L.A. Turbine manufactures expander and compressor impellers using 5-axis machining from high-strength titanium and aluminum alloys. Variable inlet guide vanes (VIGV) provide accurate process flow modulation and sustain peak aerodynamic efficiency across variable operating conditions.

Precision 5-axis milled expander impellers and compressor wheels
High-strength aerospace alloys: titanium, aluminum and stainless steels
Variable inlet guide vane (VIGV) assemblies for flow modulation
Aerodynamic redesign and reprofiling for modified plant duties

Active magnetic bearings, hydrodynamic bearings and shaft seals

L.A. Turbine supplies critical rotor support components: active magnetic bearings (AMB), hydrodynamic tilt-pad radial and thrust bearings, dry gas seals (DGS) and labyrinth seals designed to eliminate process leakage and ensure reliable containment of cryogenic, flammable and high-pressure gases.

Active magnetic bearing (AMB) radial and thrust magnetic actuators
Hydrodynamic tilt-pad journal bearings and equalizing thrust assemblies
Dry gas seal (DGS) cartridges engineered for hazardous process gases
Precision shaft position probes, proximity sensors and vibration gear

FX-TURBO Team: turbomachinery aftermarket service and redesign

The specialized FX-TURBO Team delivers aftermarket engineering and maintenance for all turboexpander brands: vibration troubleshooting, rotor dynamic balancing, component redesign, non-OEM part manufacturing and complete machine overhauls adapted to revised plant process conditions.

Service and component manufacturing for LAT and non-OEM legacy machinery
High-speed dynamic rotor balancing and comprehensive mechanical audit
Aerodynamic redesign, rerate and overhaul for legacy turboexpanders
Field service diagnostics, on-call support and commissioning oversight

L.A. Turbine engineering pedigree and Chart integration

As part of Chart Industries (Baker Hughes), L.A. Turbine operates a dedicated manufacturing and testing facility in Valencia, California.

The engineering center combines advanced aerodynamic design, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and precision five-axis CNC machining with mechanical test benches.

L.A. Turbine expanders serve critical duties across hydrocarbon processing, NGL recovery, dew point control, LNG liquefaction, hydrogen and helium refrigeration cycles, and Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) power recovery projects worldwide.

Industry standards and technical documentation for turboexpanders

Engineering and testing of L.A. Turbine turbomachinery conform to API Standard 617 for centrifugal compressors and expanders in petroleum and chemical plant service, alongside ASME Section VIII pressure vessel codes.

For active magnetic bearing units, API 670 guidelines govern machinery vibration monitoring and digital protection systems.

When selecting replacement components, we cross-reference unit serial numbers, aerodynamic assembly drawings and nameplate data: machine serial, impeller geometry, shaft seal arrangement and bearing control architecture ensure exact match and verified mechanical fit.

Component selection, specification verification and spares

We support L.A. Turbine machinery with engineered replacement parts and assemblies matched to specific unit serial numbers: precision-milled expander impellers, compressor wheels, variable inlet guide vanes (VIGV), active magnetic bearing components, tilt-pad hydrodynamic bearings and dry gas seals.

Each replacement component is verified against factory design specifications, process gas compositions, temperature levels and design pressures. Quotations include full material certifications, dimensional verification data and dynamic balancing reports.

FX-TURBO engineering services and machinery rerate

The FX-TURBO aftermarket team provides comprehensive troubleshooting, maintenance and rerate engineering for L.A. Turbine units and non-OEM legacy turbomachinery. Services encompass rotor dynamic balancing, vibration analysis, aerodynamic reprofiling and complete skid overhauls.

When plant process conditions evolve, engineering rerates adapt nozzle rings and impeller geometries to restore peak isentropic efficiency. Field support specialists oversee on-site commissioning, machine alignment and planned maintenance outages.

Industrial applications and operating processes of L.A. Turbine machinery

L.A. Turbine turboexpanders operate across natural gas processing, compression and cryogenic separation facilities: gas processing plants, NGL extraction units, dew point control skids, and modular LNG liquefaction trains.

The machinery delivers high isentropic efficiency and cost reduction across mega energy projects.

Additionally, expanders serve air separation units, cryogenic hydrogen and helium liquefaction systems, geothermal power stations and Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) industrial heat recovery plants. We support components and assemblies across each of these processing sectors.

Dynamic rotor balancing and on-site commissioning services

High-speed rotors of L.A. Turbine turboexpanders require precision dynamic balancing on high-speed balancing benches. The FX-TURBO engineering team conducts residual unbalance measurement, shaft runout verification and calibration of proximity vibration probes.

During turnaround maintenance and plant upgrades, service engineers provide on-site installation oversight, laser alignment of expander-compressor and expander-generator trains, lube oil system flushing inspection and commissioning support under live process gas.

L.A. Turbine and model names are trademarks of their respective owners and are used only to identify the equipment for which we source parts. SpareX is not an official dealer, distributor or representative of L.A. Turbine and is not affiliated with the trademark owner. Origin, documents and warranty are stated for each item in the quotation.