Company Profile

Compressor efficiency is crucial to gas turbine engine power output. Whilst it had been known for some years that the compressor efficiency could be completely restored by off-line washing with water-based detergent cleaners, comprehensive investigation & trials by the US Military between 1993-96 finally proved that on-line washing with a correctly formulated water based detergent could also substantially, and in some cases fully restore power to 100% of the original - in a single wash!
 
The US Military also concluded that on-line washing was intrinsically more cost-effective. “Down-time" for engine cooling was abolished and minimal man-hours were required; while at the same time it totally eliminated their effluent disposal problems. They called the group of water based detergents that were able to restore power in a single on-line wash "Super-Cleaners".

 

Ken Winter, now the Managing Director of Turbo-K Ltd, had been selling gas turbine engine compressor cleaners worldwide for over 20 years, and he realised that there was a major market opportunity in Europe for these "Super-Cleaners". So in 1998, together with partners from across Europe, he set up Turbo-K Ltd to sell and distribute these ‘Super-Cleaners'.

 

Although Turbo-K Ltd is a UK based company, a significant proportion of its shareholding is still held by persons or companies that are based in other European nations, ie: FP Turbomachinery (Germany) GmbH & FP Turbomachinery (Holland) BV, and others.

 

 

Although Ken Winter and his Fellow Directors originally set up Turbo-K Ltd as a "supermarket" operation to merchant any available Gas Turbine Engine Compressor Super-Cleaner, and to provide a full Technical Service to the industry, it soon became obvious that they could offer a much better service if they could obtain a product more especially tailored to meet the needs of the European industry.

 

Unfortunately, many of the "Super-Cleaners" were designed purely for the US market, and contained substances that are banned under European Union Regulations. Meanwhile most of the products that had been formulated for the European market, including the brand leader, were not sufficiently efficient at on-line cleaning to reach the category of "Super-Cleaners".

 

Turbo-K Ltd therefore appointed Lach Dennis Consultants Ltd (LDC) as their Technical Consultants to design a "Super-Cleaner" suitable for both the USA & European Markets. LDC is run by Phil Stainer who, with over 35 years of formulation experience in the detergent industry, had been closely involved with the formulating of the existing water based brand leading compressor cleaner.
 
He had predicted that this and several of the better known compressor cleaners would fail to reach "Super-Cleaner" status, and he explained the technical reasons why this was so. He also knew that if any product were to approach 100% power restoration at a single pass while containing only ingredients that comply with all the latest European Legislation, it would have to be based on the very latest technology.

 

Lach Dennis Consultants Ltd therefore took a shareholding in Turbo-K Ltd, and devised a new "Super-Cleaner" suitable for both US & European markets. New raw materials had to be developed, from which the product is now manufactured in the UK.

 

 

In the hands of Ken Winter & Turbo-K Ltd's European partners, the product formulated by Turbo-K Ltd's Technical Consultants is now sold under the name Turbo-K Concentrate (1:4), and has been fully approved by all leading Gas turbine Engine Manufacturers (usually referred to as "OEMs"). A copy of their Statement of Approval for the use of Turbo-K Concentrate (1:4) in your engine can be obtained by visiting our Approvals Page.

 

Independent & unsolicited testimonials avow to the superiority of the product in cleaning turbine engine compressors, and recent improvements in production & distribution have made it one of the most competitively priced cleaners available on the market today!
 
Turbo-K Concentarte, Super Concentrate & RTU

 

Turbo-K Concentrate (1:4) was marketed to match the mixing regime that had become "the norm" with other compressor cleaners, namely pre-mixing 1:4 with water before use (OEMs normally recommend the use of demineralised water for "on-line" cleaning while for "off-line" cleaning, any good quality water can be used).
 
Turbo-K Super Concentrate (1:19) is mainly marketed to be blended with demineralised water at the distributor's warehouse/factory, to produce the normally required Turbo-K Concentrate(1:4). This minimises the costs of long-haul transportation and therefore minimises the transportation cost to the environment, while still providing the local operator with a readily miscible product.

 

For even easier application, Turbo-K Ltd's distributors can supply Turbo-K RTU (RTU standing for Ready To Use) which has already been pre-diluted with deionized water to the exact concentration required for immediate use in on or off-line washing.

 

Although Turbo-K Ltd's own cleaning products are best for most compressor cleaning operations, whenever it is felt that a different cleaner is required, Turbo-K Ltd will recommend & supply it. Turbo-K Ltd’s European partners have agencies for several other Compressor Cleaners; and all offer extensive Technical Service & Advice.

 

Major shareholders of the Turbo-K Group, FP Turbomachinery (Holland) BV & FP Turbomachinery (Germany) GmbH are suppliers of and experts in, Spraying and Pumping Technology. This equipment can further increase the efficiency of Turbine Engines, by the controlled use of water logging & sprays, and the development of semi-continuous compressor washing.