A power generation plant received new hydraulic oil that was not up to par in ISO cleanliness code to put into their critical equipment. They used a drum pump filtration system on the 55-gallon drum to filter it for 1 hour. They were surprised by the results.
Never assume your new oil is clean. Always verify its condition with oil analysis to confirm viscosity, composition, and contamination levels. It'll confirm you received the correct oil and the next steps required to prepare it for application.
Easily extend the life of your equipment and lubricant by making a few modifications to your lubrication program.
Case study on a cooling tower fan gearbox failure caused by reduced sampling frequency and trend analysis, which contributed to a lack of maintenance action. This resulted in an $800,000 gearbox failure.
The Journey of the Lubricant® is a series of stages, segregating your lubricant management program into 5 sequential steps during your lubricant's life on-site. Within these stages, dimensional sampling and oil analysis is key to maintaining the health of your lubricant.
Selecting the right filtration system involves many different factors including particle size of contaminants, operating conditions of the system, and lubricant viscosity to name a few. As you research filtration systems, it’s important to consider all your options and taking your time in making the decision as it is an important component in reducing contaminants in your lubricant.
It is sometimes difficult to decide which test method should be used to determine water content in lubricating oils. Whichever method is used, one thing is certain – water is one of the major causes of lubricant, component, and machine failure.
Water contamination in lubricating oils causes premature oil degradation and accelerated wear of machine component. Prevention and control of water contamination is very often the most reliable means of preventing equipment failures. The use of portable filtration systems will help to reduce the amount of water contamination in lubricating oils.
Turbines are critical to the operation of power generation plants, however when one goes down it has major costs associated with maintenance activities and downtime. Advanced annual oil analysis provides an additional layer of insurance, recommended by organizations like ASTM and EPRI. The testing is aligned with common issues that turbine oils often encounter.
To get more value from oil analysis, it is important to take reference samples so you’re not missing out on valuable insights.
