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Showing posts from April, 2020

Standards related to Turbine Oil.

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A) BSI (British Standards) – BSI BS 489:1999 –  Specification For Turbine Lubricants. B) DIN (German Institute for Standardization DIN 51515-1, 51515-2 –  This document specifies minimum requirements for oils for high thermal stress (high-temperature service) in turbines. C) ABB (ABB Group) ABB G12106 -  Ultra-clean turbine oil, Long-life, Rust & Oxidation-inhibited circulating oil. D) ASTM International – ASTM D4304  – Define the properties of the mineral and synthetic oil-based turbine lubricating oils that are functionally interchangeable with existing oils of this type, are compatible with most existing machinery components, and with appropriate field maintenance, will maintain their functionality. E) GE (General Electric) GE: GEK-32568 –  Lubricating Oil Recommendations for Gas Turbines With Bearing Ambients above 500°F (260°C) Also read:  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mandatory-properties-steam-gas-turbine-...

Mandatory Properties for Steam & Gas Turbine Oil.

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1. Steam Turbine Oil a) Good Demulsibility:  Means the ability to release water, This is important when the equipment is operating in humid climates or in a plant atmosphere that is wet or humid. b) Foam Suppression, and Air Release:  Foam is used whenever there is a possibility of liquid fire. The Foam will mix with water and then expand over the liquid that is on fire, cool the fire, and will finally suffocate it. c) Anti-rust protection:  Rustproofing is the prevention or delay of rusting. d) Anti-wear protection (Certain Cases) : Antiwear additives (AW additives) are lubricant components that chemically react with Oil to protect metal-to-metal contact between parts of gears. 2. Gas Turbine Oil a) Anti – Corrosion Protection:  Help protect the base oil from oxidation and the metal from damage by corrosive acids. b) Anti – Scuff (Certain Cases):  Anti-scuff ad...

Common Properties that are must haves in the Turbine Oil

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A) Oxidation Stability  – Oxidation stability is a chemical reaction that occurs with a combination of the lubricant and oxygen. The rate of oxidation is accelerated by high temperatures, water, acids, and catalysts such as copper. The service life of a lubricant reduces with an increase in temperature. B) Viscosity Index -  The viscosity index (VI) is an arbitrary, unit-less measure of a fluids change in viscosity relative to temperature change. It is mostly used to characterise the viscosity-temperature behaviour of lubricating oils. The higher the VI, the more stable the viscosity remains over temperature fluctuations. C) Filterability  - Capable of being filtered or separated by filtering. D) Low Sludging Formation Tendency  – Having low sludge formation tendency. To know more about sludging, read:  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-varnish-its-effects-anshuman-agrawal We at  Minimac  study your maintenance ne...

Lube Oil Flushing of Compressor and Air-cooled Heat Exchanger (ACHE) at RHIP, Oman.

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Place of Operation:  RHIP, Salalah, Oman Date of Execution:  December-2018 to April-2019 Criticality:  High Background :  Prior to Minimac being involved in the project, in August 2018, as a part of the pre-commissioning activity, flushing of 14 compressors and heat exchangers (ACHE, Picture 2) was performed and completed by a service provider. But soon after in the month of October, during the commissioning of the compressor, large debris deposits were found getting generated and collected in the in-line lube oil filter. The debris consisted of silica, metal shaving, and a lot of chunky particles. The commissioning activity was immediately stalled, leading to a threat to the project timeline and subsequent financial loss for the EPC company and the Operating company - PDO. Problem Statement :  Large particle contamination detection in the inline filters of all heat exchangers and compressors during the commissioning stage, even though flushing was com...

How to Read an Oil Can

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This article aims to summaries how to read and understand the label on an oil can. That’s because brand and specification if chosen correctly, will affect the machine’s service life, reliability, ongoing maintenance costs, and help ensure the safety of all those working around. OEMs, oil marketers, additive companies, and testing laboratories work together to establish oil performance requirements, test methods, and limits for the various classifications and testing processes. The system includes a formal licensing agreement executed by lubricant suppliers with API. Through this program, API has standardized the labeling of engine oils by adopting the donut logo (Figure 1). The logo was designed to be placed in a prominent position on a variety of lubricant containers. API – American Petroleum Institute:  The American Petroleum Institute (API) administers the licensing and certification of engine oils through a system that meets the warranty, maintenanc...

Hydraulic Fluid & Base Stock Options.

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Definition:   Hydraulic fluid is the energy transfer medium in all hydraulic systems. However, the job of hydraulic fluid goes beyond the simple transmission of power. Although transmitting hydraulic energy is the core purpose of hydraulic fluid, it is useful in four secondary functions-  heat transfer, contamination removal, sealing, and lubrication. Hydraulic machines produce a lot of excess heat during routine operations, often caused by inefficiencies of the components, like pumps and motors. Without a way to carry heat away from these components, it could result in overheating issues with resulting damage of seals and internal components, especially as a result of low local viscosity. As oil returns to the reservoir, it often passes through a cooler to help maintain optimal temperature range before it is pumped back out to the system. Conversely, hydraulic fluid can carry heat into a system during cold starts, when needed. Hydraulic oil is prepared by the additi...

Key Points for Lube oil checks and recommended Testing Kits.

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For Field Inspection of Lube Oils, the following   points are important to take action a) Basic Tests for Lube Oils are to observe the Oil in Glass Sample Bottle for Color Inspection. b) If you Observe that Color of Lube Oils is Milky or Dark in shade, then you have to process for further testing with Hand Held Testing Kits which are easy for use at the site. Following are the Testing Kits which can be used at the site for Checking Lube Oil 1)  Millipore Patch Testing Kit  – This Testing Kit is useful for measuring contamination in oil as per NAS/ISO by observing the Patch Paper with Microscope. This is a very basic test to know if oil is contaminated or clean. This is a Portable Patch Testing Kit and easy to handle everywhere at the site. 2)  Hydrogauge Oil Test Kit  – It is used for checking Moisture or Water Contamination in oil by adding a 10 ml Sample in 2 types of different reagents. This is also an Offline & Portable Testing kit which...