Hydraulic systems are the mainstay of many industrial operations, powering everything from manufacturing machinery to heavy construction equipment. Just like any system that relies on fluid dynamics, the cleanliness and integrity of the hydraulic oil are paramount to operational efficiency and longevity. This tutorial delves into the critical process of performing an oil flush on…
These products start in the dissolved form, accumulating until the lubricant reaches its capacity, referred to as the saturating point, forcing any excess to convert into insoluble degradation products. Without regular turbulent flushing with a high-velocity system, varnish and sludge can be a source of unreliability and the root cause of mechanical or other failure types.
These products start in the dissolved form, accumulating until the lubricant reaches its capacity, referred to as the saturating point, forcing any excess to convert into insoluble degradation products. Without regular turbulent flushing with a high-velocity system, varnish and sludge can be a source of unreliability and the root cause of mechanical or other failure types.
Oil flushing is a term used to describe a variety of activities related to removing lube system contamination and cleaning the internal components of your system. There are several types of oil flushes, from more complex high velocity oil flushing projects to hydraulic system flushing or a simple flush with a small filter cart. To select the proper oil flushing method, you should consider the overall plant objectives, the types of contaminants in the system, and the condition of the lube system components.
Oil flushing is a term used to describe a variety of activities related to removing lube system contamination and cleaning the internal components of your system. There are several types of oil flushes, from more complex high velocity oil flushing projects to hydraulic system flushing or a simple flush with a small filter cart. To select the proper oil flushing method, you should consider the overall plant objectives, the types of contaminants in the system, and the condition of the lube system components.
It is significantly more difficult and costly to remove contaminants from machinery than it is to modify and protect equipment against contaminant ingression. Especially in turbine applications with a large volume of oil, keeping possible contamination sources away from lubricated equipment and performing routine flushings are your best lines of defense. Contaminant exclusion revolves around modifying equipment to protect against solid particles, water, and other contaminants that are trying to enter your machines, thereby avoiding costly repairs and machine downtime.
When it comes to planning and performing a high velocity oil flush, the goal is to get a quality job done as quickly, safely, and environmentally friendly as possible. For this to happen, certain steps must be taken. There are technical and human elements to high velocity oil flushing; when you’re looking for a flushing service provider, you should make sure they perform well in both categories.
Unfortunately, for many operations, high velocity oil flushing is just another item on a checklist, done without much thought or planning. For facilities like this, the only time oil flushing is a priority is when a system fails, and at that point, the only goal is to get the system back up and running. While this approach is understandable, it often leads to problems, inefficiency, and a cycle of reactive maintenance activity. Performing high velocity oil flushes at regular intervals can enhance machine performance and extend asset life.
Unfortunately, for many operations, high velocity oil flushing is just another item on a checklist, done without much thought or planning. For facilities like this, the only time oil flushing is a priority is when a system fails, and at that point, the only goal is to get the system back up and running. While this approach is understandable, it often leads to problems, inefficiency, and a cycle of reactive maintenance activity. Performing high velocity oil flushes at regular intervals can enhance machine performance and extend asset life.
Turbine engines have different demands than other engines; they have unique structures, operating cycles, operating temperatures, and contamination potential. As such, turbine engines require unique lubricants formulated specifically to meet these demands. It is important, when choosing a turbine oil, to understand how these lubricants differ, physically and chemically, from other lubricants. The lubricant selection process is also a good time to address turbine oil system flushing and the initial filtration requirements.
We frequently use a combination of screen inspections and patch tests to verify system cleanliness during and after a flushing project. In most cases, a cleanliness target of 16/14/11 ISO 4406 has been set, which can be accurately verified by a patch test. In addition, we provide a comprehensive post-job report within 30 days of project completion that includes information on cleanliness tests along with all daily reports and related documentation. Third-party lab analysis is often included with this report including a laser net-fines and pictures from the patch test.
High Velocity Oil Flushing is used to remove debris left behind by pipe fabrication, filter oil, clean the tank, and meet OEM’s flushing spec
Right around the time that a commissioning and startup project gets ready for a high velocity oil flush, the project is often already well over budget and behind schedule. This makes it very tempting for project managers and their clients to either skip the oil flush or cut back on the quality of the job.