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Lube Oil Varnish Removal & Prevention. Group II base stock oils are susceptible to varnish deposit formation which leads to unit trip, bearing failure and premature fluid replacement. Group I lube oils have given way to Group II base stock oils which have lower solubility characteristics. Lower solubility means that the newer Group II lube oils cannot hold the same levels of soluble (dissolved) or insoluble (suspended) oxidation and thermal degradation by-products in the oil thus leading to more problems with sediment, sludge and deposits (varnish). Hy-Pro has the solution to make varnish vanish . . . The SVR™ (Soluble Varnish Removal) goes where other technologies can’t, removing oxidation by-products while still in solution (dissolved) to remove varnish deposits that have formed over time and to prevent varnish from ever forming. Combine SVR™ with Hy-Pro COT or VUD technology for a complete ST lube oil conditioning system. Stop varnish before it stops you with SVR™ !
Learn more: SVR™
Varnish & Solubility. The solubility of oil is directly related to oil temperature. Warmer oil can hold more oxidation by-products in solution but as the oil cools oxidation by-products (feed stock for varnish deposit formation) comes out of solution and can form deposits in servo valves and other critical components. The first video below shows two oil samples from the same gas turbine with 3 year old oil which had MPC value of 35 (common for gas turbines). The sample on the left was treated with SVR™ (Soluble Varnish Removal) technology to remove soluble oxidation by-products, and the sample on the right was left untreated as found in the turbine.
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At the beginning of the video both samples show oil with acceptable solubility indicated by clear oil appearance and no visible insoluble contamination above a temperature of 40C / 104F. As the oil is allowed to cool (simulating turbine off-peak or shutdown) the solubility of the oil decreases and the soluble oxidation by-products previously held in solution in the untreated sample on the right are rejected by the oil and become insoluble as the building blocks for varnish deposit formation (cloudy appearance of the oil). The SVR™ treated sample on the left has no soluble oxidation by-products in solution and thus it can safely cool without releasing varnish causing contaminant which will result in successful turbine start without varnish related unit trip or fail-to-start condition.
Main Bearing Lube Elements & Non-Sparking Element Upgrades. Filter element sparking is now a recognized source of thermal fluid degradation along with pressure induced dieseling in ST lube and hydraulic control circuits. Improvements in filter media efficiency coupled with higher flow rates and more resistive Group II oils has brought filter element spark discharge to the forefront in many power plants. A common reaction to sparking has been a migration to coarser filter media selections (i.e. 25~40 micron nominal) to try to minimize the occurrence of sparking. Although sparking might be reduced with such choices fluid cleanliness and bearing surfaces suffer as ISO codes trend higher over time. Hy-Pro has developed a full range of NSD™ (Non-spark discharge) filter elements for any lube or hydraulic application that maintain low ISO codes and stop thermal fluid degradation associated to element spark discharge. Ask us about Hy-Pro NSD™ filter element upgrades.
Learn more: NSD™, DFE
EHC Phosphate Ester Fluid Maintenance Solutions. Steam turbine EHC systems typically utilize fire resistant phosphate ester fluids which can present certain contamination challenges resulting in servo valve failure or premature fluid replacement. However, when properly maintained phosphate ester fluids not only provide the safety of fire resistance and years of reliable EHC system operation free of contamination related servo valve failures and indefinite fluid life. Hy-Pro has the full solution for phosphate ester to properly manage and eliminate problems with acid production, water contamination, dissolved metals, sub-micron products of thermal degradation, dark fluid, sludge and deposits and particulate contamination.
Learn more: Phosphate Ester Fluid Solutions, ICB™, TMR™, ECR™, NSD™, Dynafuzz
Hydraulic Control Element Upgrades. Hy-Pro DFE rated elements yield cleaner fluid in EHC systems in pump discharge and servo pilot filters. Prevent servo valve failures caused by contamination related failure. Hy-Pro Dynafuzz element upgrades feature stainless steel fiber media that is impervious to the effects that acid formed in phosphate ester can have on some glass medias. DFE rated non-sparking Dynafuzz elements provide superior fluid cleanliness and solve the media migration issue in phosphate ester EHC fluid.
Learn more: DFE, Dynafuzz, NSD™
Lube Oil Water Removal by Vacuum Dehydration & Coalesce. Hy-Pro offers two primary types of technologies to address the common problem of water getting into steam turbine lube oil reservoirs. Hy-Pro Vac-U-Dry vacuum dehydrators rapidly remove free and dissolved water to < 10ppm combining heat, vacuum and intuitive design for ease of operation. Hy-Pro COT turbine oil coalesce skids remove water from oil with mechanical coalesce and separator filter elements yielding > 95% single pass free water removal efficiency with a performance guarantee to < 150 ppm under normal operating conditions. Both the VUD and COT skids include high efficiency on-board particulate removal filters to achieve ISO fluid cleanliness codes < 16/14/11.
Learn more: VUD, COT
Coal Mill Gearbox Filtration. Break the drain and refill gearbox oil change cycle and improve reliability, extend useful oil life and avoid premature contamination gearbox rebuilds by installing Hy-Pro FSL dedicated off-line filter skids specifically designed for high viscosity lube oils. High flow LF housings are also a good fit for adding high efficiency filtration to existing re-circulation lines on coal mils to control particles and water contamination.
Learn more: FSL, FCL, Water Removal Elements, Coal Pulverizer Gearbox Filtration Upgrade Case Study
Cooling Tower Gearbox service often comes with confined space requirements. Changing the oil by traditional gearbox drain and refills can and should be avoided by using portable or permanent dedicated filtration systems that feature particulate and water removal filtration. Avoid premature gearbox rebuilds and replacements, keep cooling towers turning, and avoid premature fluid replacement with Hy-Pro’s range of off-line fluid conditioning solutions for gearboxes.
Learn more: FPL, FSL, FCL, Water Removal Elements
FD and ID Fans. DFE rated filter element upgrades ensure reliable fan operation and low ISO codes. Dedicated off-line filter panels and skids are also suitable where fans are not fitted with sufficient contamination control. The V1 portable mini-vacuum dehydrator is ideal for solving periodic or continuous water issues on FD and ID fan reservoirs.
Learn more: DFE, FPL, V1
Boiler Feed Pumps and Seal Oil. Many BFP or Seal Oil systems utilize antiquated filtration (i.e. Auto-Kleen) with coarse wire mesh filtration leaving ISO codes excessively high for optimum reliability. Upgrade elements to Hy-Pro DFE rated elements, and housings to Hy-Pro DFN series duplex filter assemblies or MF3 simplex housings featuring DFE rated high efficiency glass media elements for years of reliable performance.
Learn more: DFE, DFN, MF3
Bulk Fluid Handling. Dedicated filtration and breathers on bulk storage tanks for lube and hydraulic oils and stand-by diesel fuels is the first line of defense in preventing one of the worst sources of particulate and water contamination, new fluids. Bulk storage tanks collect contaminants from delivery vehicles and through ineffective breather arrangements. Eliminate this dangerous source of contamination and before transferring new fluids into critical power plant operating systems. Filter carts are also a valuable tool for keeping fluids clean when transferred from storage to critical live systems.
Learn more: FSL, FCL, Breathers, VUD, COT, COD
Compressors. Large compressors typically utilize the same turbine oils used in the turbine lube reservoirs and are susceptible to many forms of contamination including varnish, particulate contamination and water contamination. Hy-Pro has a suite of solutions available to improve compressor reliability including DFE rated element upgrades, water removal elements, varnish mitigation and acid removal.
Learn More: DFE, SVR™, ICB™, Water Removal Elements
Contamination Solutions for Power Generation
