Are the machines in your plant working as efficiently as they can? The condition of your oil is one of the most critical factors impacting the operation of your turbines and other plant machinery. Lubricating oils are the lifeblood of such equipment. When particles and debris contaminate the system, the result can be devastating. In fact, according to the experts at the Noria Corporation, lubricant contamination is the number one cause of lubricant-related equipment failure.
In addition, 86% of lubrication professionals say particle ingression has caused problems for their plant’s rotating equipment. Lube oil flushing can solve this problem, cleansing the oil and the oil lines used in your plant equipment and turbines. This reduces contaminants in the oil and extends the life of critical equipment.
Newly installed equipment should always have oil flushing performed to ensure the trouble-free start-up of the equipment. Contamination can be introduced into a lube oil system in several ways: during manufacturing, transport, and installation at the project site. Atmospheric conditions like heat, dust, moisture and chemical vapors can also affect lubrication systems. Ignoring the need for a properly designed flush could have costly consequences down the line and require significant costs for repairs that could have been avoided.
If you are considering an oil flush on your new or existing system, B&W Energy Services can help.
Our team starts by developing a detailed cleaning plan for your system(s). Our engineers will engage with your project reliability engineers to align expectations. Any OEM criteria will be reviewed and incorporated. Design considerations include evaluating pre-cleaning measures, calculating cleaning velocities and required flow rates, identifying dead legs which can trap debris, and many others. Concerns as simple as specifying proper high-quality gaskets will be addressed as faulty gaskets can contribute to prolonged flushing. Our detailed engineering package will cover all aspects of the flushing program.
Once the plan is in place, our team of experienced field supervisors and specialized equipment will mobilize to the site. B&W’s high-velocity flushing skids are designed in-house with integrated pumping, filtration and heating components into a minimum footprint setup. This allows for rapid mobilization and reduced rig-up time once on site. B&W offers multiple skid options to tackle different size lube oil systems, each equipped with Variable Frequency Drives. This allows us to achieve a wide range of flow rates to ensure that system cleanliness is completed significantly less time than onboard equipment. All B&W temporary hoses, fittings and equipment arrive pre-cleaned with wrapped flanges to eliminate the risk of further contaminating a lube oil system once mobilized. We can also provide hard-to-find specialty flushing kits, custom fittings and bearing jumpers!
Don’t let particle ingression become a problem for you. Engage with our team, who have years of experience designing and executing complex lube oil flushing programs.