Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1433576
ML ML Ball Valves Ball valves are a viable option for sampling; however, it is an option that requires a lot of due diligence on behalf of the technician collecting the sample. It is difficult to collect a contaminant-free sample from a ball valve and really depends on the location of the ball valve; if it is piped out from the bottom of the sump, then all of the samples will be consistent with what is found in the bottom of almost every sump: crud. e idea is to collect a sample either in a turbulent zone or from the center of the reser- voir. If the sample is taken from the bottom of the sump, it will be full of whatever debris and particles settle to the bottom of that sump. If, however, it is collected in a turbu- lent zone, it will be a better representation of the unsettled particles and wear debris that is found in the system. What is a turbulent zone? A turbulent zone is where the lubricant is not flowing in a straight line. at is why we install minimess valves at an elbow of piping. Some facilities install sampling ports after each lubricated compo- nent in the return piping. ey will then utilize oil sampling as the first line of defense in failure analysis or root cause analysis. ink of it as a grid of sampling ports throughout a circulating system that gives you represen- tative data at each point. is will help the technicians narrow down from where exactly the failure is originating. As mentioned, the key to any successful oil analysis program is contaminant-free sampling. e bag method is what allows us to achieve this. In short, the bag method works by using a vacuum pump: • First, you purge a few pumps of oil from the system, utilizing a purge or flushing bottle; this ensures that there are no contaminants in the sampling valve or sampling equipment. • Next, you place the actual sampling bottle in a sealable bag. Once in the bag and properly labeled, you take the cap off while the bottle is in the bag. en thread the bottle onto the vacuum pump through the bag, and puncture the bag with the sampling tube. • Finally, pump the vacuum pump and fill the sample bottle no more than three-quar- ters (¾) full. Unthread the bottle while never removing it the bag, and place the cap back on it. Ideally, you would place the sample bottle in the bag before going into the plant to help prevent any airborne contaminants from finding their way into the baggie. It is also easier to use larger bags, such as gallon size, to help with this process: the extra room allows for better navigation of the cap. I highly recommend utilizing the procedure verbatim, according to your facilities analysis program. ML About the Author Paul Farless is an industrial service technician for Noria Corporation. His duties include collecting data and preparing reports for the engineering team. Prior to joining Noria, Paul worked as an automotive maintenance techni- cian for an auto-repair service company. He also served four years in the U.S. Navy as a gunner's mate third-class petty officer and as a seaman deckhand, where he was responsible for the troubleshooting and maintenance of electromechanical and hydraulic systems. A detail-oriented team player, Paul works well in fast-paced environments and uses his military background to excel and maximize efficiency. ML ML