oil flushing
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March - April 2015
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www.machinerylubrication.com
Oil flushing is a catch-all term used to describe a variety
of activities for removing lube system contamination
and cleaning the internal components of your system.
ASTM D6439 defines flushing as "circulation of liquid through the
lubrication system or a component, when the turbine is not
operating, to remove contaminant."
There are a multitude of ways to restore lube system cleanliness.
In order 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.
To Flush or Not to Flush
When required and done effectively, oil flushing is a high-value
maintenance practice for your machines. Restoring system cleanli-
ness can add years of life to your equipment. However, oil flushing
is a disruptive practice to any lube system and carries significant
risk if not performed appropriately. Determining if your system
needs a flush is the first step.
There are many situations when oil flushing is required, such as
when commissioning new machines or re-commissioning machines
that have been idle for a period of time, after a system component
fails and leaves broken pieces in the lube system, after a filter
collapses and releases contaminants back into the system, when an
incompatible fluid has been inadvertently added to the system,
when changing to a new lubricant brand or formulation and the
compatibility is not understood, or when oil degradation products
such as sludge and varnish are in the system.
Unless there is a catastrophic failure, the most common time
when turbine oil users contemplate a flush is between oil changes,
but is a flush required each time you change your turbine oil?
There is not an industry-accepted practice for determining this.
Removing degraded oil and deposits from the internal compo-
By GreG livinGsTone, fluiTec
Cost-Effective
Alternatives
for Flushing turbine
Oil Systems
An example of
heavy deposits
in a turbine
journal bearing
