| Today's
Tip: Advice for Greasing Bearings |
For optimizing the quantity of grease added to
a bearing, if you already use vibration monitoring
equipment with "spike energy", gSE, or other HFD
technology, run your monitoring equipment while
adding grease. When the overall level of the signal
drops suddenly and noticeably, grease has reached
the bearing. Stop adding more. Using this approach
saves those on limited budgets from having to
buy additional specialized greasing equipment
with monitoring ability. (Submitted by Brian Mann,
Rotating Equipment Analyst, ConocoPhillips. Thanks
Brian!)
Each tip published will earn the sender $100.
Submit
your tip.
From "Fluid Contamination
Control".
A filter element's pressure-flow characteristics
are of great importance because of the prospects
of system flow starvation, excessive energy consumption,
cavitation susceptibility and bypass valve incompatibility.
Suction-line filters are particularly critical when
it comes to pressure drop. Such filters must exhibit
initial pressure drops of less than 0.5 psi and
must be limited to 3 or 4 psi maximum (depending
on the filling characteristics of the system pump)
in order to avoid critical pump cavitation.
More
information about the book "Fluid Contamination
Control"
| Lube-Trivia:
What are Filters Made Of? |
Test your knowledge and prepare for ICML lubrication and oil analysis certification.
QUESTION:
Name two types of fibers commonly used in oil filter
media.
Get
the answer.
| Q
& A: Demulsibility and Lubricants |
"What does
demulsibility mean and how does it relate to oil?"
Demulsibility is the ability to release water. This
is important when the equipment is operating in humid
climates or in a plant atmosphere that is wet or humid.
Paper mills, steel mills and food-processing operations
have significant exposure to water-based process fluids.
Because oil is
hygroscopic, meaning that it absorbs water, it seems
that water is destined to get soaked into the oil.
Water enters through thermal breathing (hydraulic
systems and mechanical systems that heat and cool),
through the high pressure blast of the operator's
cleaning hose, through the gravity draining of condensate
and indirect water spray and through any number of
yet undiscovered ways. It must be removed. Generally
it will settle out if the reservoir is large enough
and the flow cycle is low enough.
When demulsibility
is lost, the oil will cloud or foam and the loaded
components will wear rapidly. If the plant operates
in the absence of water and is climate controlled,
then demulsibility may not be a key factor to consider.
If water is present, then demulsibility must be monitored.
