Sugar producer given a sweet deal for treating water contaminated oil
PRESS RELEASE
Sugar producer given a sweet deal for treating water contaminated oil
06 November, 2014: A 4 000 ℓ oil tank with more than 22 percent water contamination has been purified to zero percent contamination within three weeks with the innovative Vacuum Dehydrator designed and manufactured by wear control specialist Filter Focus.
Sugar giant TSB had been experiencing a continual moisture ingress problem on its 6.4 MW turbo alternator No 2 (TA2) tank at its Malelane operation in Mpumalanga. TSB mechanical engineer Prince Vilane notes that TA2 is used as a co-generation unit for exporting electrical power into the national grid.
“Operating at 6500rpm with steam inlet conditions in the range of 31 bar(g) at 400oC, the design of the unit is such that the 4 000 ℓ oil tank is situated on the ground, unlike the modern designs where the oil tank forms part of the mounting base for the turbine and reduction gearbox,” he says.
The modern design ensures that the oil tank is kept warm by the heat radiating from the steam turbine, thereby evaporating small amounts of moisture that may be present in the oil, due to condensation or leaks through labyrinth seals.
The oil analysis report indicated that there was 22.5 percent water in the oil sample that was taken on TA2. Vilane stresses that it is imperative to ensure that power is exported to the national grid at all times to ensure that all the contact obligations are satisfied on a monthly basis.
“It was going to be a very expensive exercise to modify the oil tank layout on TA2, and we therefore started to investigate a feasible solution to this long term problem. In the past, we had tried using centrifugal separations but the results we not to our satisfaction,” he continues.
According to Vilane, Filter Focus proposed the use of its proprietary Vacuum Dehydrator. “Within three weeks of starting the dehydration process, a sample was taken and we were impressed with the results, with absolutely no moisture detected from the sample.”
Filter Focus COO Craig FitzGerald explains that the Vacuum Dehydrator boils the oil under vacuum conditions at 55 oC, before evaporating and condensing the moisture in a condensate tank. “It is then drained to leave behind clean and dry oil. What’s more, the Vacuum Dehydrator also features a filtering system that polishes the oil, to remove any minute debris that may still be present.”
Vilane states that the fully automated Vacuum Dehydrator required minimal inspection during the entire three week period. “We are so impressed by the Vacuum Dehydrator that we have planned to purchase the unit in the near future to make it our permanent solution to all our systems.”
According to Vilane, technical support from Filter Focus was excellent. “We received good support when sampling and testing the oil. Filter Focus was also helpful in ensuring that we received value for money during the hire period, by regularly checking that the unit was running smoothly. I would recommend the Vacuum Dehydrator to any plant experiencing similar problems,” he concludes.
Ends
Notes to the Editor
There are numerous photographs specific to this press release. Please visit http://media.ngage.co.za and click on the Filter Focus link.
About Filter Focus
Filter Focus SA (Pty) Ltd was formed in January 2002 with the aim of establishing the concept of combination filtration and eliminating contamination related wear and failures in heavy industrial equipment.
Filter Focus Contact
Craig FitzGerald
Chief Operations Officer
Phone: (011) 315 9939
Email: cfitz [at] filterfocus [dot] co [dot] za
Web: www.filterfocus.co.za
Media Contact
Jana Klut
NGAGE Public Relations
Phone: (011) 867-7763
Cell: 074 111 4900
Email: jana [at] ngage [dot] co [dot] za
Web: www.ngage.co.za
Browse the Ngage Media Zone for more client press releases and photographs at http://media.ngage.co.za