Seaworthy
has a solution for varnish build-up within lube oils of combustion turbines
(CTs). Lube oil passing through hot bearing compartments is subjected to
oxidation, which causes the early formation of insolubles – the beginnings
of varnish. These early insolubles are soft and without definite shape,
so standard CT filtration is not effective. These early-stage insolubles
will eventually stick to metal surfaces, such as servos and actuators, and
cause these components to stick and malfunction, and eventually cause the
engine to trip off line.
Our simple, low-cost filtration solution uses a proprietary organic filter
to absorb the insolubles from the oil before they can deposit and cause
problems. The filter and pump are skid-mounted to apply side-stream filtration
for the large oil reservoir. Without interfering with the operation of the
CT, our system draws oil from the reservoir, removes and holds the insolubles
inside the filter’s seven elements, and returns varnish-free oil back
to the reservoir. This system is designed to run continuously, whether the
CT is running or not.
