PROVIDING EMERGENCY SUPPORT ON A GAS TURBINE

Clean and flush oil system prior to a new gear box being installed

Overview

On the recommendation of the OEM, who IMH works with across a number of client sites and projects, we were commissioned by a global food and beverage manufacturer to clean and flush its lube oil system following a major mechanical failure.

The failure of a gearbox on the client’s gas turbine had resulted in contamination entering the oil system. Before the new gearbox could be installed, IMH was brought in to carry out the required lube oil system flushing and filtration work.

The work was carried out by a team of IMH engineers at the client’s site in London.

The Challenge

Following the major mechanical failure, it was essential that contamination was removed not only from the oil itself but from the reservoir, pipework and individual bearing feeds.

Simply replacing or filtering the oil would have risked leaving contaminated fluid or debris elsewhere within the system. Once returned to operation, this contamination could potentially reach the bearings and contribute to further mechanical issues.

IMH therefore needed to carry out a comprehensive clean and flush of the complete oil system before the new gearbox was installed.

Oil Filtration Services

IMH began the process by fully draining the reservoir and decanting the existing oil into our offline filter units.

Once the reservoir had been emptied, the covers were removed to provide access to the tank. Our engineers then manually cleaned the reservoir and vacuumed out the remaining waste oil and contamination.

At the same time, IMH’s offline filter trolleys were used to filter the existing oil to the required standard.

Rather than automatically discarding contaminated oil, our oil filtration services are designed to clean the oil to the required ISO standard wherever reuse is appropriate. This can reduce unnecessary waste while also helping customers avoid the cost of replacing large quantities of oil.

Hydraulic Oil Flushing and System Cleaning

Cleaning the oil and reservoir alone would not have been sufficient, as contamination could still have remained within the system’s pipework and components.

As part of the hydraulic oil flushing process, IMH bypassed all of the bearings using flushing loops before flushing the complete system.

Each individual feed to the bearings was flushed to the correct Reynolds number to achieve turbulent flow. Under turbulent flow, contaminants can be removed from pipes and components more effectively than when fluid passes through the system under laminar flow.

Each individual bearing bypass was then flushed to the required ISO cleanliness standard.

This thorough process helped ensure that each bearing would receive clean oil once the system returned to operation, reducing the risk of residual contamination contributing to another fault.

Reusing and Cleaning the Existing Oil

Where appropriate, cleaning and reusing existing oil can provide both environmental and cost benefits through our oil analysis and management capabilities.

Rather than disposing of the contaminated oil, IMH filtered it to the required standard before returning it to the cleaned system.

Reusing the oil prevented unnecessary waste and reduced the cost to the client, which can be significant where large quantities of specialist oil are required.

The complete cleaning and flushing process for this particular system took approximately two weeks, although the timescale for this type of work can vary depending on the size of the system, quantity of oil and level of access available.

Ongoing Oil and System Cleaning Support

Following completion of the initial clean, IMH was subsequently called back to carry out further cleaning and filtration while the engine was being inspected for another mechanical failure.

This preventative approach allows the condition and cleanliness of the oil system to be checked and addressed while other maintenance work is taking place.

Oil and system cleanliness can be critical to reducing the risk of major mechanical failures, making planned filtration and flushing an important consideration during maintenance and shutdown periods.

Project Outcome

IMH successfully cleaned and flushed the client’s lube oil system to the required ISO cleanliness standard before the installation of the new gearbox.

Our ability to carry out the work using IMH’s own filter trolley units meant the oil could continue to be cleaned while the team was on the client’s site, reducing additional transportation requirements and saving time.

IMH has extensive experience in oil and system cleaning across a variety of industrial environments, providing filtration and flushing services designed to help customers maintain system cleanliness while reducing unnecessary oil replacement, downtime and associated costs.

To discuss the condition of your oil or system, or to plan a system flush during a shutdown, contact the team for more information on +44 (0)1642 802700 or email info@imh-uk.com.