Feature Article: Power Generation

RULER will measure antioxidants for a wide range of lubricants used in the power generation industry, using antioxidants as amines, phenols, phenates, zincdithiophosphates, etc. used as single antioxidant or as synergistic mixtures.

By measuring the amount of remaining antioxidants (Remaining Useful Life), lubricant operators will be able to detect early oxidative degradation before acidic compounds and oxidative compounds like varnish, and sludge will start to appear.

Operator Benefits

This proactive maintenance strategy has proven at several international power generation sites to result in

• Significant reduction of off-site analysis, by combining RULER with other on-site screening tools (saving sample preparation time, shipment costs and operator time)
• Significant contribution to lubricant life assessmentv and extension (saving costly downtime costs)
• On-site lubricant quality control (saving mechanical failure to mixing of type of lubricants)

Value of RULER:

1. To be part of on-site lubricant screening programs, which are performed in complement with off-site (laboratory) programs.
2. Screening programs consist of testing water contamination, cleanliness (particle count), viscosity and oxidation (RULER).
3. Will reduce costly off-site analysis by replacing analysis like FTIR, PDSC, FTIR, and HPLC by RULER measurement for antioxidants.
4. By measuring and trending the lubricants' oxidative health condition, operators will detect abnormal oxidative signals, as part of root cause failure Analysis (RCA).
5. RULER can be used on a wide range of lubricants listed below

   a. Steam and/or gas turbine main bearing lubricants
   b. Hydraulic fluids, including ECH (phosphate ester) control fluids
   c. Pump bearing (RCP, feedwater, condensates) lubricants
   d. Gearbox fluids
   e. Greases (e.g. MOV gearboxes)
   f. Backup generators (Gas turbines or diesel generators)
   g. Insulating fluids (transformer oils).

The graphs below show you the typical graphs for these lubricants.

Steam Turbine Oils

Gas Turbine Oils (combined cycle plant)

Transformer Oils

EHC Hydraulic Fluids (phosphate esters)

Greases (MOV gearbox)

Diesel Generator Oils