Exploring the world of Electrophysical Separation Process™ (ESP)
What exactly is ESP?
The ESP technology is based on the principles of “chemisorption”. ESP can selectively remove oil degradation products which are in suspension or in solution without disrupting the additives in the fluid. Since all systems are different, the ESP media are specifically customized as per the system’s requirements. We can think of the ESP as a big filter through which the oil is passed to remove contaminants. However, this multipurpose filter can house three elements namely, the ESP, ENDURE IX and Depth Media elements. Additional Fluitec filtration technologies can be incorporated such as particulate, water adsorption and Spark free filters.
When the oil passes through the customized ESP media, the contaminants undergo a chemical process and are adsorbed. Hence, the filtration media being used must be specifically suited to the system. Oil samples are usually taken beforehand to assess the condition of the system and then the filtration media is precisely designed to chemically adsorb the contaminants in the oil. One of the advantages of the ESP is its high capacity. The full volume of the ESP filter is used rather than the surface area. This is a game changer as it allows reduced downtime to change filters during operation.
Can an ESP system really do that?
Lots of equipment users experience the following at their facility:
- Sticking and seizing valves
- Overheated bearings
- Decreased effectiveness of heat exchangers
- Increased wear on valves and other components
- Shortened life of lubricant, filters and seals
The one thing that connects all of these types of failures is varnish or sludge. After introducing ESP technology to most of these challenges, they were resolved! The unique chemisorption technique used by the ESP systems allows the degradation deposits to be removed from the system. Once this is removed, the equipment is no longer a victim of sludge or varnish.
We have saved countless systems from experiencing downtime and prevented major shutdowns from the use of the ESP technology. Don’t just take our word for it, here’s an excerpt of a paper published by Siemens AG Energy section, “The reliable operation of our turbines & compressors is of critical importance to Siemens. Providing our customers with Fluitec’s ESP technology allows them to extend the life of their lubricant assets while improving plant efficiencies and uptime”.
Increasing the Life of your fluid
Fluitec’s ESP™ system is called Vita ESP™ I & II. Vita is the Latin word for “Life”. With Fluitec’s Vita ESP system, the life of your fluid becomes extended. These systems are specifically designed to mitigate the effects of varnish and sludge or soft contaminant removal. Additionally, they can remove hard contaminants such as dirt, debris or wear metals. This is done through the use of a high efficiency Depth Media which filters down to 3 microns. Moreover, our ENDURE IX technology has been specifically developed for phosphate esters. It removes all phosphate ester fluid degradation products such as acids, gels and varnish.
Here is a quick summary of the VITA ESP II variations and applications.
Here is a quick summary of the VITA ESP III variations and applications.
Extending compressor life by 2 years in Singapore
The maintenance center team at an industrial gases separation plant in Singapore was heavily concerned about the presence of deposits throughout their lubrication system. These deposits caused their equipment to experience unexpected shutdowns, oil changes and they even replaced an entire compressor. The Fluitec engineering team crafted a proactive approach to help them identify and correct these issues. Fluitec’s ESP technology was used to remove oil degradation contaminants and control varnish contamination.
The team at Singapore did not have a single lubrication related failure for five years since the first installation of the ESP system. They have been able to extend the life of the oil to match the maintenance intervals of the machine. The previous maintenance intervals for the lubricant was three or four years. After the installation of Fluitec’s ESP Unit, this has been extended to five or six years.
Read more about this case study here.
Saving USD 100,000+ in Belgium
Within the healthcare industry, one of Belgium’s market leaders in gas related technology and services experienced varnish build-up. This varnish build-up was present in their bearings and caused them to shut down every 3-4 months. During the shutdown, the bearings had to be manually cleaned and / or replaced and filters had to be replaced.
The Fluitec team installed the ESP technology and for the past nine years it has maintained a high level of success! There were no varnish related maintenance interventions since the installation, allowing the team to almost eliminate the downtime they experienced in the past every 3-4 months. They no longer had to replace bearings which were quite costly. The filter life was also significantly extended as well as the lubricant life. Overall, the customer saved USD 100,000+ through the installation of the ESP system.
Read more about this case study here.
The ESP way of Life
Whether it’s saving hundreds of thousands of dollars in Belgium or extending the oil life of a compressor in Singapore, the ESP technology is making an impact wherever it is installed. Backed by the expertise of our engineering team and our patent pending technologies, the ESP system is designed to extend the life of your lubricant. When coupled with Boost AO™or DECON™, your system can truly be turned into a Fill4Life application. Contact the team today and let’s help you reduce varnish in your systems!