Location: Ecuador
Industry: Oil & Gas Pumping Station
Engine Type: ALCO 18-251
Model Installed: IOW MP600 centrifuge filter
Background Info
An oil and gas pumping station wanted to find out if any operational improvements could be achieved by upgrading to an IOW centrifugal filter. At their site, there are thirty-five (35) ALCO engines running 24 hours a day that need large amounts of clean lubrication oil. Due to the age of the ALCO engines, spare parts are not so readily available and can be very costly to replace so improving the reliability and efficiency of these engines would also benefit their maintenance budget.
Each engine has an oil volume of 300 Gallons at 78 PSI (5.3 bar), the oil was typically changed at 1,500 hours and the primary (cellulose) filters were changed every 500 hours.
By reviewing and updating their centrifugal filtration system 65% more sludge was removed compared to the old system and primary filter life was increased by 1,000 hours! Extending these intervals would also save on their budget and make processes more environmentally friendly.
Engineer sets up remote monitoring units to link with IOW centrifuges and monitor performance
Installation
After discussing requirements it was decided that two (2) IOW MP600 centrifuge filters would be needed to replace the old centrifugal separators. Designed for an oil sump capacity of 190-1,550 liters the IOW MP600 is our largest centrifuge model with a sludge capacity of up to 4 liters.
The IOW centrifuges have been designed to easily retrofit to existing pipework so installation was easy. The footprint and interfaces were a straight replacement for the existing old centrifugal technology. The IOW MP600 centrifuge filters were mounted on the existing raised stanchion with a gravity drain back via a modified blanking plate on the sump.
Along with the centrifuge filters, this customer opted to install our remote monitoring units to track the performance of the centrifuges. The CentriClean SCU0002 monitoring unit installed at this site will continuously display the current RPMs of the IOW centrifuge filter and monitor run hours. Alarms can be set to alert the operator if the speed falls or when the number of hours run is reached. This monitoring unit can also be connected via Modbus to link up with existing systems to improve operations and processes. IOW Group centrifuges are the only product of their kind to offer sludge monitoring technology. The CentriClean remote monitoring units give peace of mind that the centrifuge is running optimally and the data it provides means trends and patterns can be spotted to further improve reliability and efficiency on site.
The Results
The IOW centrifuge filters run 15-30% faster than any other spinner type separator. On this installation, the IOW MP600 filters ran at approximately 4,284 rpm. The faster speed of the bowl creates a greater centrifugal force pushing even finer particles out of the oil to the bowl wall for disposal. Using the CentriClean SCU0002 sludge monitoring unit you can monitor the RPMs however, this function is only available with an IOW centrifuge filter. We were unable to record the RPMs data from the, previously installed, Mann + Hummel separators. The increased RPMs resulted in more contaminants being removed from the lubrication oil. The two (2) IOW MP600 centrifuge filters removed 9.63 kg of dirt every 7 days which was a massive 65% more sludge removed than the old centrifugal filters. The previous centrifuges had only removed 6 kg of sludge over the same duration.
Due to the massive reduction in insolubles in the lubrication oil, the lifespan of the oil has also extended. Oil change intervals on this installation were doubled which creates big savings over a long period of time and is a more sustainable practice.
IOW MP600 Centrifuge Filter after 250 run hours
Maintenance intervals for the centrifuge extended by 30% up to 1,400 hours and primary filter life increased from just 500 hours up to 1500 hours! By extending these intervals it is not just monetary gains, by using less resources, but you also have the benefit of utilizing fewer man-hours allowing your engineering team the time to focus on other tasks.
Customer Feedback
The customer was extremely satisfied with the IOW centrifuge filters that were installed, describing the product as ‘excellent’! They were very happy with the ability to extend the primary filter life span by 300% and the reduction in particulate will also protect the engines’ critical parts from unnecessary wear to give significant long-term benefits to the owners.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this was a very successful installation reaping many rewards for the customer. Not only was the lubrication oil life extended but the primary filter lifespan was hugely increased. It was calculated that the reduced oil consumption meant that the IOW MP600 centrifuge filters would be paid back within a year.
As well as savings made on oil it has now been found through borescope inspection that wear on the rings and liners in the engine was significantly reduced through the use of the IOW Group centrifugal technology. The ALCO 18-251 are older engines and replacement parts can be expensive, so by reducing wear the long-term cost savings will be huge.
Of course, most importantly, by protecting your engine using an IOW centrifuge filter the lifespan of your engine will be increased dramatically. Protecting the future longevity of one of your biggest investments.
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