What is the reason why turbine oil is easy to emulsify after a period of time?
May 14, 2022
A customer asked us what is the reason why the steam turbine oil he is using is emulsified after a period of time, and how to solve the current situation. Today we will take a look at how to solve the problem of steam turbine oil emulsification.
The impact of emulsified turbine oil on the lubrication system of the operating unit: destroying the oil film, increasing the friction between components, causing overheating of the bearing, accelerating the corrosion of metal components and the deterioration of oil quality, and easily producing sludge. If you want to solve the problem, you must find out the reasons. Generally, there are three reasons for the emulsification of turbine oil: water, emulsifier and high-speed stirring. Among them, moisture is the main cause of oil emulsification. 1. Because the shaft seal of the unit is not strict, the installation and operation of the unit do not meet the requirements of equipment cleanliness, and the quality of lubricating oil is poor, water will enter the turbine oil system. 2. The emulsification of turbine oil and water is also related to the properties of additives in the oil. Most of the antioxidants and rust inhibitors added to turbine oil have certain surface-active compounds or mixtures. They are all soluble in oil but not in water, but polar groups have a certain affinity for water at a certain speed. . 3. When the steam turbine rotates at a high speed and the oil and water are fully stirred to form an emulsion, these hydrophilic polar groups have the opportunity to fully associate with water. When the affinity is high, it is firmly bound to the water. want It is necessary to ensure and improve the quality of the additives added to the turbine oil, improve its anti-emulsification performance, reduce or remove the components with strong hydrophilic properties in the additives, and meet or exceed the anti-emulsification performance index of the turbine oil standard.
Based on the above reasons, we have summarized several prevention and treatment measures of turbine oil emulsification: 1. To ensure product design, manufacturing quality. 2. During the operation of the unit, the oil purification device should be regularly put into operation, and the oil-water separation and impurity filtering should be carried out in time for the adjustment and lubricating oil in the oil system of the steam turbine generator set. 3. The purchased turbine oil must meet the national standards, and regularly sample and check, and take timely measures if problems are found. 4. For the emulsified turbine oil, the method of adding a demulsifier to the oil can also be taken according to the situation to improve the anti-emulsification performance of the turbine oil. 5. When the unit is overhauled, the shaft seal clearance of the unit is strictly controlled to ensure the overhaul cycle of the unit and the normal operation of the unit. 6. When the unit is running, the main oil tank should be drained regularly, and the oil and water used for adjustment and lubrication in the oil system of the turbo-generator should be separated from oil and water in time. All in all, reducing metal particles in turbine oil and avoiding oil emulsification play an important role in ensuring the safe operation of turbines. The focus of solving the problem of steam turbine oil emulsification should be strictly controlled from the aspects of product design, manufacture, installation, operation and maintenance, as well as the quality of steam turbine oil products. Regular inspections find problems and solve them in a timely manner.
