Filter Flow Rate - the Silent

Opportunity

Jim Fitch, Noria Corporation
Tags: contamination control
In leading maintenance organizations, managers don't shrug off the importance of
cleanliness. Instead, we are seeing these companies intrepidly improve fluid
cleanliness targets over and over in their quest to enhance machine reliaility.
!owever, this practice has led to new challenges relating to oth the aility to
achieve the new targets and the cost of cleanliness.
Consider this" #hen you reset your target cleanliness y reducing the I$% Code y
one numer in each range&numer slot, say from I$% '()'*)'+ to I$% ',)'-)'.,
then you will have appro/imately half as many particles in each gallon 0or liter1 of
oil. 2his will, of course, reduce the numer of potential arasive contacts within
your machine y around -3 percent & your goal.
%nce you achieve this new cleanliness target 0say, with the aid of a portale
flushing filter1, your system filter will e removing half as many particles as efore.
4fter all, a filter can remove only those particles it sees. If you reduce the numer
of particles it sees y -3 percent 0caused y the new I$% target1 then your particle
removal rate will e lowered y the equivalent numer unless you change
something else. 2he ris5 is a gradual increase to previous contaminant levels 0I$%
'()'*)'+1.
When Beta Ratio is Not Enough
$o what else could you change to stailize your cleanliness6 2ry reducing
ingression. Figure out where your particles are coming from and loc5 their entry.
$ometimes improved cleanliness alone can sharply deter ingression from internally
generated wear deris and seal damage. Ingression management is always the
sensile choice in terms of contamination control economics. 4ll other things eing
equal, when ingression is cut in half, filters have the amazing aility to last twice as
long.
7ou can also change your filter performance. 8any companies upgrade their filters
to higher 9eta :atios 0capture efficiency1. !owever, if you went from a 9eta 0;1 of
'3 to a 9eta 0;1 of ',333 you only get around a '3 percent increase in the numer
of particles removed per minute of filtration time. 2his helps and is often a smart
move, ut if your ingression level stays the same 0numer of particles entering
your oil per minute1 then you may still have a hard time stailizing your new target
I$% Code. :ememer, your filter now sees -3 percent fewer particles per gallon
0liter1 of oil.
The Unheralded Strategy
$o what's left6 #e've reduced ingression somewhat and improved our 9eta :atios
ut we still can't stailize cleanliness. %ne approach is to add a filter. 8any
companies are retrofitting their machines with off&line filters 0also 5nown as 5idney
loop filters1 to increase filtration flow rate. #hen you doule your collective flow
rate 0that is, flow through all machine filters1 with the same upstream contaminant
level, then you remove twice as many particles per minutes of filtration time.
!owever, if your upstream particle count has -3 percent fewer particle than efore
0rememer your new cleanliness target1 and your filter flow rate doules with no
change in 9eta :atio, then at last, you are ale to stailize to your target
cleanliness level<
2here are many advantages to installing off&line filters in addition to higher filtration
flow rate. 2hese include"
9etter filtration economy 0low dirt&removal cost1 compared to many full&
flow, pressure&line filters
9etter life&cycle capture efficiency 09eta1
7ou can easily comine water and dirt removal filtration
Convenient oil sampling 0install your sampling valve etween the pump and
the filter1. 7ou can also install a variety of online oil analysis sensors on the
mar5et today 0particle counters, moisture, viscosity, wear deris, etc.1.
4ility to use your off&line pump and filter to charge your machine with oil
after a drain or add filtered ma5eup fluid periodically
4ddition of heat e/changer or system preheater
Convenience in changing filters 0no need to use a duple/ canister with a
switching valve1
7ou can run your off&line filter even when your machine is off 0a one&shift
machine can e filtered .=)>1.
%f course there are a few disadvantages to installing an off&line filter. 2he main
ones are the hardware cost 0pump, motor, filter, gauges, sampling port, valves,
etc.1 and installation. 8any filter suppliers have prepac5aged off&line filters covering
a range of flow rate options, features and accessories. I recommend that you go
with one of these integrated do&it&for&me systems. 9ut mostly, I recommend that
you ma5e wise choices in pursuing your contamination control game plan.