Power plants are critical infrastructure for the country's development and economic well-being, and must be able to provide sufficient power and stable operation. Therefore, preventive maintenance and inspection are very important, especially for oil testing, which should not be neglected.
Conventional fuels such as coal and natural gas are the most common types of fuels used in power generation facilities around the world, and the use of renewable energy sources such as nuclear, hydro, and wind to generate electricity is gradually increasing. The core component of a power plant is the turbine engine, which can be used not only for oil and natural gas power generation, but also for wind and hydro power.
Turbine engines use lubricating oil and must be inspected regularly. In addition, equipment such as steam engines, hydraulic pump engines, diesel engines, gearbox engines, gas turbines, etc., also use hydraulic oil, so the cleanliness of the hydraulic oil must be monitored (particle inspection) to maintain smooth operation of the equipment.
As particles, moisture and salt cause oils to lose their lubricating properties, they lead to corrosion, degradation of additives and the formation of deposits, which can lead to seizing, malfunctioning and wear of mechanical parts. In addition to this, in the past, oils were discarded once they became contaminated or oxidized, which was also a waste of money.
If the oil can be kept 100% clean, theoretically it will not deteriorate or need to be replaced; mechanical parts can be used indefinitely, and the risk of failure and downtime will be greatly reduced.
Most machines have built-in oil filters to filter out large particles and prevent direct damage to machine components. However, most of the particles in the oil are very small, and these particles will combine with other contaminants to accelerate the oxidation of the oil, resulting in a loss of lubrication properties and the formation of deposits; they may even form a viscous surface, which can ultimately lead to jamming or malfunctioning of valves and moving mechanical parts.
The traditional method used to check for particulate matter in oil is the laser-based Automatic Particle Counter (APC). However, the APC does not provide any detailed information on particle size or whether the particles are reflective (e.g. metals) or non-reflective (e.g. fibers), and often overlooks transparent particles or is affected by bubbles in the liquid, leading to errors in the count.
For a comprehensive understanding of particulate matter in oils, an automatic microparticle analysis system (e.g. CIX100) offers advantages over APC, e.g. the high image resolution allows the system to detect particles as small as 2.5 μm. The innovative, patented illumination system automatically detects both reflective (metallic) and non-reflective particles in a single scan.
The instrument complies with international technical cleanliness standards for oil inspection, including ISO 4406, ISO 4407, NAS 1638, DIN 51455, and SAE AS4059. Simply insert the sample into the microscope for quick testing and reliable reports.
Regular oil testing and analysis of power plants not only saves on costly maintenance and downtime, but also ensures the continued operation of critical infrastructure and enhances national security resilience.
This article was rewritten from:Analyzing Oil Cleanliness in Power Generation Plants Using the CIX100 System,Oil Contamination and Analysis-Expert Insights on an Invisible Problem
Editor: Yeung Nga Tong
