Turbine oils: characteristics, classification and application

Turbine oils are widely used in the lubrication and cooling of bearings in various turbogenerators - steam and gas turbines, turbines, turbo pumps. They are also used as a working fluid in the control systems of turbine units and industrial equipment.

What properties does it have?

The turbine is a complex mechanism, which must be handled with care. Used turbine oils should meet a number of characteristics:

• Have antioxidant properties;
• Protect parts from deposits;
• Have demulsifying properties;
• Be resistant to corrosion;
• Have low foaming properties;
• Be neutral to the details of metals and non-metals.

All these characteristics of turbine oils are achieved during production.

Production features

The production of turbine oils is made from highly purified petroleum distillates, to which additives are added. Thanks to antioxidant, anti-corrosion, anti-wear additives, their performance characteristics are improved. Because of all these additives, it is important to choose oils in accordance with the operating instructions for the specific unit and the manufacturer's recommendations. If the turbine oil is of poor quality, the unit can simply fail. To achieve high quality in the production of compositions, high quality oil grades are used, deep cleaning is used in the processing and introduction of additive compositions. All this in combination can improve the antioxidant and anti-corrosion properties of oils.

Primary requirements

The rules of technical operation of various pumping stations and networks indicate that the turbine oil should not contain water, visible slurry and mechanical impurities. According to the instructions, it is also required to control the anti-rust properties of the oil - for this purpose, special corrosion indicators are used, located in the oil tank of steam turbines. If corrosion appears in the oil, it is necessary to introduce a special additive against the appearance of rust. We offer an overview of popular brands of turbine oils.

TP-46

This oil is used to lubricate bearings and other mechanisms of various units. Turbine oil 46 shows good antioxidant properties. For its creation, sulfur paraffinic oil is used for deep selective purification. The composition can be used on ship steam power plants and in any auxiliary machinery. TP-46 serves as a reliable protection of the surfaces of parts from corrosion, is highly stable against oxidation and does not emit deposits during long-term operation of turbines.

TP-30

Turbine oil 30 is produced on the basis of mineral base oils, where additives are added to improve the performance properties of the composition. TP-30 experts advise to use in turbines of any type, including gas and steam. Moreover, the exploitation of the oil is available even in harsh climatic conditions. Among the distinctive features of TP-30, one can note excellent antioxidant capacity, good level of protection against corrosion, minimal cavitation, excellent thermal stability.

T-46

Turbine oils T-46 are made from low-sulfur, low-wax varieties of high quality oil without additives, which ensures the availability of its cost while maintaining all operational characteristics. The quality raw materials used for production allow achieving a certain level of viscosity for the oil, which makes its cleaning easier and more convenient. The use of this composition is advisable in ship turbines, steam turbine units.

TP-22S

Turbine oil ТП-22С allows lubricating and cooling bearings, auxiliary mechanisms of steam turbines, which operate at high speed, and also it can be used as a hydraulic fluid and sealing medium in the systems of compaction and regulation. Among the advantages of this oil can be identified:

• Excellent operational properties due to the deeply purified mineral base and effective additive composition;
• Excellent demulsifying properties;
• Excellent stability against oxidation;
• High viscosity level;
• Minimal cavitation.

This oil is used in turbines for various purposes - from steam and gas to gas turbines of power plants.

TP-22B

Turbine oil TP-22B is produced from paraffinic grades of oil, and purification is carried out by selective solvents. Thanks to the additives, a good level of resistance to corrosion and oxidation is achieved. If we compare TP-22B with TP-22C, the former is less sludge during the operation of the equipment, it is more durable in use. Its feature in the absence of analogues among domestic varieties of turbine oils.

"Lukoil Tornado T"

This series offers a large selection of high quality turbine oils. They are based on base oils produced by a special synthetic technology with the use of high-efficiency ashless additives. Oils are developed in accordance with the latest requirements for such compositions. It is advisable to use them in steam and gas turbines with and without reducers. Excellent antioxidant, anti-corrosion and anti-wear properties contribute to minimal deposit formation. The oil is specially adapted for modern high-performance turbine units.

Features of composition

Modern turbine oils are created on the basis of special paraffinic grades of oil, which have certain viscosity-temperature characteristics, as well as antioxidants and corrosion inhibitors. If the oil is to be used on turbines with gears, they must have a high load-bearing capacity, and for this EP additives are added to the formulation.

Base oils are extracted or hydrogenated, and high-pressure cleaning and hydrotreatment allows the achievement of turbine oil characteristics such as oxidation stability, water separation, de-aerating, which in turn affects pricing.

For turbines of different types

For modern gas and steam turbines , turbine oils are used (GOST ISO 6743-5 and ISO / CD 8068). The classification of these materials, depending on the general purpose, can be presented as follows:

• For steam turbines (including gears under normal load conditions). These lubricants are based on purified mineral oils, supplemented with antioxidants and corrosion inhibitors. The use of oils is advisable on industrial and marine drives.
• For steam turbines with high load capacity. Such turbine oils additionally have extreme pressure characteristics, which ensures the lubrication of gears during the operation of the equipment.
• For gas turbines: such oils are produced from refined mineral compounds, where antioxidants, corrosion inhibitors are added .

Features of cleaning

The internal parts of any mechanism will eventually become unusable due to natural wear and tear. Accordingly, in the lubricating oil also as it is used, mechanical impurities accumulate in the form of water, dust, chips, and an abrasive will start to form. Make the operation of the equipment full and longer can be a constant control and cleaning of the turbine oil to eliminate mechanical impurities from it.

Note that modern oils make it possible to optimize and increase the efficiency of the production process due to the full protection of parts and components. Qualitative cleaning of the turbine oil is the guarantee of reliable operation of the turbine units for a long period without failures and malfunctions of the equipment itself. If you use poor quality oil, the functional reliability of the equipment will be questionable, which means that its premature wear will occur.

Recovered after cleaning, the oil can be reused. That is why it is advisable to use continuous cleaning methods, since in this case it is possible to increase the life of the oil without needing to refill it. Turbine oils can be cleaned by different methods: physical, physical and chemical and chemical. We describe all the methods in more detail.

Physical

These methods purify the turbine oil without affecting its chemical properties. Among the most popular cleaning methods:

• Settling: the oil is cleaned of slime, water, mechanical impurities through special settling tanks. An oil tank can be used as a settler. The disadvantage of the method is low productivity, which is explained by the long stage of delamination.
• Separation: the oil is purified from water and impurities in a special centrifugal separator drum.
• Filtration: with this method, the oil is cleaned of impurities that can not be dissolved in it. For this, the oil is passed through the porous filter surface through filter paper, cardboard, felt or burlap.
• Hydrodynamic cleaning: this method allows you to clean not only oil, but all equipment. When working, a seamless oil film remains between the metal and the oil, corrosion does not appear on the metal surfaces.

Physico-chemical

When using these cleaning methods, the chemical composition of the oil varies, but insignificantly. These methods suggest:

• Adsorption purification, when the substances contained in the oil are absorbed by solid, highly porous materials - adsorbents. In this quality, aluminum oxide, enamel with bleaching effect, silica gel is used.
• Rinsing with condensate: this method is used if the composition of the oil contains low molecular acids, soluble in water. After washing, the performance properties of the oil are improved.

Chemical methods

Cleaning by chemical methods involves the use of acids, alkalis. Alkaline cleaning is used if the oil is heavily worn, and the remaining cleaning methods do not work. Alkali affects the neutralization of organic acids, sulfuric acid residues, the removal of ethers and other compounds. Cleaning is carried out in a special separator under the influence of hot condensate.

The most effective way of cleaning turbine oils is using combined units. They assume the purification according to a specially designed scheme. In industrial conditions it is possible to use universal installations, due to which cleaning can be carried out by a separate method. Whichever cleaning method is used, it is important that the final quality of the oil is at a height. And this will increase the period of stable operation of the equipment itself.