Monitoring Water in Lubricant Oil | Maintain Equipment & Reduce Downtime
Water in Lubricant Oil / Lube Oil
Water contamination may cause different problems in different types of lubricating oil, although corrosion is always directly associated with water ingress. Whatever the equipment, water can displace the oil at contacting surfaces, reducing the amount of lubrication and activating surfaces which may themselves act as catalysts for degradation of the oil. Water is an important contaminant in many lubricant oil systems because of its potential to cause failure via a number of mechanisms. Water contamination within lubricating / lube oil storage tanks can lead to microbiological growth, forming yeast, mould and bacteria that will clog filters and very rapidly corrode fuel systems.
There are many potential sources of water contamination in lube oil in any system including:
Water in Fuels
Usually the level of water in the fuel is very low and 0.1- 0.2% by volume is typical. The introduction of water can come from a number of sources, which include tank condensation, tank leakage or deliberate adulteration. Where steam is used for tank heating purposes, heating coil leakage is another potential source of water. A further potential source is the purifier itself if the gravity disc is incorrect for the density of fuel being treated.
In practice, the nature of the actual water present may be fresh, brackish or salt depending on the level of sodium as determined by elemental analysis. On a world-wide basis the salt content of sea water varies, but usually in first order terms 100mg/kg of sodium is associated with 1% of sea water. Gross water contamination will be removed in the settling tanks with the final water being removed by the centrifuge. The figure shows the histogram of water content of residual fuels delivered in to the marine market world-wide.
Click to view the Info Centre articles on Water in Fuel Oil
Water contamination may cause different problems in different types of lubricating oil, although corrosion is always directly associated with water ingress. Whatever the equipment, water can displace the oil at contacting surfaces, reducing the amount of lubrication and activating surfaces which may themselves act as catalysts for degradation of the oil. Water is an important contaminant in many lubricant oil systems because of its potential to cause failure via a number of mechanisms. Water contamination within lubricating / lube oil storage tanks can lead to microbiological growth, forming yeast, mould and bacteria that will clog filters and very rapidly corrode fuel systems.
There are many potential sources of water contamination in lube oil in any system including:
- Leakage from oil coolers, charge air coolers and steam heating coils.
- Condensation of atmospheric humidity.
- Blow-by gases from diesel engine combustion spaces or past compressor ring packs.
- Leakage at tank vents (especially those exposed to weather).
- Coolant jacket leaks through cracks or seals.
- Contamination from top-up oil (especially in systems with a low tolerance to water).
Water in Fuels
Usually the level of water in the fuel is very low and 0.1- 0.2% by volume is typical. The introduction of water can come from a number of sources, which include tank condensation, tank leakage or deliberate adulteration. Where steam is used for tank heating purposes, heating coil leakage is another potential source of water. A further potential source is the purifier itself if the gravity disc is incorrect for the density of fuel being treated.
In practice, the nature of the actual water present may be fresh, brackish or salt depending on the level of sodium as determined by elemental analysis. On a world-wide basis the salt content of sea water varies, but usually in first order terms 100mg/kg of sodium is associated with 1% of sea water. Gross water contamination will be removed in the settling tanks with the final water being removed by the centrifuge. The figure shows the histogram of water content of residual fuels delivered in to the marine market world-wide.
Click to view the Info Centre articles on Water in Fuel Oil
- Moisture Sensor - The Moisture range of online sensors puts your oil analysis laboratory on your doorstep telling you exactly how dry your oil is.
- Water In Oil Electronic Test - The Water in Oil test is available as a stand-alone kit, or as part of a comprehensive suite of electronic equipment including cells to test for TBN, TAN and Insolubles, which are included in the Oil Test Centre and Power Plant Laboratory.
- DIGI Water in Oil Kit - the Kittiwake DIGI Cell has become a favoured test method worldwide for on-site and on-board testing.
Check out the DIGI Water Test in Action
