Lube and Hydraulic Oil Purifiers with Integrated Oil Dehydrators: What They Are and Why You Need Them

Manage Many Contaminants with One Machine

Industrial oil purifiers with integrated oil dehydrators are essential for maintaining the quality and service life of industrial lube and hydraulic oils. They remove contaminants such as water, gases, dirt, metallic particles, and other solids. This helps improve the oil's performance while reducing wear and tear and the cost of equipment ownership.

What is an oil purifier?

An oil purifier is a device or process that removes unwanted contaminants from industrial lube and hydraulic oils.  It is widely recognized that these “oil purifiers” remove water, gases, and solid contaminants. Other common names for an oil purifier are “oil dehydration unit,” “oil purification and dehydration unit,” and “oil dehydrator.” 

How do they work?

These systems work by passing the oil through a dehydration and filtration process. The oil dehydration process usually consists of a heater and a vacuum chamber. Both heat and vacuum improve the efficiency but must be limited to avoid damaging the oil.  The vacuum dehydrator removes free and dissolved water and gasses exhausting them to the atmosphere through the vacuum pump. The filters remove particles, such as dirt, scale, and metal shavings.. 

These systems are typically connected to an oil reservoir in a kidney loop circuit.  The oil is recirculated through the oil purifier continuously until the desired water concentration and ISO cleanliness level (measure of particulate content) is reached.

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Do I Need an Oil Purifier

Oil purifiers with integrated oil dehydrators are essential for improving industrial oils' quality and service life. Contaminants in oil can cause several problems.  Following are some examples:

• Reduced performance: Contaminants in lube oil can interfere with the oil's ability to lubricate. This can result in excessive friction and heat, reducing machine efficiency and productivity.
• Increased wear: Water contamination can cause corrosion and reduced hydrodynamic film thickness, leading to component wear and premature machine failure.
• Hydraulic control issues: Air bubbles increase the compressibility of hydraulic fluids.  This will eventually result in sluggish or unresponsive control within a hydraulic system.  Lack of control presents process and safety issues that can be very costly.

Benefits of Using an Oil Purifier

Following the issues mentioned above, there are several benefits to using an oil purifier with an integrated oil dehydrator, including:

• Improved equipment performance: Oil purifiers can help improve equipment performance by removing contaminants that can interfere with lubrication and protection.
• Improved machine reliability and productivity: Oil purifiers with dehydrators can help reduce machine failures and lengthen service intervals by removing contaminants that erode and corrode critical components.
• Reduce the cost of replacing oil: Oil purifiers can help extend the oil service life by removing contaminants that break it down.

Industries Using Oil Purifiers with Integrated Oil Dehydrators

• Power generation and distribution
• Petrochemical processing
• Metalworking
• Food processing
• Pulp & paper
• Mining

If you use industrial oils in your operation, you should consider using an oil purifier to protect equipment, processes, and profits.  Let Powerflow Fluid Systems help you choose an oil purifier that meets your needs.

Improving Machine Performance and Service Life with Oil Dehydrators/Purifiers and Conditioners

Regular maintenance of industrial machinery is crucial to maximizing performance and service life. One essential aspect of an effective maintenance program is effectively purifying and conditioning lube and hydraulic oils used in the machinery. This blog post will explore the significance of oil dehydrators/purifiers and conditioners and how they improve machine performance and prolong equipment life.

Understanding Oil Dehydrators/Purifiers and Conditioners

Oil dehydrators/purifiers and conditioners are specialized systems designed to remove contaminants and maintain the quality of various oils used in industrial applications. These oils play a vital role in powering and lubricating machinery.  They also reduce friction and dissipate heat, preventing wear and tear. However, over time, contaminants such as particulate, moisture, air and other gases accumulate in the oil.  This leads to costly issues affecting machinery productivity, reliability, and service life.

The Role of an Oil Purifier

An oil purifier is a system with an oil dehydrator and particulate filter.  Dehydration removes free, entrained, and dissolved water and unwanted gases.  The particulate filter removes solid particles such as dust, soot, metallic corrosion products and carbon.  These purifiers often utilize a low-watt density heater to raise the temperature of the oil to facilitate efficient dehydration.  By employing a combination of heat, vacuum dehydration and particulate filtration, an oil purifier maintains clean, dry oil and keeps lubricated and hydraulic-powered equipment productive and reliable.

Benefits of Using an Oil Dehydrator/Purifier

• Improved Lubrication: Clean oil ensures better lubrication, reducing friction and wear between machine parts. This results in improved efficiency and reduced energy consumption.
• Enhanced Equipment Performance: By maintaining the oil’s recommended cleanliness level, oil purifiers help machinery operate at peak performance levels, maximizing productivity and reliability.
• Extended Equipment Lifespan: Continuous online oil purification minimizes the risk of mechanical breakdowns and extends the lifespan of expensive industrial equipment.
• Cost Savings: Investing in an oil purifier can lead to long-term cost savings by reducing the need for frequent oil changes and preventing expensive repairs.
• Maintaining clean, dry oil in hydraulic systems prevents safety issues related to sluggish responses and equipment failures.

Oil Conditioners

Some machinery operates in wet environments or utilizes steam that may condense and leak into the lubrication system.  If a leak suddenly occurs, it may demand rapid removal of a large volume of water, exceeding what a standard oil dehydrator/purifier can handle. 

Oil conditioners are oil purification systems designed for applications requiring bulk water removal.  In addition to a common oil dehydrator/purifier, they incorporate a special coalescing filter to knock out large amounts of water rapidly.  The coalescing filter can be used intermittently when water ingression overwhelms the oil dehydrator or continuously.

Benefits of Using Oil Conditioners

• Removes a large volume of water from oil quickly.
• Minimizes equipment damage when lubrication or hydraulic power systems are subjected to sudden, unexpected episodes of water ingression from steam seal leaks, environmental or other conditions.
• Prevents or minimizes downtime that would otherwise result from water ingression.
• Reduces waste because wet oil is dehydrated instead of being changed.

Conclusion

Oil dehydrators/purifiers and conditioners play a vital role in ensuring industrial machinery’s efficient, reliable operation. These devices improve machine performance and extend equipment lifespan by effectively removing contaminants and stabilizing oil properties. Investing in oil purification optimizes machinery operations and leads to significant cost savings in the long run.

Consider incorporating oil dehydrators/purifiers or oil conditioners into your maintenance routine to improve your equipment’s performance and reduce maintenance costs. By doing so, you can experience the benefits of cleaner oil and reap the rewards of prolonged equipment life, reduced oil waste and increased productivity.

Remember, maintaining clean and well-conditioned oil is a proactive approach to safeguarding your valuable investments in industrial machinery. Start exploring the options available in the market to find the best oil dehydrators/purifiers and conditioners that suit your specific needs and requirements.