Tag Archives: oil recycling

Tricks and Traps of Oil Reclamation

Ecological conservation and environmental concerns have become a much greater influence in production facilities around the world in recent years.  Concerns with environmental protection can also be found in the heart of major industrial operations such as steel mills, paper mills, sugar mills and processing plants. Conservation, oil reclamation and recycling of used oils can be a profitable and environmentally beneficial activity.

The engineering or technical manager of a large plant is often so busy managing production and ensuring optimal production with minimal downtime, that he does not have time to concern himself with the service life of oil that operates the plant machinery.  After all, the plant’s purchasing department looks for the lowest priced oil  and the handling/storage department ensures that all drained lube oil is disposed of via a waste removal company.

Various local, state and federal authorities have set regulations for the handling and disposal of used oil products.  The U. S. Government’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has also issued its own used oil management standards, and companies are required to comply with them.

Reclaiming oil accomplishes the following:

  • Conserves a valuable resource;
  • Prevents contamination of the environment;
  • Saves money by reducing waste disposal costs; and
  • Reduces long-term liability for disposed products – from beginning to end.

When to Reclaim and When to Recycle Oil

Oil Reclamation vs Oil Recycling

Oil Reclamation and recycling are two related processes, but there are significant differences between them.

Oil Recycling As an Option

The plant engineer does not have to be concerned with the details of the technology used by a recycler, and therefore, is not the focus of this article except to provide guidelines for its use in the plant.  It is important to ensure that recycled lubricants are handled and processed in an environmentally acceptable manner.  Ask the removal company to show an independent environmental audit of its site and processes. Ensure the company is licensed to process used oil and make regular visits to the site.

Oil Reclamation

Reclamation treats a specified amount of used oil, preferably on-site, and returns the oil to the machine it was operating in for continued use.  An example of this is the reclamation of transformer oil, hydraulic oil and turbine oil.  Reclamation may take place off-site where the vendor of the reclamation service drains the existing oil and replaces it with previously reclaimed oil. Oil Reclamation generally involves cleaning, drying and perhaps adsorption to remove dark color, acids and sludge.  The reclaiming of used oil is essentially a non-chemical process that restores oil for reuse in a lubricating or insulating system.

Oil Recycling

All oil products eventually reach the end of their useful service life and must be drained from the machine or system, whether it is in an engine, a gearbox, a hydraulic system or in a turbine.  Oil that is recycled could be rerefined to new base oil or treated and sold as fuel oil.

Focus on Oil Reclamation. Traps of Oil Reclamation

Hydraulic oils, transformer oils and to some extent turbine oils, lend themselves to being reclaimed. But, one must ensure that the oil’s performance characteristics and specifications have not been downgraded after reclamation.  Reclamation usually involves the used oil being filtered and the removal of debris, sludge and fine particles.  Centrifuging is used to remove suspended particles and some water. Many transformer oil reclamation units dry the oil and achieve this by heating the oil and applying a vacuum to pull out moisture.

Transformer oils are frequently reclaimed through filtration.  This may take the form of centrifuging, vacuum dehydration or absorption with fuller’s earth or another activated media.  When considering a reclamation service for transformer oil, check the following:

  • Service providers should offer references of successful reclamation of transformer oil at other companies. Ask to contact previous clients;
  • Decide on the performance target for the transformer oil in consultation with the oil supplier or an independent consultant;
  • Test the oil before and after reclamation to ensure compliance with your target;
  • Ask for a certificate of analysis after reclamation; and
  • The certificate should show breakdown voltage, moisture content, acid neutralization number and power factor.

Turbine Oil

Great care must be exercised with turbine oil when carrying out the reclamation process. Centrifuging and filtration will remove particles and water, but the turbine oil must continue to perform its task of cooling, sealing, lubricating and corrosion prevention.  Even though the application is critical, turbine oil volumes warrant the reclamation effort.

The key to turbine oil reclamation is evaluating its performance under specified test procedures. Turbine oil is reclaimed by a combination of filtration, sweetening with fresh oil and sweetening with additives. The combination results in the removal of fine particles, sludge and water, and restoring the performance level.

When considering a reclamation service for turbine oil, check the following:

  • Ensure lube supplier works closely with you on testing;
  • Obtain a test certificate on the performance of the new oil;
  • Test reclaimed oil prior to refill to ensure compliance with performance target;
  • Check compatibility. Ten to 15 percent of the old oil can remain in a turbine system.
  • Perform quality tests through an independent lab to verify beginning and ending oil condition and performance capability; and
  • Verify oil performance after reclamation with bench tests such as Rotating Pressure Vessel Oxidation Test (RPVOT) (ASTM D2272), viscosity, AN, foam, demulsibility and color.

Hydraulic Oil Reclamation

Hydraulic oils are a complex mixture of carefully selected base oils and specific additives.

Top-tier hydraulic oils, often called anti-wear (AW) hydraulic oils, must meet performance specifications set by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).  They must also meet standards set by hydraulic pump makers and standards organizations such as Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN) and the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM).

Plant engineers are increasingly interested in extending the service life of hydraulic fluid.  As a result, suppliers and consultants are often asked ways to carry this out.  Because of their high-pressure operation, hydraulic fluids tend to accumulate silt.  Silt must be eliminated to avoid valve sticking and polishing wear.  Hydraulic oils and fluids are reclaimed by a combination of filtration, vacuum dehydration and adsorption. The combination results in the removal of fine particles, sludge and water, and restoring the performance level of the fluid.

Traps of Oil Reclamation

When considering a oil reclamation service for turbine oil, check the following:

  1. Ensure reclamation vendor can show proof of previous success;
  2. Obtain from the vendor a certificate of analysis at the end of the reclamation. Compare this to the condition of the oil before reclamation;
  3. Be sure you understand the performance capability of the new oil and the performance requirements of the OEM. Test against those standards;
  4. Perform quality tests through an independent lab to verify beginning and ending oil condition and performance characteristics; and
  5. Test certificates/records should be filed for the next oil change.

After finding a reputable and trusted reclamation vendor, the key is to assemble a team to manage the process.

The Reclamation Team

Managing used oil recycling or reclamation is often left to an individual or is completely neglected in a plant.  It is useful to form a team to focus on the process if there is sufficient volume of used lubricating or process oil at the site to justify reclamation.  A recycling and reclamation team may consist of a buyer, lubrication engineer, maintenance engineer, oil supplier representative, a reclamation company representative and an environmental officer.  They work together to improve the recycling program.  In doing so, they compile the information found in Table 1.

The team of Oil Reclamation

We are partner of ABB

The manager of the plant will have to make a decision between reclamation and recycling for his used lubricants and process oils. Because lubricants have different processing requirements, some lubricants are not good candidates for reclamation.  The waste oils should be broken into two categories, for either reclamation or recycling.

If it is not clear whether the used oil stream is a good candidate for reclamation, contact the reclamation company and ask whether the specific product, by product name, can be reclaimed.

Candidates for consideration may include:

  • Cutting fluids;
  • Hydraulic oils;
  • Turbine oils;
  • Transformer oil;
  • Spent lube oils; and
  • Engine oils and gear oils.

Using Recycled Oil

Reuse of waste oil can include:

  • Burning without treatment – not advised;
  • Reprocessing to industrial fuel;
  • Re-refining to new oil; and
  • Disposal to landfill – avoid at all costs.

Note that the EPA has specified that used oil that does not meet the following criteria must be classified as “Off-Specification.”  This used oil may be used as a fuel only in an industrial facility registered with the EPA.  These include cement mills, lime kilns, coke ovens and blast furnaces.

If the halogen content is greater than 1,000 ppm, then the used oil must be managed in accordance with the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste regulations.  While all lubricants eventually reach a condition where they can no longer be used and must be discarded as used lubricating oil, the plant engineer can examine the following options for minimizing the volume of used oil generated:

In-line oil sensors to ensure that oil life is extended and unnecessary oil changes do not occur.

  • Use of oil mist lubrication on industrial gear boxes and other equipment;
  • Choice of extended drain period diesel engine oils for fleets;
  • Selection of equipment with reduced oil volume sizes;
  • Improving the filtration of the lube oil charge and dosing with additives; and
  • Prevention of oil contamination.

Every plant should have a coordinated plan for managing used lubricating oil. Cleaner production methods and waste minimization should be the first initiatives in reducing waste oil at a factory.  When lubricating oil reaches the end of its projected service life, it must be either reclaimed or recycled.

If reclaimed, the lube oil may continue to serve its intended function for many more operating hours. Rigorous testing and record-keeping are necessary for this approach.  If the waste oil is a mixture of contaminants and spent oils, then the used lube oil can be reprocessed by a contracted recycler, keeping within local government regulations.  Every business should keep track of the used oil it generates once it leaves the plant.  Plants that generate large volumes of used oil should seek an independent report on the process practiced by their contracted recycler.

Transformer Damage and Oil Regeneration/Oil Reclamation

An electric power transformer Damage is one of the most important elements of the modern electric grid no matter where in the world a particula grid may be located.  Transformer failures result in significant financial expenditures, and will require the transmission company to buy new transforners or repair the damaged ones at significant cost and service interuptions.

Many historians note that there was great industrial boom observed in the first decade followintg the end of World War II.  At that time, there was a rapid increase in electric power consumption.  To meet the growing demand for electric power, new transformers had to constantly be put into operation.  Since that time, mant of the older transformers have become outdated and pose a big risk of unscheduled service interuptions.

Older transformers’ obsolescence however, is not the only problem facing the modern power grids.  The power loads on the obsolete transformers are increasing because of ever increasing power consumption.  It requires significant expenditures to replace the broken or obsolete transformer since the price for a new transformer is very high.

It is therefore, advisable to take measures to extend the service life of transformers already in service.  To succeed in undertaking a sucessful preventive maintenance program, one should understand the nature of the failures that make transformers unserviceable in the first place.

In 2003, the International Association of Engineering Insurers (IMIA) started to explore the reasons for transformer failures servicing the combined USA power grids.  The results were rather interesting.  Table 1 shows the economic losses caused by different types of transformer failures.

Table 1

Economical Losses Caused by Different Transformer failures

Nature of Failure

Amount of Cases

Economical Loss in $

Insulation defects

24%

149,967,277.00

Problems with designing, material or installation

22%

64,969,051.00

Unknown failures

15%

29,776,245.00

Oil contamination

4%

11,836,367.00

Overloading

5%

8,568,768.00

Inflammation/explosion

3%

8,045,771.00

Network overvoltage

4%

4,959,691.00

Operational failures

5%

3,518,783.00

Water ingress

2%

2,240,198.00

Poor contacts

6%

2,186,725.00

Lightning stroke

3%

657,935.00

Insulation moistening

1%

175,000.00

In total

94%

286,628,811.00

It is not an overstatement to say that if proper and timely preventive maintenance of the insulating systems is performed, many, if not all transformer failures can be prevented.  The insulating system of the power transformer consists of bith solid and liquid insulation.  The solid insulation is made of hygroscopic material (cellulose) also known as “Kraft Paper.”  The liquid insulation features a dielectric fluid known as transformer insulating oil.  In general, these two kinds of insulation are interdependent, but also help to contaminate each because degradation products from the solid insulation may get into oil and oil oxidation sludges may penetrate into the solid insulation from the oil.  Simply changing the transformer oil therefore, will not completely resolve the problem of restoring and cleaning the entire insulation system.  Unfortunatelt, oxidation products are accumulated in the cellulose insulation and are not removed when oil is simply changed.  And when only an oil changed is performed, these oxidation products will migrate get into new oil accelerating the aging process of the new oil and shortening its effective service life.  Additionally, the contamination that remains in the solid insulation will continue to degrade and damage the Kraft Paper leading to transformer failure.

This problem may be solved with the advanced GlobeCore regeneration technologies.  The GlobeCore mobile oil recycling stations, designated as the CMM-R line of equipment may be connected to either an energized or non-energized transformer.  In such a way, oil is circulated through a closed path: used oil flows to the oil treatment station and goes back to the transformer being cleaned and restored.  The contaminants resulting from the aging process are washed out due to the constant circulation. This advanced type of equipment performs a complete oil regeneration service and removes all contamination for the transformer core, windings and solid insulation.

GlobeCore mobile oil stations perform  the following operations:

  1. filtration with or without heating (processed oil is of 9th ISO 4406 purity class and with nominal filtration fineness, ranging from 0.5…1 micron);
  2. dehydration (the moisture content of the processed oil is no more than 5 g/t (5ppm);
  3. degassing (volumetric gas content of the processed oil is no more than 0.1 %);
  4. increase the dielectric breakdown voltage (no less than  70 kV (kilovolt));
  5. drying of electrical equipment and oil purification simultaneously;
  6. regenerate insulating oil, using bleaching clay;
  7. vacuum transformers and other electrical equipment;
  8. remove acids;
  9. remove soluble oil decomposition products;
  10. lighten insulating oil; and
  11. restore oxidation and gasification stability;

The GlоbeCоre technologies provide for service life extension of transformers and reduction of financial expenditures on maintenance.  Save money with GlоbeCоre!

Oil Reclamation and the GlobeCore Oil Reclamation Process

GlobeCore is an Oil Reclamation and Oil Purification equipment manufacturer and produces equipment that perform the industry leading oil reclamation process.
Oil that is intended for use in electric power transformers is purified, degassed, and dehydrated. Cleaning mainly removes mechanical impurities, sludge, and water and moisture from the oil.  The GlobeCore Process also removes these contaminates and water from the core, windings and insulating paper completely stopping the paper degradation process.
The GlobeCore line of equipment for oil filtration, oil purification and oil degassing as well for reclamation of transformer oils are the most “in demand” models for the “recovery” and restoring of oil and fluids that have partially or completely lost their performance characteristics in the industry today.
Having a proper oil filtration and oil reclamation system as part of your transformer maintenance equipment will extend the life of your transformers and the overall efficiency of your operation, saving you time and money.

Oil fiiltration: CMM series

Capacity is from 1 v3/h to 10 m3/h.

This mobile oil processing unit is designed for degassing, removal of solids, thermal vacuum drying and heating of oil for power transformers with voltage up to 1150 kV. Capacity is from 1 v3/h to 10 m3/h. This unit can process Oils with viscosity of no more than 70 cSt at 50С.
CMM-M mobile oil units are designed for the following processes:

  • Drying to less than 10 ppm moisture content;
  • Degassing to less than 0.1% volumetric gas content;
  • Increase of oil breakdown voltage to 70 kV;
  • Drying of electrical equipment while purifying the oil;
  • Initial filling of electrical equipment with insulating oil;
  • Nitrogenation of transformer oil;
  • Pulling vacuum on transformers and other electrical equipment.

Oil Purification:  CMM Series (Oil Reclamation Process from Mechanical Particles Only)

Capacity form -16 v3/h to 6 m3/h.

The CMM oil units are designed for removal of solids and moisture from electric insulation oil with viscosity of no more than 70 cSt at 50С.  The units are used for installation, repairs and operation of oil filled, high voltage equipment (power transformers, high voltage switches etc).  The units may be used for heating of oil containing electric systems with hot oil, vacuum drying of transformers and vacuumizing.  The units can be used by installation, repair and operating facilities related to transformer servicing and maintenance.  The units are assembled on a frame, supporting the units’ components: input and output oil pumps, electric control cabinet, vacuum chamber, coarse and fine cartridge filters, vacuum pump and pipelines with valves.

Oil Reclamation Process Units: CMM-R series (full oil regeneration)

(Using Fuller’s Earth sorbent materials)

The CMM-R (Portable units for oil reclamation process) units are designed to extend life time of transformers by restoration of dielectric strength and chemical composition of the dielectric insulating oil.  In the process of oil restoration, the unit removes the products of oil decomposition and acidic materials, improves oil color, increases its stability to oxidation and lowers gas solubility.
Capacity of the CMM-R units is defined by two parameters: (1) liters per hour rate (L.P.H.) and (2) the amount of oil in liters passed through the Fuller’s Earth.  The approximate volume of reclaimed oil is 4 liters per 1 kg of Fuller’s Earth at acid number 0.2mg KOH/g.  The amount of oil treated per 1 kg of Fuller’s earth increases proportionally to the decrease of the acid number.[:]

GlobeCore’s engineer with a collegue from Saudi Arabia after successful start of equipment

The choice of the plant was far from random. The CMM-10 is a versatile unit, allowing heat and vacuum treatment not only of transformer oil, but also turbine, industrial and other oils. The oil is restored by removing water, gas and various solid particles.

The CMM-10 plant has a wide range of application. If can be used for installation, repairs and operation of oil filled high voltage equipment, sealed or breathing. up to 1150 kV.

Besides, the CMM-10 can successfully heat equipment with hot oil, introduce nitrogen into the oil and add oil into high voltage systems.

The unit is protected from overloads, overheating and short circuit of controls, pumps, drives, lights and heaters.

The CMM-10 stops in case of phase skipping, incorrect phase connection, as well as overheating of oil from or the oil heater. Light and sound alarms are available.

The plant is simple in operation and can be used both indoors and outdoors.

GlobeCore representatives particiapted in a seminar in Jordan

The company’s professionals attended a seminar in Amman, Jordan, on 15 April. The meeting was focused on equipment to improve efficiency of transformer operation.

GlobeCore’s Daria Shaddad and Yevheniy Svirid presented the main types of equipment which the company can offer for Jordan’s power plants.