Membrane Dehydrators for Efficient Water Contamination Control in Lubricating and Hydraulic Fluid

摘要

Ingression of water or ambient moisture over time into industrial lubrication and hydraulic fluid systems causes major operational and maintenance problems. Water can be present in such systems as free, dispersed and dissolved water. The contamination level of water in lubrication oil adversely affects the service life of the associated components. Industry studies show gear/bearing life can be increased fivefold by reducing the dissolved water concentration to a very low level. A new commercial membrane dehydrator system has been introduced in the market recently to dewater lubricating and hydraulic fluids in real time. The device can remove free, dispersed and dissolved water and extend the reliability and life of gearboxes, reduce maintenance costs, and increase uptime. First generation commercial systems have demonstrated stable performance over 12 months of continuous field operation. A larger dehydrator system with 7 fold increase in productivity has also been developed.