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Oil Monitoring Maintains Onboard Performance
01 Aug 2004
Condition monitoring of fuels and lubricants used onboard has become one of the main weapons in the fight to reduce premature failure of marine propulsion units, gearboxes and hydraulic systems. In particular, determining the presence of water or the gradual degradation of TBN (Total Base Number) of the engine oil can be one of the first indicators of potentially expensive and possibly catastrophic failure of the plant.
Water can enter the oil from many sources including condensation, leakage and malfunction of the oil treatment system. Water in the oil can cause corrosion, cavitation and additive package instability as well as encouraging the growth of unwelcome micro-organisms.
Regular sampling and analysis of fuel, lubrication and hydraulic oils enables the engineer to assess the condition and performance of the machine oil over time, allowing adjustments to be made to ensure maximum operational performance.
Kittiwake Developments Ltd, the UK based specialist producer of oil test kits, equipment and sampling products provides the tools necessary for marine engineers to conduct these crucial maintenance routines.
The DIGI Test cell is designed to analyse multiple oil breakdown characteristics. The dual purpose DIGI Test cell can measure both 'Water in Oil' and 'Total Base Number' (TBN) in one unit.
The device provides a fast and accurate digital measurement for each parameter, allowing the engineer to effectively monitor and manage the condition of the oil and the equipment in which it is used.
Maintaining the condition of 'clean oils' such as hydraulic oil requires a different set of tests to those conducted on 'dirty' lube oils. The presence of particle contamination in these fluids can be catastrophic and monitoring fluid cleanliness levels will assist in identifying any abnormal conditions before they become critical. An indication of the cleanliness of hydraulic oil can be achieved using the new Kittiwake Hydraulic Particles test kit.
In addition, Kittiwake's recently upgraded ECON TAN Drop test kit provides a rapid, accurate and easy to use test to check for increasing levels of TAN, caused by oxidation of the lubricant. Used regularly, these tests provide a wealth of useful information to aid onboard preventative maintenance.
MJ Information No: 19720
