Tanker fleet: main engine lube oil from ISO 19/19/16 to 15/15/13
On a tanker, the particle level in the main engine lube oil was above the recommended level, even though the ship had both a fine filter and a separator. After 528 operating hours with offline filtration, cleanliness was ISO 15/15/13, and particles above 4 µm had fallen from 2,994 to 246 per ml.
ISO 4406 cleanliness code
A Greek shipping company with a large fleet of tankers received an oil analysis showing too many particles in the main engine lube oil on one of its ships. The cleanliness code was ISO 19/19/16, above the recommended level for the engine’s electronically controlled lubrication system, in which the control module meters the oil to the camshaft.
The ship already had the classic marine cleaning equipment: fine filter and separator. The problem is well known: separators are good at large particles and free water, but the fine particles and varnish precursors pass through.
A DX1001 was installed in the engine room in a side loop on the lubrication system, alongside the existing equipment. Three oil samples over 528 operating hours show the progress: the cleanliness code fell from ISO 19/19/16 via 17/17/16 to 15/15/13, and the number of particles above 4 µm fell from 2,994 to 246 per ml. The distributor Hexagon Europe also states that the water content of the oil was brought down to 0 %.
The fleet’s technical manager had been sceptical beforehand. His conclusion after the trial is in the quote below.
The figures before and after
| Measurement | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 4406 cleanliness code | 19/19/16 | 15/15/13 |
| Particles above 4 µm per ml | 2,994 | 246 |
| Particles above 6 µm per ml | 2,700 | 246 |
| Particles above 14 µm per ml | 640 | 75 |
“It turns out they (Delta Xero) were correct; the filter can rapidly eliminate contaminants, including varnish, that SFF and purification methods cannot.”
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