Practicing Oil Analysis September 2002

This project, like so many others, had a humble beginning. About five years ago, after returning from a routine sales call to the smelter where a representative was selling synthetic and specialty...

Ready, aim, fire! Or is it ready, fire, aim? Unfortunately, the latter is more prevalent in the deployment of lubricant analysis programs. Strategy is often viewed by technologists as just a bunch...

The phenomenon of cavitation consists in the disruption of continuity in the liquid where there is considerable local reduction of pressure. The formation of bubbles within liquids...

The presence of air in the fluid of a working hydraulic system can cause significant performance problems. Furthermore, the air may be entrained or dissolved, which is difficult to detect. Only the...

While most, if not all oil analysis programs include at least some means of detecting active machine wear, all too often problems can be missed or misdiagnosed due to a basic lack of understanding...

Most professionals require tools in the practice of their trade. For a doctor it may be a stethoscope, for the baseball player a glove, or for the carpenter a hammer and saw. The one thing that...

At the Phillips 66 Trainer Refinery near Philadelphia, Pa., we recently converted some turbine/gearbox lube oil circulating systems from an ISO VG 100 synthetic lube to an ISO VG 68 turbine...

Like so many attendees in a Noria training class, Bill was no exception. When asked why he was there, he replied, ‘To learn a little more about oil analysis, so I can get the full value from my oil...

Saving the company money is a celebratory event, especially when a group of dedicated team players serves management the lubrication savings. River Bend Station, located near St. Francisville,...

At Noria we often speak of specification drift that occurs when lubricant specifications are based upon specific products from specific blenders. While in many situations this approach works...