Fire-resistant lubricant clocks up 100,000 hours

A fire-resistant hydraulic fluid and lubricant has been used successfully in an industrial gas turbine for over 100,000 hours since commissioning without any significant change in condition.

Reolube Turbofluid 46XC, a fire-resistant hydraulic fluid and lubricant for steam and gas turbines from Great Lakes Chemical Corp, has been used successfully in an industrial gas turbine for over 100,000 hours since commissioning without any significant change in condition.

The triaryl phosphate ester lubricant was initially filled into a 5.5MW Sulzer (now MAN Turbo) Type 3 gas turbine in January 1986 at Novartis Klybeck plant in Basel, Switzerland, currently operated by Valorec Services.

"A combination of good stability and effective fluid maintenance has enabled the same fluid charge to be used since commissioning.

Despite very low top-up rates, the fluid condition today, after 16.5 years, is similar to that of new material", said David Phillips, Performance Additives and Fluids Technical and Marketing Manager for Great Lakes.

"Based on this performance we expect that this initial fill of Reolube Turbofluid 46XC fire-resistant lubricant will remain in the turbine for the rest of its useful life".

At the same power station in Basel, a single charge of Reolube Turbofluid 46XC has also been in use in a 10MW Siemens steam turbine since 1983.

In addition to extended fluid life and consistent performance, the fire-resistant qualities of Reolube Turbofluid 46XC provide built-in fire protection for turbine lubricant systems that operate at high temperatures.

These conditions have long provided a serious fire risk because a leak of flammable lubricant such as mineral oil, the most widely used turbine lubricant, could easily be ignited if it comes into contact with the hot surfaces of the turbine.

Novartis selected Reolube Turbofluid 46XC in place of mineral oil due to Turbofluid's fire-resistant properties; therefore no additional fire protection was installed.

In service, Reolube Turbofluid 46XC almost certainly prevented two fires from breaking out after fluid escaped from the gas turbine following a coupling failure and a shaft seal leak.

Reolube Turbofluid 46XC also offers added benefits when compared to conventional sprinkler systems because Reolube Turbofluid 46XC protects the entire lubricant system at all times, whilst also preventing a fire from starting.

A sprinkler is effective only after a fire breaks out and generally provides protection for specific components rather than the entire lubricant system.

Reolube Turbofluid 46XC is one in a range of fire-resistant turbine control fluids and lubricants produced by Great Lakes.

These fluids have collectively operated over half-a-million hours as lubricants for large steam turbines up to 1000MW output, providing both cost and safety benefits.

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