Ultrasonics clean up on oil filters

In order to ensure that ship engines are operating efficiently, it is a requirement to frequently clean the lube oil filters within them.

In order to ensure that ship engines are operating efficiently, it is a requirement to frequently clean the lube oil filters within them.

One option is to use a manual cleaning process for cleaning the filter elements but ultrasonics as an alternative provides a better clean in a shorter time while also creating a greater required gap between each element reprocessing.

Ultrasonic cleaning uses high frequency sound waves in order to create a process called cavitation.

Transducers are bonded on to the base of each ultrasonic tank.

Each transducer will contain two piezoceramic crystal elements which, when subjected to an electrical current, vibrate somewhere in the region of 40,000 times a second.

This converts the electrical energy to sound energy which is then transferred into the cleaning fluid, through the base of the tank.

As the waves pass through the fluid they cause the formation of microscopic vacuum bubbles.

The pressure forces the bubbles to expand until they reach a point where they cannot support their own density causing them to implode: the process of cavitation.

The implosions create a scrubbing action within the fluid and it is this which gently lifts off surface contaminants without causing damage to the submerged item.

Cavitation will occur anywhere where liquid is present, meaning even the smallest channels will be subjected to the same cleaning action as the outer surfaces.

This ability to clean on such a small scale makes ultrasonics ideal for cleaning lube oil filters.

Manual cleaning is time consuming and it can be hard to ensure the hidden parts of the filter element are cleaned thoroughly.

Ultrasonics does not suffer from this problem.

The cleaning fluid easily penetrates the small gaps in the gauze meaning cavitation reaches every part of the elements surface area resulting in a far deeper clean.

With a typical cycle time of between six and ten minutes ultrasonics is far faster than the commonly used manual method and once the cleaning process is completed the element is as clean as a new component.

Timescales of up to 6 hours are common on large ships.

By subjecting the filter elements to an ultrasonic clean this time increases to around 20 to 24 hours.

Clearly this represents a significant time saving for those working in the engine room of a ship.

Cardiff based ultrasonic cleaner manufacturer Ultrawave has provided a number of marine companies with ultrasonic units who now use ultrasonics as the main method of cleaning fitted lube oil filters.

With a range of large industrial tanks available and the ability to create bespoke systems, Ultrawave can provide cleaning solutions for applications in a large number of industries.

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