Case Study 1 | Dust Ingress Causing Increased Oil Contamination
“Thank you for alerting me yesterday to the problem with Oil Sample.”
Note from Power Station Foreman at Gold Mine in response to our notification of a problem found from analysing a scheduled oil sample taken from the Power Station Genset
“Thank you for alerting me yesterday to the problem with oil Sample 120. Another sample has been taken & on its way to you.
We discovered this morning a cracked air cleaner housing & I believe this is most likely the cause of the problem. Repairs are currently being made. Air filter housing is being repaired, engine oil & all air & lube filters are being changed
………. All oil samples taken up until the most recent one show the oil condition as being satisfactory. The sample of concern showing high levels of contamination & unidentified wear metal was Sample 120 & I was notified by phone of this by Clean Oil Services Lab……….
I believe the sudden increase in dust in the enclosure from mid Dec-2008 can explain the sudden increase of contamination found in Sample 120 from 01/01/09. The crack in the air filter housing has most likely been developing for some time. But as the air in the generator enclosure was a lot cleaner before work began on the enclosure ventilation system, prior Samples did not show any noticeable increases in contamination.”
Power Station Foreman Mechanical
Dust Ingress Causing Increased Oil Contamination
Oil analysis identified a sudden increase in contamination levels in Sample #120. Further investigation linked the issue to a significant rise in dust inside the generator enclosure from the month prior.
The investigation also revealed a crack developing in the air filter housing. Although the crack had likely existed for some time, earlier oil samples did not show elevated contamination levels because the enclosure environment remained relatively clean before ventilation system work commenced. However, once dust levels increased during the enclosure ventilation upgrade, contaminants entered the system through the damaged air filter housing. As a result, oil analysis quickly detected the rise in contamination levels.
This case study highlights the importance of effective contamination control, regular equipment inspections and ongoing oil analysis to identify developing problems before they lead to accelerated equipment wear or reliability issues.
