Changing oil in a wind turbine is a big deal — extracting up to 200 gallons of oil from as high as 300 feet in the air, then pumping fresh oil up into the asset isn’t exactly as convenient as stopping at the nearest quick lube for an oil change in your pickup. You want to do it as infrequently as possible, and you want to make sure it’s done right. Doing it right includes a crucial step easily overlooked: oil flushing. Oil flushing contributes to efficiency and cost effectiveness. It can lead to significant savings over time by promoting optimal performance of turbine components and prolonging their lifespan. How is it done, and what are the best practices? Let’s get into it.
Importance of Oil Flushing
Wind turbines rely on lubricants to ensure components operate smoothly. Over time, wind turbine lubricants can become contaminated with dirt, water, wear debris and oil-degradation byproducts, leading to decreased efficiency and potential damage. Oil flushing removes all the old or contaminated oil and replaces it with clean oil, effectively flushing out impurities. Unchecked contamination can lead to costly repairs or turbine failure. Including oil flushing as a regular part of your oil change process helps prevent these issues, saving money and minimizing unexpected downtime, which boosts productivity.
“Oil flushing is a proactive maintenance step that can significantly extend the life of your equipment. By removing contaminants and ensuring clean oil, you enhance the performance and reliability of your turbines.”
Global Application Engineer Kevin Guo
What Oil Flushing Removes
During the oil flushing process, several contaminants can be effectively removed from the turbine’s lubrication system. These include:
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Debris and Particulates: Dust, abnormal wear particles and other wear particles generated from normal operation can accumulate over time, leading to wear and tear on components.
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Water and Moisture: Moisture can enter the lubrication system from the environment or condensation, which can cause corrosion, deplete additives and reduce lubricant effectiveness. Excessive water can cause additive fallout, resulting in increased wear, foaming and filter plugging.
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Oxidation Byproducts: Oil can oxidize due to heat and pressure, creating sludge and varnish that impair performance.
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Additive Depletion: Over time, the additives in lubricants can become depleted, leading to reduced wear protection and excessive foam.
Oil flushing cleans the gearbox of contaminants, such as water, dirt and sludge, and ensures no chemical mixing from the previous oil, allowing the fresh oil to start clean and free of unwanted chemistry or contaminants.
Oil Analysis: Before and After Oil Flushing
Oil analysis is an important tool in maintaining wind turbine gearboxes, particularly before and after oil flushing.
Pre-flush analysis assesses the lubricant’s condition, identifying contamination and degradation levels. This helps determine the necessity and extent of flushing required, allowing technicians to catch potential gearbox issues early.
Post-flush analysis verifies that the flushing process effectively removed contaminants and confirms the success of the final fill, ensuring the gearbox is operating with clean oil. This analysis serves as a benchmark for future maintenance, enabling ongoing monitoring of oil quality and gearbox health.
“If proper steps are not taken during the oil flushing process, any wear particles or contaminants left behind can become a catalyst for oil contamination and premature component wear. We can identify specific wear particles using lubricant analysis.” Senior Wind Turbine Tribologist Kevin Dinwiddie
Get the most from your lubricants with AMSOIL Industrial lubricant analysis.
Best Practices for Implementing Oil Flushing
To achieve optimal results when flushing wind turbines, follow these best practices:
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Use the correct type and grade of oil: Ensure compatibility with the specific turbine model for expected performance.
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Follow manufacturer guidelines: Refer to the manufacturer’s recommendations for proper flushing procedures. Or when out of warranty, consult with AMSOIL Industrial engineers for specific oil change procedures.
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Use appropriate equipment: Rent a pumping trailer for DIY oil changes or hire a professional company with a wind turbine pumping truck to do the oil changes according to specific oil change procedures.
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Properly dispose of old oil: Adhere to environmental regulations to prevent contamination during future flushes.
We can help! Check out AMSOIL Industrial proven flushing procedure.
Synthetic Oils Reduce the Need for Oil Flushing
Synthetic oils are essential for maintaining wind turbines due to their superior performance over conventional mineral oils. Their enhanced thermal stability ensures optimal viscosity across a wide temperature range, which is crucial given the varying ambient temperatures in wind turbine applications. This stability reduces the risk of temperature-related failures and ensures consistent lubrication.
Additionally, synthetic oils boast remarkable shear stability, providing reliable protection for gear components and extending the lifespan of key machinery parts. They resist oxidation and degradation, keeping their purity longer and minimizing frequent oil changes. Their excellent cleaning ability, aided by specially formulated additives, prevents sludge and deposit formation, resulting in cleaner internal components and increased wind turbine efficiency and reliability.
This increased efficiency aligns with the goal of maximizing energy output while minimizing costs. This makes synthetic oils a smart choice for improving wind turbine performance and longevity.
AMSOIL Industrial synthetic wind turbine lubricants.
Revolutionize Your Maintenance Routine
Incorporating oil flushing and oil analysis into your regular oil change procedure can deliver significant benefits for your operation.
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Catch potential gearbox issues early.
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Clean and remove any contaminants from the gearbox.
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Remove any old oil from the gearbox.
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Ensure only fresh, clean oil is installed
Ultimately, oil flushing helps provide reduced downtime, optimum turbine performance and extended equipment life. By following best practices, using synthetic oils and incorporating regular oil analysis into your maintenance routine, you can ensure that your turbines continue to operate at peak efficiency.
Discover how AMSOIL flushing and cleaning oils can revolutionize your maintenance routine. Schedule an on-site consultation today with an AMSOIL Industrial Engineer.