Bowser Lube Oil Conditioner
In 1938, the Bowser 832P Turbine Oil Conditioner was initially developed by Bowser Inc. In 1968, Keene Corporation acquired Bowser, and in 1984, Kaydon Corporation took over the product line. The last Bowser 832P unit manufactured in the United States was shipped in 1985, with subsequent units produced for overseas markets until the final shipment in 2005. The discontinuation of the Bowser 832P was primarily due to the development of the more advanced Kaydon TURBO-TOC System in 1987, which offered superior design and performance. The Bowser 832P does not provide the type of reliability for oil purification that is required and demanded for today’s turbine lube oil systems.
Why upgrade your Bowser 832P to a Kaydon Turbo-TOC?
Turbine oils are engineered with high oxidation resistance and formulated with additives for anti-wear, anti-rust, demulsibility, and foam suppression. Despite these performance enhancers, turbine oils remain vulnerable to oil degradation in steam and gas turbine lubrication systems due to constant exposure to contaminants such as air, elevated temperatures, particulates, and moisture.
Contamination originates from both external sources, such as bearing seals and vents, and internal sources, including gland seal leaks, oil cooler failures, and condensation within lube oil reservoirs. Internally generated contaminants include water, particulate matter (e.g., dirt, fly ash), metallic wear debris, and oil degradation byproducts. These stressors accelerate oil breakdown beyond the protective capabilities of additive packages alone.
To mitigate oil degradation, a Kaydon turbine oil conditioning system is essential. Maintaining particulate levels at or below ISO Cleanliness Code 16/14/11 and water content under 100 ppm is critical. The Kaydon Turbo-TOC system achieves these targets while offering a user-friendly interface for monitoring and control, ensuring sustained oil cleanliness and system reliability.
Water Removal
Water is a damaging contaminant in turbine lube oil systems. It accelerates additive depletion, corrodes metal components, reduces oil film thickness, and fosters microbial growth. Both free water and stable oil/water emulsions must be removed to prevent these issues. Steam turbines are obvious candidates for water removal systems, but gas turbines also require them. While gas turbines operate at 30-60°F hotter, allowing some water to evaporate, stable microemulsions still form and must be addressed. That’s where an appropriately sized, high-efficiency coalescing system makes a real difference. The goal for both steam and gas turbines is the same: oil that’s “clear and bright” and free of visible water, particulates, haze, or cloudiness.
Dissolved water has minimal impact on oil life or equipment wear and typically doesn’t need removal. With effective purification, most turbine oils stay clear even at water concentrations up to 100 ppm at room temperature. Older systems, such as the Bowser 832P, can remove free water but cannot break stable water/oil emulsions. The Kaydon Turbo-TOC system excels here. It not only removes water faster than other systems but can also dry oil down to 100 ppm, outperforming conventional methods.
Particulate Removal
Turbine oil cleanliness is measured using the ISO 4406:1999 standard, which rates the number of particles larger than 4 µm, 6 µm, and 14 µm per milliliter of oil. A rating of 16/14/11 indicates ultra-clean oil, minimizing the risk of mechanical issues caused by particle contamination. The Bowser 832P filter elements have not kept pace with modern oil filtration technology and cannot consistently achieve the level of cleanliness required.
Kaydon Turbo-TOC filtration elements, on the other hand, use advanced micro-fiberglass media to capture ultra-fine particles. Their deep pleated design and high surface area maximize contaminant capacity and extend service life. With Kaydon Turbo-TOC ultra fine particulate retention, an ISO 16/14/11 oil cleanliness level is within reach.
Replace your Bowser 832P oil conditioning system with a Kaydon Turbo-TOC system!
Turbine Lubricating Oil System
Turbine lubricating oil systems, whether for steam or gas turbines, share a standard design and typically include:
– Lube Oil Reservoir
– Lube Oil Cooler
– Return Lube Oil Strainer
– Primary Lube Oil Pumps
– Lube Oil Feed and Return Piping
– Lube System Control and Instrumentation
– Oil Purification Equipment
Although it is a core component, oil purification is often treated as optional rather than essential. But as the reliability of rotating equipment becomes a top priority, so too does the reliability of the oil and the systems that condition it. Oil purification has a direct impact on several critical performance factors, particularly particulate and water contamination. The Bowser 832P system falls short in maintaining the high cleanliness levels needed for peak turbine oil reliability. Without a dependable oil conditioning system, key oil characteristics degrade.
When evaluating the reliability of turbine lube oil, several key properties must be considered: the oil must maintain a proper viscosity range, demonstrate strong oxidation stability, meet or exceed an ISO Cleanliness Code of 16/14/11, provide effective anti-corrosion and anti-wear protection, exhibit good demulsibility (the ability to shed water), and keep water contamination at or below 100 ppm. Each of these factors plays a critical role in ensuring the oil performs consistently and supports long-term equipment reliability.
Kaydon Turbo-TOC Technology
The Kaydon Turbo-TOC system addresses this with advanced technology. Kaydon coalescers for superior oil/water separation and high-efficiency filter media for fine particulate removal, all with extended element life. Unlike the outdated Bowser 832P oil conditioning system, the Kaydon Turbo-TOC oil conditioning system delivers the oil purification performance that today’s turbine systems demand. The Kadyon Turbo-TOC is the most efficient conditioning system on the market for water removal. The Kadyon Turbo-TOC system removes 100% of damaging water from turbine oil and reduces Total Water Content to 100 ppm (0 ppm free, 0 ppm emulsified, 100 ppm dissolved). An ISO 16/14/11 cleanliness level is achievable with the new Kayton Turbo-TOC filter elements.
Optimal oil cleanliness and reliable protection for your critical machinery!
Separator Spares & Equipment, LLC is an Authorized Kaydon Filtration Distributor. We are committed to providing oil filtration systems that will have a positive impact on your business. We can assist with oil purification products, solutions, and expertise. We offer a range of oil filtration products designed to remove particles, water, varnish, and other contaminants from oil. Our cost-effective oil filtration systems will help reduce maintenance costs, lower the total cost of ownership, increase reliability, and decrease energy consumption.
To learn more about Kaydon Turbo-TOC (replacement system for the Bowser 832P oil conditioning system), visit www.kaydonfiltration.com or contact us.
Need to replace your Bowser 832P oil conditioning system? Let’s Connect!
Contact us today to replace your old and obsolete Bowser 832P oil conditioning system with the Kaydon Turbo-TOC turbine oil conditioning system. We supply engineered high-efficiency fluid conditioning stationary systems or portable carts. Discover how easy it can be to effectively remove damaging water and contaminants from your turbine lubrication reservoirs with a Kaydon Turbo-TOC system.