Using a Centrifugal Oil Filter is proven protection for your engine

What is Centrifuge Oil Filter?

A centrifuge oil filter (also called centrifugal oil filter) works in bypass processing about 10% of the total oil flow. The dirty lube oil circulates from your machine into the centrifuge oil filter. Inside the centrifuge oil filter, an oil driven (pressure powered) centrifuge bowl spins at high speeds of up to 5,000 RPMs to 8,000 RPMs depending on the oil inlet pump pressure. The resulting gravitational force draws any particles outwards against the centrifuge bowl wall while the purified oil passes back into your machinery. Soot and other contaminants are continuously removed during regular engine operation by centrifugal force.

When you periodically clean the centrifuge oil filter, the contaminants collected inside the centrifuge bowl are removed by hand. A centrifuge oil filter is not a barrier-type filtration device; therefore, it does not rely upon filtration media (filter media) to remove the hydraulic or lube oil contaminant particles. Unlike a barrier media bypass filter which only removes contaminant particles larger than the pore size of the media, the centrifugal force of the centrifuge oil filter removes particles based on their relative density. For a particle to be removed with a centrifuge oil filter, it must be denser than the flowing oil. Centrifugal force provides a means to capture the smaller size 1 to 10-micron contaminants that cause engine wear and provides increased engine reliability. Centrifugal filters have proved helpful in extending the primary filter life. The centrifuge oil filters should take engine oil pressure from the rear of the engine and return it to the front of the engine, so that clean engine oil is as close to the engine oil pump suction as possible.

Oil Cleaning Centrifuges Working Principle

Dirty lube oil is introduced into the centrifuge oil filter via the centrifuge bowl with the engine’s oil pressure through holes drilled in the vertical spindle and via the accelerator channels in the bearing distributor. The contaminated dirty engine oil is fed into the center of the centrifuge bowl, separated by centrifugal force. The centrifugal oil filter functions as a clarifier (centrifugal separation of solids from liquids), removing carbon, dirt, sludge, soot, sediments, and solid wear particles from processed oil. The centrifuge bowl then fills up, and oil overflows into the top turbine, where it exits the bowl via the four-speed turbine channels and then out via the nozzles. This, in turn, rotates the centrifuge bowl, generating the centrifugal force required to remove the contaminants from the oil, creating the separation process. The solid particles (heavy phase) are deposited at the periphery of the centrifuge bowl. The contaminants migrate toward the outside of the bowl, where they are deposited on a removable oil-resistant paper insert. The clean oil migrates towards the center of the centrifuge bowl, where it is expelled by the nozzles in the top turbine, thus perpetuating the cycle. The accumulated carbon, dirt, sludge, soot, sediments, and solid wear particles are removed from the oil centrifuge bowl by hand.

IOW Group has spent over five years completely re-designing how the traditional centrifugal oil filter worked to create an entirely new range of centrifugal oil separators. IOW Group has designed, patented, and manufactured the highest performing and only self-monitoring bypass, oil filtration spinner type separator globally. So, what makes IOW Group’s MP oil cleaning centrifuge so different and better?
– Bowl Disc Technology – Increasing efficiency by removing even more contaminants.
– Remote Monitoring – Provides operators and systems with valuable insight into their speed, cleaning, and service requirements.
– Fully Sealed Unit – Reducing the risk of cross-contamination between cleaned and dirty oil.
– Distributor Impeller – Eliminates back pressure by drawing in contaminated oil.

With the new increasing strict low-emission engine specifications, soot removal from engine lubrication oil has become an important priority. To learn more, visit our IOW Centrifuge Oil Filter webpage.

Centrifugal Filter Diagram

Unlike conventional centrifugal oil spinners, the IOW Group oil cleaning centrifuge uses bowl discs to increase separation efficiency, dramatically reducing contaminants’ time in the oil. The combination of higher centrifuge RPMs due to the updated IOW centrifuge design with bowl disc technology increases the separation process by separating solids from liquids more quicker and more sufficiently. IOW Group has improved the sealing between the dirty oil inlet and the cleaned oil outlet. This ensures that there is minimal cross-contamination between the two.

IOW Group centrifugal oil filters have dirt/sludge monitoring technology, which informs the operator when the centrifugal separator needs cleaning, saving valuable personnel time on otherwise unnecessary cleaning. The systems are Modbus or Bluetooth compatible and can be easily connected to your existing alarm systems. The combination of protection, performance, remote monitoring, and the ability to extend oil drain intervals has many turning to IOW Group as their centrifugal filter provider.

Better Technology:
– Bowl Disc Technology
– Modbus Remote Monitoring or Bluetooth Remote Monitoring
– Fully Sealed Centrifuge Bowl
– Eliminating Back Pressure

Better Results:
– 150% more efficient than any other centrifugal oil filter
– Increased Centrifugal Force
– Reduce Engine Wear
– Reduce Maintenance
– Reduce Costs

 

On-board Contamination – A Centrifugal Oil Filter Investigation

We all know contaminants in lubrication oil cause damage to your engine and its components. Microparticles are often already present in even brand-new engine oil, bad storage techniques add to the contamination, and environmental factors mean particles enter the engine and into the lubricating system. These particles can have a catastrophic impact on your engine’s lifespan. The question is, how can we protect our engines from these killers?

Centrifugal oil filters have been used for a long time in the maritime industry to filter mineral oils. Centrifugal oil filters are seen as the most efficient way to remove contaminants. Centrifugal oil separators collect the soot particles on a paper insert inside the bowl. The paper is easily removed during cleaning and is the only consumable item. With a centrifuge filter, you do not need to purchase expensive replacement filters, making it economical. Sea-going vessels use vast amounts of lube oil, and the cleaning of this oil is paramount to the smooth running of these reciprocating engines. When there is more pressure than ever to be more efficient, more reliable, more productive, more environmentally friendly, and utilize fewer resources, many organizations are reviewing their lubrication programs to create maintenance-based savings and reduce oil consumption.

Unlike the traditional centrifugal oil filters, IOW Group’s centrifugal oil filters are a newly designed centrifuge with new patent-protected features. The improvements are:
– Bowl Disc Technology: Creates a larger surface area for more effective separation
– Fully Sealed Centrifuge Bowl:  Improved to avoid the mixing of clean and dirty oil
– Dirt/Sludge Monitoring Technology:  The only product of its kind to offer a choice of remote monitoring units (SCUs) which provides many advantages to the organization and the engineering team on board.

The IOW oil cleaning centrifuges are designed to be retrofitted to existing pipework, making upgrading easy and quick. In this particular case study, the customer had previously used a competitive brand of old centrifugal oil separator technology. They were eager to retrofit the new IOW centrifuge filter technology. They were excited to see how the IOW centrifugal oil filter could benefit one of their container vessels. This vessel has a lubricating oil system capacity of 1,100 liters (290 gallons). On their MAN 9L21/31 engine, we replaced the Mann Hummel FM600 oil cleaning centrifuge with an IOW MP600 centrifugal oil filter and CentriClean SCU remote monitoring unit.

Results:

Using the IOW MP600 centrifugal oil filter to clean lubricating oil, the customer managed to increase the amount of sludge they were removing. From 2.5 kg (5.5 lbs) with the Mann Hummel FM600 centrifugal oil filter to a jaw-dropping 6 kg (13.2 lbs) with the newly installed IOW Group centrifugal oil filter after just 136 run hours!

Higher Centrifugal Separator RPMs = Better Separation

With the increased soot collection levels from the IOW MP600 centrifugal oil filter, the question was, what exactly was being removed by the centrifuge? Oil samples were taken, and the investigation began to find out what was in the extra sludge cake gathered. It was determined that due to the effective filtration, the lubrication oil was suitable for continued use, and particulate levels were low, thanks to the IOW centrifugal oil filter. The soot particles that the IOW centrifuge removed could have been extremely harmful and costly in the long run. Lube oil analysis and testing of the IOW centrifuge sludge cake showed high levels of asphaltenes have been in their system. Asphaltenes are naturally occurring in crude oil; they are large, complex, and heavy carbon molecules and are one of the most common foulants in the industry. They are complex mixtures containing hundreds or even thousands of chemical species and are insoluble. Asphaltenes are particularly problematic in regard to corrosion and fouling in an engine. To avoid the deposition of these particles in the equipment, they must be efficiently removed. The deposits of these create process inefficiencies, deteriorate equipment rapidly, and as a result, increase maintenance expenses and a loss in production levels.

Conclusion:

The IOW MP600 centrifugal oil filter successfully highlighted and contained the harmful contaminants, avoiding further damage. Through the investigation, engineers were able to diagnose and identify the source of the problem correctly. Without this intervention, the massive quantities of particulate would have caused increased engine wear, maintenance, and overhaul costs in the future.

Better Technology = Better Results

IOW Group was happy to assist in resolving this ingress of asphaltenes and helped to optimize reliability, productivity, and efficiency onboard this vessel. By moving away from old centrifuge technology and opting to upgrade to an IOW centrifugal oil filter, this customer has extended the life of their engine and lube oil.

Reliability allows companies to weather fluctuating supply chain conditions, keeping machines running and maintaining profitability. When repair parts become scarce, the best investment a company can make is ensuring their existing equipment runs for as long as possible before breaking. Investing in reliability is a smart target for companies moving forward. Lower the total cost of ownership of your engines by installing an IOW oil cleaning centrifuge. Are you interested in upgrading your lubrication system to the latest and most efficient technology? Fill in the contact form, and one of our knowledgeable and experienced team members will soon be in touch! To learn more, visit our IOW Group Centrifugal Oil Filter webpage, and/or you can visit our YouTube channel to view a video on How does an IOW Centrifugal Oil Filter Works?

Better Technology = Increased Separation Process = Better Results

Next-generation centrifugal oil filters, IOW Group centrifugal separators clean oil using centrifugal force greater than 2000 times greater than gravity. They are the highest performing and only self-monitoring bypass oil filtration spinner globally. They remove contaminants that cause damage to engines and significantly extend the life of lubricating oil in both engines and gearboxes.  To learn more, visit our IOW Centrifuge Oil Cleaning Filter webpage.

Need spare parts for oil centrifuges? Separator Spares & Equipment strives to maintain its track record by providing high-quality spare parts to ensure you can keep your oil centrifuges up and running. We supply spare parts and replacement oil centrifuges for Mann Hummel Centrifugal Oil Cleaners, Glacier Centrifuges, Spinner II Oil Cleaning Centrifuges, and IOW Group Pressure Driven Centrifuges.