UNIT -2 COMPRESSORS AND VACUUM PUMPS

Types of compressors

RotaryCompressors
In a rotary compressor the refrigerant
is compressed by the rotating action
of a roller inside a cylinder. The
roller rotates eccentrically (off-
centre) around a shaft so that part of
the roller is always in contact with
the inside wall of the cylinder. A
spring-mounted blade is always
rubbing against the roller. The two
points of contact create two sealed
areas of continuously variable
volume inside the cylinder. At a
certain point in the rotation of the
roller, the intake port is exposed and
a quantity of refrigerant is sucked
into the cylinder, filling one of the
sealed areas. As the roller continues
to rotate the volume of the area the
refrigerant occupies is reduced and
the refrigerant is compressed. When
the exhaust valve is exposed, the
high-pressure refrigerant forces the
exhaust valve to open and the
refrigerant is released. Rotary
compressors are very efficient
because the actions of taking in
refrigerant and compressing
refrigerant occur simultaneously.

CentrifugalCompressors
Centrifugal compressors use the rotating action of an impeller
wheel to exert centrifugal force on refrigerant inside a round
chamber (volute). Refrigerant is sucked into the impeller wheel
through a large circular intake and flows between the impellers.
The impellers force the refrigerant outward, exerting centrifugal
force on the refrigerant. The refrigerant is pressurized as it is
forced against the sides of the volute. Centrifugal compressors
are well suited to compressing large volumes of refrigerant to
relatively low pressures. The compressive force generated by an
impeller wheel is small, so chillers that use centrifugal
compressors usually employ more than one impeller wheel,
arranged in series. Centrifugal compressors are desirable for
their simple design and few moving parts.

Screw Compressors
Screw compressors use a pair of helical
rotorsAs the rotors rotate they intermesh,
alternately exposing and closing off
interlobe spaces at the ends of the rotors.
When an interlobe space at the intake end
opens up, refrigerant is sucked into it. As
the rotors continue to rotate the refrigerant
becomes trapped inside the interlobe space
and is forced along the length of the rotors.
The volume of the interlobe space
decreases and the refrigerant is
compressed. The compressed refrigerant
exists when the inter lobe space reaches
the other end. ( male and female) inside a
sealed chamber.

Rotary Basics
A rotary compressor, or rotary vane compressor, is a device used for moving a fluid
through a system. Rotary compressors are used for compressing air, powering vacuum
pumps, moving steering fluid inside a car and numerous other uses. Sometimes, several
rotary vane compressors are combined together into a multi-stage compressor that can
create more pressure.
Rotary Compressor Structure
As the name implies, a rotary vane compressor has a central, spinning rotor and a
number of vanes. The rotor assembly is encased inside of a sealed container with an inlet
and outlet valve. The vanes are spring-loaded so that they constantly push against the
outside of the case, creating a tight seal. The rotor can be in the center of the housing, but
it's often offset to one side.
How it Works
When a rotary blade spins past the inlet valve, it creates a vacuum. The fluid flows
out of the valve behind it, filling the vacuum. As it approaches the outlet valve, the
chamber shrinks. This creates more pressure on the fluid. The fluid has nowhere to go but
out of the outlet valve, so it shoots out of it. Then the vane continues on to draw more
fluid at the inlet valve.
Rotary compressors
There are three main types of rotary compressors, each with variable properties.
A rotary compressor is a functional machine that compresses air using rotary movement
or motion. They are designed to be compact and lightweight, and are more cost-effective
than reciprocating compressors. They are typically durable and easy to operate and
maintain. There are three main types of rotary compressors: slide vane, lobe and liquid
seal ring, all of which have their own variations and design facets to suit different
purposes.

Slide Vane Rotary Compressor

The slide vane rotary compressor -- usually referred to as a rotary vane compressor --
is one of the more common rotary compressor designs in non-industrial sectors. It
functions as air enters through a compartment of the vane housing at a pressurized rate,
which drives the mechanism into a rotary movement. This causes the vane housing shaft
to turn and its individual vanes to slide in or out, while ensuring they are in contact with
the cylinder perimeter to create an air-tight seal. This tool requires compressed air as its
function drive, and is favored more for home or smaller-scale use rather than for
industrial needs. As they are best suited to low- to moderate-pressure applications, they
are generally long-lasting and durable models.
Rotary Lobe Compressor

Rotary lobe compressors are suitable for industrial uses.

The rotary lobe compressor combines two separate lobe design rotors within a single
encasement. These are gear-driven, non-contact rotors that reduce the cavity size created
by the lobes as they rotate. This affects the compression of the enclosed vapor, a process
which continues until the pressurized vapor is dispersed through the exit portal. Rotary
lobe compressors are typically used for industrial and municipal purposes, and are also
utilized in the chemical and food processing industries.
Liquid Seal Ring Compressor
The liquid seal ring compressor is a vane compressor design that disperses fluid from
an inclined and open impeller. While the impeller rotates, centrifugal force causes the
liquid to gather at the outer edge of the cavity and form an air-tight seal. This compressor
operates free of dust and oil, and is one of least cost-effective rotary compressors to
operate and maintain. Liquid seal ring compressors can be single or multi-stage systems,
depending on the application required. Typically, this type of compressor is utilized in
specialized processes and for work involving corrosive and dangerous gases, and is a
common feature in nuclear power plant operations.

Air compressors have been used in industry for well over 100 years
because air as a resource is safe, flexible, clean and convenient.
These machines have evolved into highly reliable* pieces of equipment
that are almost indispensable in many of the applications they serve.
Compressors can come in a wide variety of different types and sizes.

Reciprocating or Piston compressors are the most common machines available on the
market. They are positive displacement compressors and can be found in ranges from
fractional to very high horse powers. Positive displacement air compressors work by
filling an air chamber with air and then reducing the chambers volume (Reciprocating,
Rotary Screw and Rotary Sliding Vane are all positive displacement compressors).
Reciprocating compressors work in a very similar manner as does as internal combustion
engine but basically in a reverse process. They have cylinders, pistons, crankshafts,
valves and housing blocks.

Rotary Screw Compressors work on the principle of air filling the void between two
helical mated screws and their housing. As the two helical screws are turned, the volume
is reduced resulting in an increase of air pressure. Most rotary screw compressors inject
oil into the bearing and compression area. The reasons are for cooling, lubrication and
creating a seal between screws and the housing wall to reduce internal leakage. After the
compression cycle, the oil and air must be separated before the air can be used by the air
system.
Rotary Sliding Vane Compressors like Reciprocating and Rotary Screw compressors are
positive displacement compressors. The compressor pump consists primarily of a rotor,
stator, and 8 blades. The slotted rotor is eccentrically arranged within the stator providing
a crescent shaped swept area between the intake and exhaust ports. As the rotor turns a
single revolution, compression is achieved as the volume goes from a maximum at the
intake ports to a minimum at the exhaust port. The vanes are forced outward from within
the rotor slots and held against the stator wall by rotational acceleration. Oil is injected
into the air intake and along the stator walls to cool the air, lubricate the bearings and
vanes, and provide a seal between the vanes and the stator wall. After the compression
cycle, the oil and air must be separated before the air can be transferred to the air system.

Centrifugal Compressors are not positive displacement compressors like the

Reciprocating, Screw or Vane Compressors. They use very high speed spinning impellers
(up to 60,000 rpm) to accelerate the air then diffuser to decelerate the air. This process,
called dynamic compression, uses velocity to cause an increase in pressure. In most
Centrifugal compressors, there are several of these impeller/diffuser combinations.
Typically, these machines have intercoolers between each stage to cool the air as well as
remove 100% of the condensate to avoid impeller damage due to erosion.
VACUUM PUMPS:

Vacuum Pumps are those devices which remove gas molecules from a
sealed environment or chamber. This creates a partial vacuum in that
environment.

History of the Vacuum Pump

The vacuum pump was first invented by Otto von Guericke in 1650. The
apparatus was then built by Nikola Tesla. This apparatus used a Sprengel
pump to create a high amount of exhaustion, which helped create a high
degree of vacuum.

The vacuum pumps which were built before 1980 often contained a mixture
of many dangerous PCBs or Polychlorinated Biphenyls. It was discovered
that these PCBs are very toxic and are also carcinogenic (can cause cancer).
They were also found to be organic pollutants.
Vacuum Pump Basics: Types of Vacuum Pumps

There are broadly 3 types of vacuum pumps. They are:

Positive Displacement Pumps These pumps expand a cavity and

allow the gases to flow out of the sealed environment or chamber.
Then they seal the cavity and cause it to exhaust it to the atmosphere.
These pumps are most useful for creating low vacuums. Examples
are: Diaphragm Pump, Piston Pump, and Scroll Pump.
Momentum Transfer Pumps or Molecular Pumps These pumps
use high speed dense fluids or high speed rotating blades to remove
gas molecules from the sealed environment or chamber. These pumps
are often used along with Positive Displacement Pumps to create high
vacuum chambers. Examples are: Turbomolecular Pump and
Diffusion Pump.
Entrapment Pumps These pumps catch gases in either a solid or in
an absorbed state. These pumps are used along with Positive
Displacement Pumps and Molecular Pumps to create ultra high
vacuum chambers. Examples are: Ion Pumps and Cyropumps.

IndustrialVacuumPumpUses

Due to their specific functions, different types of vacuum pumps find

their uses and applications in a variety of industrial environments. These
are:

The production of electric lamps and vacuum tubes where the device
is left evacuated and is then re-filled with a specific gas or a mixture
of gases.
Medical processes needing suction.
Semiconductor processing such as ion implantation, dry etching, and
in the deposition of PVD, ALD, CVD and PECVD.
Analytical instrumentation to analyze solid, liquid, gas, surface and
bio materials.
Vacuum coating for decoration, energy saving and durability.
Electron Microscopy
Mass spectrometers to create ultra high vacuum levels between the ion
source and the detector.
 Medical Applications such as Radiotherapy, Radiopharmacy and
Radiosurgery.
Trash compacting.
Ophthalmic Coating.
Glass Coating.
Vacuum engineering.
Sewage systems.
Automobile industries.

Normally two or more different types of vacuum pumps are used either in
parallel or in series to create a high level of vacuum. It is quite difficult to
achieve a high level of vacuum because the materials used must be
capable of withstanding the high amount of heat and pressure generated
during the process of vacuum generation.

Therefore, materials such as greases, oils, plastic and rubber gaskets

which are used to seal the chambers where vacuum is to be created must
be such that they will not boil away or produce any gases while the
process occurs. To do that, many a times the surfaces of the chamber
which are to be exposed to vacuum creation are heated at high
temperatures so that all the absorbed gases are removed.

Alternatively, some vacuum creation systems use liquid nitrogen to cool

the chambers to temperatures below room temperature so that the
residual out gassing is shut down while running the Cyropump system at
the same time.

Vacuum pumps have also found their uses in power mechanical devices.
In a diesel engine automobile, such a vacuum pump is usually fitted on
the engine, on the camshaft. In gasoline engine automobiles, the effect
similar to a vacuum pump is generated due to the operation of the engine
and the flow restriction created by the throttle plate. The vacuum thus
generated is used to power many applications such as the booster for the
power brakes etc.

In aircrafts, the vacuum generated is used to power the gyroscopes in

several flightinstruments.

Thus vacuum pumps have become an integral part of our modern lives.
In 1650, Otto von Guericke invented the vacuum pump. The vacuum pump
was designed to remove gas molecules from a sealed volume so that it would
leave behind a partial vacuum.

They are categorized into three main groups. The three main groups are
positive displacement, entrapment and momentum transfer. The positive
displacement pump uses a technique that repeatedly expands the cavity. In
doing this it allows the gases to flow in from the chamber then seal off the
cavity, and then it disperses it into the air.

The principal behind a positive displacement pump is that is the easiest way
to make an artificial vacuum to expand the volume of a container. The need
for this type of pump was because liquids cannot be pulled so it is
impossible to create a vacuum by suction. The best example of this type of
pump is the diaphragm muscle. It works just like a positive displacement
pump; it expands the chest cavity, which causes the volume of the lungs to
increase.

The entrapment pump works differently. It uses cold temperatures condense

gases to a solid or adsorbed state. The pump works by trapping the
molecules in a confined space. It works like a cryopump. They trap the
liquefied gas molecules in a cold trap and then the ion pump uses the ionized
gas that is magnetically confined.

The last category is the momentum transfer pump, which is also called
molecular pump. This type works by using a high-speed jet of dense fluid or
a high -speed rotating blade that knocks the gaseous molecules out of the
chamber. With this type of pump the gas molecules are increased from the
vacuum side to the exhaust side.

This kind of pump can only work at pressures below of 1kPa. The matter
moves differently depending on the pressure that is flowing through the
pump. This is based on the laws of fluid dynamics. There are two main types
of momentum transfer pumps. They are diffusion pump and turbo molecular
pump. These two kinds of pumps blow out the gas molecules that spread out
into the pump by giving momentum to the gas molecules.

The turbo molecular uses a high -speed fan to push the gases. But the
diffusion pump works differently it blows out the gas molecules with a jet of
oil or mercury. But both of these kinds of pumps will stall and fail to pump
if they are exhausted directly to atmospheric pressure. They must be
 exhausted to a lower grade vacuum that is created by a mechanical
pump.There are different types of vacuum pumps, but they all a very
specific purpose

TYPES OF VACUUM PUMPS

1.
A sample vacuum pump.
Vacuum pumps are devices used to remove molecules from a sealed volume,
which in turn creates a partial vacuum. Invented in 1650, around 400 years
after the suction pump, vacuum pumps are still used today in many industrial
and scientific processes. Vacuum pumps are measured according to their
pumping speed, which is the volume flow rate, and throughput, which is the
pumping speed multiplied by the gas pressure at the inlet.
Positive Displacement Vacuum Pumps
2. Positive displacement vacuum pumps work using a mechanism that
repeatedly expands a cavity, which allows gases to flow in from an outside
chamber. The cavity is then sealed off and gas released into the atmosphere.
Positive displacement pumps are best used for creating low vacuums.
Momentum Transfer Vacuum Pumps
3. Momentum transfer vacuum pumps, otherwise known as molecular
pumps, work by using high-speed jets of dense fluid to move gas molecules
out of a chamber before sealing it off. High-speed rotating blades are also to
push the gas molecules out of the chamber. Momentum transfer vacuum
pumps are commonly used to achieve high vacuums, in which case they
often work in conjunction with several displacement pumps.
Entrapment Vacuum Pumps
4. Entrapment vacuum pumps capture gas molecules in a solid or
absorbed state using cold temperatures. Entrapment vacuum pumps require
occasional surface regeneration to continue trapping air molecules, and
because of this these pumps operational period can be exceedingly short in
low and high vacuums. Therefore they are mostly used in ultrahigh
vacuums. Entrapment vacuum pumps include cryopumps, getters, and ion
pumps.
Performance Characteristics of Pumps

The fluid quantities involved in all hydraulic machines are the flow rate (Q)
and the head (H), whereas the mechanical quantities associated with the
machine itself are the power (P), speed (N), size (D) and efficiency ( ).
Although they are of equal importance, the emphasis placed on certain of these
quantities is different for different pumps. The output of a pump running at a
given speed is the flow rate delivered by it and the head developed. Thus, a plot
of head and flow rate at a given speed forms the fundamental performance
characteristic of a pump. In order to achieve this performance, a power input is
required which involves efficiency of energy transfer. Thus, it is useful to plot
also the power P and the efficiency against Q.

Over all efficiency of a pump ( ) = Fluid power output / Power input to the
shaft = gHQ / P

Type number or Specific speed of pump, nS = NQ1/2 / (gH)3/4 (it is a

dimensionless number)

Centrifugal pump Performance

In the volute of the centrifugal pump, the cross section of the liquid path is
greater than in the impeller, and in an ideal frictionless pump the drop from the
velocity V to the lower velocity is converted according to Bernoulli's equation,
to an increased pressure. This is the source of the discharge pressure of a
centrifugal pump.

If the speed of the impeller is increased from N1 to N2 rpm, the flow rate will
increase from Q1 to Q2 as per the given formula:

The head developed(H) will be proportional to the square of the quantity

discharged, so that

The power consumed(W) will be the product of H and Q, and, therefore

These relationships, however, form only the roughest guide to the performance
of centrifugal pumps.

Characteristic curves:

Pump action and the performance of a pump are defined interms of

their characteristic curves. These curves correlate the capacity of the pump in
unit volume per unit time versus discharge or differential pressures. These
curves usually supplied by pump manufacturers are for water only.

These curves usually shows the following relationships(for centrifugal pump).

A plot of capacity versus differential head. The differential head is the

difference in pressure between the suction and discharge.
The pump efficiency as a percentage versus capacity.
The break horsepower of the pump versus capacity.
The net poisitive head required by the pump versus capacity. The
required NPSH for the pump is a characteristic determined by the
manufacturer.

Centrifugal pumps are usually rated on the basis of head and capacity at the
point of maximum efficiency.
Developing a Pump Performance Curve

A pump's performance is shown in its characteristics

performancecurve where its capacity i.e. flow rate is
plotted against its developed head. The pump performance curve also shows its
efficiency (BEP), required input power (in BHP), NPSHr, speed (in RPM), and
other information such as pump size and type, impeller size, etc. This curve is
plotted for a constant speed (rpm) and a given impeller diameter (or series of
diameters). It is generated by tests performed by the pump
manufacturer. Pump curves are based on a specific gravity of 1.0. Other
specific gravities must be considered by the user.
Lubrication in compressors

A compressor is a type of machine that elevates the pressure of a compressible process

fluid, typically air, or a host of other gases. Dynamic compressors are based on the
principle of imparting velocity to a gas stream and then converting this velocity energy
into pressure energy. In contrast, positive displacement compressors confine a certain
inlet volume of gas in a given space and subsequently elevate this trapped amount of gas
to some higher pressure level. The overwhelming majority of compressors in either the
dynamic (axial/centrifugal) or positive displacement (reciprocating and screw-type)
category incorporate moving components.

Nearly all compressors require a form of lubricant to either cool, seal or lubricate internal
components. Only static jet compressors (ejectors) and late 20th- and early 21st-century
oil-free machines with rotors suspended in magnetic or air bearings are exempt from the
need for some type of lubrication. This article deals with the lubrication of dynamic
compressors

Key Components
Dynamic compressors have a few key components that require a coolant/lubricant: gears,
bearings and seals. To date, the majority of dynamic compressors continue to utilize oil
film-lubricated seals, as illustrated in Figures 2d, 3a and 3b. Only labyrinth seals (Figures
2a and 2b) or gas-lubricated seals (Figure 3c) operate without a liquid film separating the
faces. On the more conventional liquid- lubricated seals, the bearing and sealing lubricant
are often the same.

Figure 2a Figure 2b
Figure 2c Figure 2d
Figure 2. Traditional Compressor Seal Designs
(Dresser-Roots Co., Connersville, IN)
Lubricating Oil System Operation
The lube oil system (Figure 4) supplies oil to the compressor and driver bearings and to
the gears and couplings. The lube oil is drawn from the reservoir by the pumps and is fed
under pressure through coolers and filters to the bearings. Upon leaving the bearings, the
oil drains back to the reservoir.

The reservoir is designed to permit circulation of its entire fluid volume between eight to
12 times per hour. Oil reservoirs often have thermal sensors for monitoring temperature
levels during start-up and constant operations.

Reservoirs also often have oil temperature controls that provide for preheating during
cold start-up conditions and cooling to prevent overheating during peak operating cycles.
The reservoir may be pressurized or vented.

When in operation, the compressor lubricant oil is normally circulated by the main oil
pump. An auxiliary pump serves as a standby. These two pumps generally have different
types of drive or power sources. When both are driven electrically, they are connected to
separate supply feeders. On compressors with step-up gearboxes, the main oil pump may
be driven mechanically from the gearbox, and the auxiliary pump operates during the
start-up and run-down phases of the compressor train. Relief valves protect both pumps
from the effects of excessively high pressures. Check-valves prevent reverse flow of oil
through the stationary pump.

Heat generated by friction in the bearings is transferred to the cooling medium in the oil
coolers. Air-cooled oil coolers may be employed as an alternative to water-cooled oil
coolers. The former have long been used in regions where water is in short supply. A
pressure-regulating valve is controlled by the pressure downstream of the filters and
maintains constant oil pressure by regulating the quantity of bypassed oil.

A pressure switch activates the auxiliary oil pump. If the oil pressure falls below a preset
limit, a second pressure switch shuts down the compressor train. Filters clean the lube oil
before it reaches the lubrication points and a differential pressure gauge monitors the
degree of fouling (flow restriction) of the filters.

The flow of oil to each bearing is regulated individually by orifices, particularly

important for lubrication points requiring different pressures. Lube oil for the driver and
other mechanical components is taken from branch lines. For instance, when a hydraulic
shaft position indicator is used, it is supplied with oil from the lube oil system.

Temperatures and pressures are measured at all important locations in the system,
including temperatures from oil sumps, return lines from bearings, gears and other
mechanical components. Temperatures and pressures are often recorded on the suction
and discharge sides of each compression stage to offer the operator a sense of the health
of the system. The readings can be taken locally or transmitted to a monitoring station.

Compressor Seals
In general, the mechanical contact or oil face seal (Figure 3a) employs a spring-loaded
stationary carbon ring in sliding contact with a rotating ring manufactured from high-
quality material with a special finish. This type of seal is also effective when the
compressor is at standstill and the oil pumps have been shut down.

The main components of oil bushing seals (Figure 3b) are two stationary, but radially
free-to-move (floating ring) breakdown bushings with small diametral clearances
opposite a shaft sleeve (Figure 3b). The floating ring clearance controls the flow of the
seal liquid cooling the seal.

Floating carbon ring seals (not shown) successfully combine some of the best features of
all of the above. They, too, require seal face lubrication.

Seal Oil System Operations

The seal oil, or seal liquid system (Figure 5) supplies the mechanical contact and floating
ring seals with an adequate flow of seal liquid at all times, correctly ensuring proper
function. An effective seal is provided at the settle-out pressure when the compressor is
not running. The seal oil system may be combined with the lube oil system if the gas does
not adversely affect the lubricating qualities of the oil, or provided the oil made
unserviceable by the gas does not return into the oil system.

There are two methods of combining lube oil and seal oil systems: booster or combined
systems. In the booster system, the oil pressure is raised to the pressure required for
lubrication purposes and then part of it is raised further to the pressure needed for sealing.
Alternatively, in the combined system, all the oil is initially raised to the required
pressure and flow, then reduced to system component requirements.

The hardware and operation of each of these types of oil systems are identical or nearly
identical. Mechanical face seals and floating ring seals are supplied with seal oil at a
defined differential pressure above the reference gas pressure (pressure within the inner
seal drain). The flow of seal oil is regulated by a differential pressure-regulating valve,
which changes the pressure of the seal oil relative to changes in system gas pressure or,
as shown in Figure 5, by a level-control valve that maintains a constant level in the
overhead tank.

The oil in the overhead tank is in contact with the reference gas pressure via a separate
line, with a static head providing the required pressure differential. In addition, the oil in
the overhead tank compensates for pressure fluctuations and serves as a rundown supply
if pressure is lost. If the level in the tank falls excessively, a level switch shuts down the
compressor. A moderate oil temperature is maintained by a constant flow of oil through
the overhead tank.

For the mechanical contact seal system, a regulating valve maintains the reference gas
and the seal oil at a constant differential pressure. As the name indicates, the mechanical
contact seal serves as a mechanical standstill seal when the compressor plant is shut
down.

The seal oil is split into two streams in the compressor seals. Most of the flow returns
under gravity to the reservoir. A small quantity passes through the inner seal ring to the
inner drain, where it is exposed to the gas pressure.

This oil, mixed with the buffer gas, flows to the separator system, which consists of a
separator and a condensate trap on each side. The separated gas flows to either the flare
stack or to the suction side of the compressor while the oil flows into a tank for further
degassing.

If oil is used as sealing liquid and can be used again, degassing is accelerated by heating
or by air or nitrogen sparging. Sparging units perform on-stream purification of oil which
can keep lubricants serviceable for long time periods. Only if the oil becomes unusable is
it led away for separate treatment or disposal. The quantity of oil passing through the
inner drain in a modern centrifugal compressors is small and ranges from 5 to 50 liters
per day on new machines.

Compressor Lubricants
The overwhelming majority of compressors are best served by premium-grade turbine
oils with ISO viscosity grades of 32 or 46. However, there are many different types of
compressors and each manufacturer is likely to recommend lubricants that have been
used on a test stand and at controlled user facilities.
Premium-grade ISO VG 32 turbine oils are used more often than the heavier viscosity
grades. The typical viscosity index is 97, with a pour point around -37C (-35F).
Oxidation stability (per ASTM D943) should exceed 5,000 hours and the flash point (per
ASTM D92, COC) should be 206C, or 403F. These lubricants must provide the
following:

Long life without need for changeout

Prevention of acidity, sludge, deposit formation
Excellent protection against rust and corrosion, even during shutdown
Good demulsibility to shed water that enters the lubrication system
Easy filterability without additive depletion
Good foam control

It is not uncommon to operate these systems for many years on the initial fill of lubricant,
in some cases beyond 30 years. These long-term lifecycles are associated with premium-
grade product selection, large sumps, reasonably good contamination control and the
occasional top-off sweetening effect on the oil in use.

Extended lifecycles on turbine, turbo-compressor and other R&O type oils used in these
applications are also facilitated by the relatively simple additive structure of the product,
which minimizes kinds of complications associated with complex additive systems like
those found in EP gear lubricants.