Lubricants for Turbine
The Pivotal Role of Turbine Lubricant
Regardless of whether your turbine is powered by gas or steam, it relies on lubrication to reach its full potential. Lubrication that has been robustly tested and can be trusted to help deliver safe, reliable and cost-effective operations throughout the entire lifetime of your turbine.
The Shell Turbo range of oils has been formulated with the varied needs of power companies and process plant operators in mind, providing:
- System protection – from corrosion, deposit build-up and lacquer
- Longer oil life – to help minimise costly downtime
- Operating efficiency – through rapid air release and excellent filterability
Explore the benefits of Shell Turbo and learn how our range of lubrication services are best positioned to help your equipment perform without compromise.
A Collaborative Approach to Advance Your Maintenance Strategy
Chemical company Yara knows exactly what it takes for modern power equipment to perform. As power output increases and maintenance intervals are extended, it’s clear that more is being asked of the oil within their turbine systems. As a result, the turbine oils they choose must be equipped with a range of characteristics to help:
- Maintain equipment reliability
- Increase operational efficiency
- Reduce Total Cost of Ownership
Formulated using Shell gas-to-liquids (GTL) technology, Shell turbine oil Turbo S4 X has helped businesses like Yara significantly extend their maintenance intervals, meaning greater protection, more uptime and lower maintenance costs.
And alongside an oil condition monitoring service like Shell LubeAnalyst, maintenance teams can begin building a more detailed, preventative strategy, using in-depth oil analysis insights to gradually move from time-based to condition-based maintenance.
Shell Turbo Product Range
Turbines are highly specialised pieces of equipment, meaning turbine oil must be chosen based on specific characteristics. Shell Turbo range offers lubricants for power generation systems.
Helping deliver uninterrupted power, with longer oil life
Read the transcript
Read the transcript
Title: Turbo S4 X Oil Life Customer Testimonial
Duration: 1 min and 4 secs
Description:
Customer testimonial for long oil life with Turbo S4 X. Interview with Frans de Milliano, rotating equipment specialist at Yara.
Turbo S4 X Oil Life Customer Testimonial
[Background music plays]
Bright, uplifting music
[Footage]
Footage sequence of city skyline followed by maintenance crew members inspective different turbines.
[Voiceover]
As global demand for energy increases, operators in the power generation sector are under increased pressure to keep the lights on.
[Animation]
Animation of the internal operation of a turbine.
[Voiceover]
This is why many of our customers rely upon Shell Turbo S4 X to increase equipment life and significantly extend service intervals.
[Footage]
Footage of Frans de Milliano speaking to camera.
[On screen text]
Frans de Milliano, Rotating equipment specialist at Yara.
Shell Lubricants logo
[Speech]
The switch from normal turbo oil to GTL based oil is quite important because we change from two-three years interval up to nine years interval.
[Animation]
Animation sequence comparing Shell Turbo S4X to an inferior oil.
[Voiceover]
Shell Turbo S4 X delivers enhanced protection so that you can continue to deliver uninterrupted power for much longer.
Shell Turbo S4 X - What could we achieve together?
[Animation]
Shell logo appears on white background.
#projectcharlie
Protecting Your Hydroelectric Turbine
Hydroelectric turbine systems rely on many of the same moving parts as their gas or steam counterparts, albeit relying on water to generate power. Reliable and efficient electricity generation depends on protecting components from exposure to detrimental pressures.
For a hydroelectric turbine, the main concern is understandably the effects of the vast amount of water involved in the process, with water contamination posing a real risk to the operation, largely in the form of bearing corrosion and wear.
Because bearing failure – and the downtime associated with it – can lead to significant repair costs, it’s vital that a high-performing lubricant is in place that has the right properties to resist water contamination.
Watch the video below to find out more about how Shell Turbo turbine oils - together with proactive lubricant management practices - can meet your hydroelectric turbine needs.
Helping avoid costly downtime and reduce Total Cost of Ownership
Read the transcript
Read the transcript
Title: Gas Turbine Oils
Description: Understanding the challenges faced by turbine oils in an energy demanding world
Duration: 5 minutes 6 seconds
Audio:
The world’s population is growing, and it’s predicted that global energy demand will double by 2050. Power generation turbines are being worked much harder, increasing the risk of unscheduled maintenance and costly downtime.
As operating conditions become more challenging, those working in the power generation sector are under increased pressure to ensure that the lights remain on.
A single turbine failure can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per hour - so it’s essential for operators to implement comprehensive maintenance and lubricant management processes, to prolong equipment life and prevent unscheduled downtime.
(interview FRANS de MILLIANO, Rotating Equipment Specialist, Yara)
Maintenance intervals are getting longer, power output is increasing, and the volume of your oil system is less and less, so oil is suffering more and more.
Audio
A critical component of any turbine system is the lubricant, so let’s take a look at the challenges the oil faces in a gas powered turbine, and explore how using the appropriate high-quality turbine oil - together with proactive lubricant management practices - can help you to anticipate potential problems before they become critical - avoid costly downtime and reduce total cost of ownership.
(interview Volker Null, Product Application Specialist, Shell)
Regular oil condition monitoring is very key and important to ensure that the oil remains within its operational limits and then reduces the risk of costly downtime of the turbine.
Audio
Gas turbines operate at very high temperatures and require lubricants that can actively limit deposit formation and withstand impacts of high temperature operation.
Using an inferior oil can lead to turbine problems due to poor thermal stability and oxidation, this degrades the oil and will adversely affect the performance of the turbine. In time this can cause varnishing on the thrust and journal bearings, which can disrupt heat transfer and lead to higher bearing temperatures.
This in turn can increase the risk of deposit formation, leading to unresponsive or sticky servo valves and blocked oil filters which, if left unchecked, could result in bearing failure and significant downtime.
To maintain the efficiency and reliability of the turbine, it is also essential that the oil has a low foaming tendency and can release air quickly. If air does not dissipate quickly it can seriously affect the oils ability to lubricate effectively, leading to wear on the journal and thrust bearings and accelerating the rate of oxidation within the oil.
(interview Ed Van Schaik, Regional OEM Approval Manager, Shell)
Excellent protection is given by innovative products. The right lubricant, in the right application will help the customer to have higher reliability of this equipment.
Audio
Over many decades Shell has built an extensive knowledge and expertise within the power generation sector, understanding both the challenges facing operators and providing practical cost effective solutions.
Shell’s range of turbine oils are formulated to provide long service life by reducing deposit and varnish formation. They release air quickly and deliver excellent wear protection and filterability.
By using a combination of high-performance Shell Turbo turbine oils, together with a preventative maintenance strategy using the Shell LubeAnalyst oil monitoring program
- Shell can help to reduce your total cost of ownership and keep your turbines running reliably and efficiently - so that you can continue to keep the lights on.
