EPT - Varnish Removal Products for EHC Fluids and Turbine Lubricants

EPT is a specialist in turbine lubricant and hydraulic fluid maintenance. Our unique purification products are used at power stations throughout the world including many of the largest. Our products prevent lubricant deposits or varnish from forming on servo valves and other critical components that can often force a power plant off line. Our products are supported by a team of experts and our results are guaranteed. We would be very pleased to review your application, and make recommendations that will improve reliability and reduce costs at your power station.

Turbine lubricant varnish prevention

Lubricant varnish is a term referring to deposit formation in a lubricant system. Varnish deposits will often first occur in cooler, low flow areas of a lubricating or hydraulic system. In power plants, the frequent failure mode for lubricant varnish is with deposits onto the surfaces of servo valves which will cause valve sticking or failure. Given the high reliability requirements of these components, servo valve sticking can often cause a turbine shut-down or failure to start.

Varnish removal systems for turbines

EPT's Soluble Varnish Removal (SVR™) system eliminates oxidation by-products at normal turbine operating temperature. For this reason, SVR removes these harmful contaminants during normal turbine operation so that the common varnish formation cycle does not occur during cool-down periods. Other varnish removal systems can only remove varnish once it has formed, and are only effective when the turbine is not operating and the varnish is in particulate form. SVR directly improves fluid solvency, which is the key to varnish removal, and varnish prevention.

Phosphate ester EHC fluid maintenance

Phosphate ester fluids including the brand Fyrquel™ are commonly used in EHC systems, which control how much steam can enter a turbine. These fluids are frequently a source of frustration to power plant maintenance staff as all phosphate ester brands require additional attention so that their acid number and water levels are maintained properly. When properly maintained, phosphate ester fluids provide very safe, cost-effective, and trouble-free operation.

Unfortunately most phosphate ester purification systems are not capable of maintaining the fluids in ideal condition, which leads to excessive maintenance requirements and servo valve failures. Without the proper tools to maintain phosphate ester fluids, power plant maintenance professionals are unable to properly maintain the fluids and as a consequence all power plants are expected to have problems over their lifetime.

Most purification systems that were included as part of the turbine package use a clay-based product called Fuller's Earth. Fuller's Earth has been used since prehistoric times in the processing of raw wool and cotton. It's usage in sophisticated hydraulic systems with a high reliability requirement is problematic as Fuller's Earth has been proven to contribute metal salts, which result in the formation of fluid deposits on servo valves.

Phosphate ester fluid maintenance program

EPT's phosphate ester fluid maintenance program offers a complete solution for EHC system operators. EPT's fluid maintenance program provides much more precise control of phosphate ester fluid quality, and eliminates the common ingression pathways where a majority of fluid contaminants originate. EPT's products will eliminate contamination that is a frequent cause of servo valve failure.

Our unique phosphate ester maintenance program will provide stable, high-quality EHC fluid so you can generate power with greater efficiencies and with significantly reduced risk of plant shut-down.