Technical Topic is resistant to saturated solvents and cannot be
Varnish and Sludge Build Up easily remove by wiping. Varnish build-up is
difficult to remove without the use of oil-soluble
cleaners, and its insoluble deposits cannot be
trapped by the system filters. The build-up results
Introduction in the loss of operating clearance in valves and
bearings.
Varnish and sludge build-up can cause
maintenance personnel major headaches,
particularly when varnish triggers unit trips or no-
starts. Varnish and sludge are by-products of oil
degradation. Elevated turbine bearing
temperatures can generate these oxidation by-
products, while lower oil flow rates in the cooler
areas of the hydraulics allow for sludge drop-out,
ultimately resulting varnish formation. This
document is intended to help you learn more
varnish in turbines.
What is Sludge and Varnish?
Sludge and varnish form as a consequence of oil
Clean vs. fouled hydraulic filters
degradation which occurs mainly due to elevated
temperatures. Varnish promotes wear and failures
in critical components like bearings, pumps and
valves, especially servo valves.
Why Varnish is more relevant today
Sludge can be found in lube oil tanks when an
inspection or cleaning is conducted. Sludge may Newer turbines work at higher temperatures and
be composed of organic residue that may contain speeds than older models, and operate with
fuel, lubricant, and/or water. Sludge can vary in reduced machine tolerances. This creates severe
color, transparency, and consistency and usually stress for lubricants even when they are produced
can be removed by wiping. with high-quality basestocks and advanced
additive systems. Gas turbines are more
Varnish, on the other hand, is a thin, hard susceptible that steam turbines because, most
lustrous, oil-insoluble deposit, composed of gas turbines have tolerances of 3 microns ( 0.12
organic residue. Its color may vary although it thousands of an inch) in the hydraulic servo
usually appears in gray, brown or amber hues. It valves to precisely control the air to fuel ratio of
today’s low NOx burners. Increased turbine
cycling, common in gas turbines, also contributes
to increased varnish-related operating issues.
Varnish / Sludge – Formation factors microns (8 thousands of an inch), means this
does not result in operating issues.
As polar-oxidation products comes out solution
and agglomerate they collect on the metal
surfaces to form varnish & sludge. Surfaces that
collect varnish & sludge tend to be in cooler
zones, low clearance areas and low flow areas.
The varnish / sludge forms as the oil solubility
decreases, precipitation occurs and the sediment
is left un-disturbed.
Oil oxidation is the leading cause of varnish &
sludge. Elevated bearing temperatures are the
leading cause of oil oxidation. Thermal
degradation caused by Electro Static Discharge
and or adiabatic compression (a.k.a. micro
Severely varnished servo valve spool
dieseling) may also promote oil degradation.
External contaminants also can contribute to oil
oxidation. Rust preservatives which are applied to
turbine components prior to shipment can Mitigation Strategies for Varnish and
prematurely oxidize a turbine oil, which justifies Sludge Build up
conducting a high-velocity oil flush. Fine airborne
particulate, water from gland seals and coolers, Many strategies have evolved to minimize the
air entrainment and foam have also been impact of varnish. Some of these strategies, like
identified as oil oxidation accelerators. electrostatic precipitation, can be costly and only
offer marginal improvements. Others, like
hydraulic valve bypass plates help to extend
Where do Varnish & Sludge occur? reliable operation but do little to prevent varnish
formation. The best prevention is to start with
These two conditions are mainly found in Gas high quality turbine oil in a properly-flushed
Turbines where a combined hydraulic & bearing turbine in conjunction with a well-defined oil
reservoir exists. Components with small analysis program. These elements are further
clearances, such as hydraulic servo valves, pencil defined in the following ASTM standards:
filters, last chance filters, and trip valves are
where the varnish and sludge have opportunities
ASTM 4304 - Standard Specification for
to build-up. This means that when a gas turbine
Mineral Lubricating Oil Used in Steam or Gas
has not been operating, the servo valves can get
Turbines
stuck, resulting in a failure to start. Mild varnish
may form in both journal and thrust bearings, but
the larger clearances, typically greater than 200
ASTM 6439 - Standard Guide for Cleaning,
Flushing, and Purification of Steam, Gas, and
Hydroelectric Turbine Lubrication Systems
ASTM 4378 - Standard Practice for In-Service
Monitoring of Mineral Turbine Oils for Steam
and Gas Turbines
Conclusion
Turbine oil varnish can be found in both gas
and steam turbines but the most severe
operational impact is associated with gas
turbines that share common hydraulic and
bearing reservoirs. In these systems, the tight
tolerance hydraulic servo valves are most
prone to varnish related unit trips.
Understanding the principles behind varnish
formation provides critical insight for the
formulation of low varnish forming lubricants.
A key to reliable turbine operation is to select
a high quality, low-varnish forming turbine oil
for a system that has been properly prepared
through flushing.
For more information on Mobil™-branded industrial lubricants and services, please contact your local ExxonMobil
representative, the ExxonMobil Technical Help Desk at 1-800-662-4525, or visit mobilindustrial.com
© 2013 Exxon Mobil Corporation
All trademarks used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Exxon Mobil Corporation or one of its subsidiaries.
