Additive eliminates static build-up in fluids

A few drops of Innospec's additive, Statsafe, designed to eliminate static build-up in fluids is saving a major utility provider tens of thousands of pounds in lost production and maintenance costs.

Literally a few drops of an innovative additive designed to eliminate static build-up in fluids is saving a major utility provider tens of thousands of pounds in lost production and maintenance costs.

Higher maintenance costs stemmed from a need to provide regular maintenance to bearings within a fan unit at an independent power generator site, where static build-up within in the lubricant was eroding the surface of metal bearings.

The fan, which operates 24/7, 365 days a year, serves the boiler which supports the steam turbine and is therefore a critical item of plant.

Slough Heat and Power, which provides renewable energy for the largest industrial estate in Europe, had tried various methods such as brushing to tackle the problem of premature bearing failure in its power station.

The static induced pitting damage was reducing bearing life to just two months instead of the expected minimum industry standard of two years.

Bearing failure was becoming a common occurrence, causing a considerable amount of additional maintenance intervention and lost productivity - with imaginable consequences on costs and income.

In this case 1000 ppm of Statsafe - a fluid developed by Innospec, was added to the bearing lubricant increasing its conductive sufficiently to allow the electrons to flow through the oil safely to earth, instead of containing them and causing a build-up of sparks.

Static build-up and discharge is now included in ATEX regulations, but it is often the fluids which have low conductivity that can present problems.

Such fluids in industrial processes, including lubricants and hydraulic fluids are capable of building and holding static electricity.

Within an enclosed system, this can, as in this case mean that repeated sparking against metal surfaces will cause surface damage and cause equipment failure.

Significantly, this can happen even where the equipment is earthed.

Statsafe which is a non-metallic static dissipater additive works by increasing the conductivity of fluids to a level where the static electricity can be safely controlled and discharged through a proper earth connection.

Mike Anderson, Slough Heat and Power's mechanical engineer, said: "We have tried other methods such as brushing but Octostat has been the most successful method with no bearing failures since we started using it".

"It also has the benefits that it is very easy to implement and only a small amount is needed.".

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