UNDERSTANDING OIL MIST

DON EHLERT
TOTAL LUBRICATION MANAGEMENT CO.

Calgary Pump Symposium 2015

2013

Presenters
DON EHLERT

40 years of working with and promoting oil mist

lubrication. Prior to oil mist Don was on flight decks of
air craft carriers in the worlds largest Navy.

Mariana Flores

Mariana Flores is the EPC/OEM Project Manager at Total

Lubrication Management, with 5 year experience in Oil
Mist / Purification Projects . Mariana graduated with a
B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineer in 2009 and recently
accomplished the PMP Certification. Mrs. Flores worked
for our subsidiary in Mexico serving Latin America
projects, and moved to the United States on 2012 to
develop Oil Mist Projects for EPCs. Always focus on
results, Mariana is constantly seeking process
improvements.

Calgary Pump Symposium 2015

2013

WHAT IS OIL MIST?

Is a centralized system that provides an efficient lubrication
technology to different classes of rotating equipment widely
dispersed at a physical location.
Instrument air is used to produce and convey Oil Mist through a
piping distribution system and then injects the oil mist into bearing
cavities for lubrication.
This equipment may be operating, on standby or in storage
conditions.
Some conditions that affect the system design are: Ambient
Temperature, Area Classification , Project Specifications, and/or
location and arrangement of equipment.

Calgary Pump Symposium 2015

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WHERE CAN OIL MIST BE APPLIED?

Common applications are pumps, motors, gearboxes, turbines.

Industries such as HPI, CPI, Power, Steel, Pulp & Paper.
Most anti friction bearings can be pure mist applications.
Sleeve type bearings and gear boxes are purge mist applications.

Calgary Pump Symposium 2015

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SUMP LUBRICATION
Trico Oiler

Slinger
Rings &
Dirty Oil

Calgary Pump Symposium 2015

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WHY PUMPS FAIL

Static Joints
2%
Hydraulic
12%

Coupling
2%
Other
1%

Bearings
40%
Seals
43%

Calgary Pump Symposium 2015

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WHY BEARINGS FAIL

Overloading Other
Disassembly
4%
5%
15%
Corrosion
4%
Misalignment
13%
Particle
Contaminatio
n
48%

Calgary Pump Symposium 2015

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Insufficient
Lubrication
11%

WHY MECHANICAL SEALS FAIL

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WHY OIL MIST WORKS

Oil Mist Is The Ultimate Oil Filter

Typical Filtration 10
Oil Mist Filtration is 1 to 3

Calgary Pump Symposium 2015

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HOW OIL MIST WORKS

Clean oil delivered in particle
sizes of 1 to 3 microns
Fresh clean oil is
applied; outside
contamination is
excluded

Bearings operate in
clean oil and run
cooler

Wear particles
migrate with mist flow

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HOW OIL MIST WORKS

Calgary Pump Symposium 2013

SUPERIOR OIL CLEANLINESS

Temperature Benefits;
Bearing temperatures decline
typically 10-20 degrees
Fahrenheit with pure oil mist
versus oil sump lubrication.
For every 10 degree drop the
bearing temperature L10 life
increases 11%

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GENERATION OF OIL MIST

How Oil Mist is Generated

Oil is lifted by vacuum, generated
by high velocity air flowing through
the vortex chamber. Oil is drawn up
the suction tube and through
internal passages around the vortex
chamber to a point just below the
orifice where it mixes with the air
to form oil mist.
1 Part Oil
------------------200,000 Parts Air
Vortex
Oil Mist Pressure
Is 20 H2O or
Approximately 3/4 PSI

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TYPES OF OIL MIST

Dry Mist
Size: Below 3 Microns
Used for Conveying

Wet Mist
Size: Above 15 Microns
Used for Lubrication

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CONVERTING DRY MIST TO WET MIST

Oil Mist Generation

Reclassification

Wet Mist Out

Orifice

(30 Micron Lubricating)

Dry Mist In
(1 to 3 Micron Conveying)

Increase Velocity and Turbulence causes the Oil Mist

particles to impinge on each other causing them to
grow in size and become wet mist.

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LUBRICATION WITH OIL MIST

Standard reclassifier for single
or double row bearings.

5
0
1

5
0
2

Double Row Thrust Bearing on

3 Diameter Shaft = 6 BI or
.18 SCFM

Calgary Pump Symposium 2015

2013

Single Row Radial Bearing on

3 Diameter Shaft = 3 BI or
.09 SCFM

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LUBRICATION WITH OIL MIST

Vent/Drain of bearing housing is

very important

Oil mist flow is required to apply

oil to bearings

Restricted flow reduces the

amount of oil applied to bearings

Bearing housing vent/drain

must be adequate to vent SCFM
flow entering from reclassifiers

Calgary Pump Symposium 2015

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SINGLE ROW BEARINGS

Mist Flow for Bearing Lubrication
Motor Brgs. &
Radial Brgs.

Vertical
A pplications

A lways
Flow through is always preferred.

Calgary Pump Symposium 2015

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DOUBLE ROW BEARINGS

Mist Flow for Bearing Lubrication
Vertical
A pplications
Recommended:
Brg. Isolators
150 KW & Up

3000 RPM &

Up

A lways

Flow through is always preferred.

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BEARING CAGES

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INSTALLATION & APPLICATION

The piping distribution system
is the most critical part of any
Oil Mist System.
Proper arrangement and slope
is the key to proper operation.
Each piece of equipment i.e.
pump/motor must have a drop
line.
The drop originates from the
top of the header and
terminating at the mist
manifold.

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OPEN LOOP SYSTEM

The Open Loop Systems, are the most
commonly used. The coalesced oil and
stray mist is routed through the vent
drain port to the collection device.

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CLOSED LOOP SYSTEM

A closed loop system collects and
reuses approximately 95% of all Oil
Mist sent into the distribution
system.
All coalesced oil and stray mist is
recirculated back to the OMG for
reuse.
These systems were designed for
environmental sustainability, and
for a cleaner work environment.

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OIL MIST APPLICATIONS

Pure Mist

Purge Mist

Also called dry sump

Also called wet sump

Oil mist provides lubrication

Used to purge the bearing housing

No oil sump for lubrication

Not primary means of lubrication

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PUMP EXPERIENCE
Pure mist lubricates operating
equipment and protects and
preserves standby equipment

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MOTOR EXPERIENCE

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SYSTEM COST
SYSTEM COST
OMG
Bulk Oil Tank
Oil Mist Components
Distribution Piping
Installation

$75K
$10K
$15K
$15K
$200K

Total Installed Cost

$300K

SYSTEM INCLUDES
10 OH2 PUMPS PURE MIST
6 BB2 PUMPS PURE MIST
4 OH3 PUMPS PURE MIST
20 MOTORS PURE MIST
800 HEADER PIPE

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SYSTEM BENEFITS
BENEFITS
Pump MTBR is 2x to 4x over oil sump lubricated pumps; average pump repair is $15K
Motor MTBR is 4x to 6x over grease lubricated motors; average motor repair is $6K
Mechanical Seal MTBR is 2x over sump lubricated pumps; average seal/brg. Repair $10K

Reduced Repair Cost Results

20 pump process unit with 2 yr MTBR; oil mist has 4 yr MTBR
Value of repair cost over 25 yrs discounted 7% per yr is $1.7 M

Reduced Maintenance Cost

Checking, replenishing oil/grease on individual equipment is reduced/eliminated 47%
Assume cost of $2,500 per pump/year on 20 pumps w/o oil mist reduced to $1,000 with oil mist
Reduced maintenance cost over 25 yrs, discounted 7%/yr is $0.6M

Cost vs Benefits
Typical system installation of $300K and present value of benefits is $2.3M

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PILLOW BLOCK BEARINGS

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EQUIPMENT TRAINS

Pure & Purge Mist

Combination

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PURGE OIL MIST

Mist inlet

Required on sleeve type bearings.

Not as effective as pure mist on
rolling element bearings.
Oil sumps benefit from purge mist
due to the slight positive pressure and
flow reduces/eliminates intrusion
from air borne contaminates.

Oil Level
Controller

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AIR COOLER SOLUTIONS

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AIR COOLER SOLUTIONS

Bearings & Motors Designed for Oil Mist
Oil Mist Inlet

Oil Mist
Vent / Drain

Case Drain
Oil Mist In
Oil Mist
Vent / Drain

MistLockTM Bearings

Calgary Pump Symposium 2015

2013

MistLock Motors

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MAGNETIC ISOLATORS
Positive Seal
Self Aligning

Magnetic Isolators
Technology: Latest technology positive seal
vs. non contacting device. It utilizes magnetic
force to maintain faces in contact.

Eliminates emissions during operations and

standby conditions.
Eliminates leakage in all bearing housing
configurations and lubrication methods.
More effectively excludes external
contamination.
Enhances performance for Oil Mist Systems.
Easy installation and independent of machinery
conditions for proper face alignment.

Advantages: Positive seal not just a

restriction device. It seals the bearing housing
preventing leakage to atmosphere and
contamination into the bearing lubrication.
Enhances Oil Mist Systems and overcomes the
potential objection of stray oil mist to the
atmosphere.
Disadvantages: Contacting device can be
perceived to have possible wear and heat
generation. Higher cost vs single labyrinth.

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LUBRICANTS FOR OIL MIST

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TYPICAL EQUIPMENT STORAGE

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OIL MIST STORAGE

Crated Equipment

Calgary Pump Symposium 2015

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Uncrated Equipment

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STANDARD LUBRICATION
Continuous
Maintenance
Large
Inventories
Many
Containers
Human
Intervention

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ANOTHER METHOD OF LUBRICATION

One OMG Per Unit
Reduced Inventory
Low Maintenance
Continuous 24/7

Limited Human Involvement

Lubricates Operating Equipment
Protects/Preserves Idle/Standby Equipment

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Thank You
don.ehlert@colfaxfluidhandling.com
mariana.flores@colfaxfluidhandling.com

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