Sampling and Analysis Program

NFS can assist customers in establishing a sampling and analysis program at their facilities that can be as hands-on as required, providing the maintenance personnel with the data required to assist in limiting costly equipment repairs and down time. In partnering with NFS to help maintain this sampling program, we can help customers be proactive instead of reactive, making informed preventative maintenance decisions that will improve operations.

The sampling program will be designed working alongside the customer’s maintenance personnel to ensure we achieve the desired results for the program. This will include assisting in the process from the beginning with surveys to get the equipment logged, training for maintenance personnel, SOPs for sample collection processes, determining the targets and frequency of sampling for all equipment, helping interpret analytical reports, making service recommendations, and being able to provide services when necessary.

Collection Process: NFS will ensure that plant personnel receive proper training and help create SOP’s to ensure that samples are collected correctly each time.

Training: NFS will offer training programs to maintenance personnel to ensure that the oil analysis program is successful. This will focus on how to read an oil analysis reports and what they mean for the equipment.

Web Portal Access: All maintenance personnel that request it will have access to the TestOil web portal that will have a database of all current and historic sample results for all equipment.

Sample Frequency: It is recommended that we sample each piece of equipment on a monthly basis for one quarter to start the program. This will allow us to establish a baseline for all equipment from which to analyze trends in subsequent events. At the end of the first quarter, it is possible to move non-essential equipment to a quarterly sampling program if desired. The program will focus on monitoring changes in sample results, allowing us to make informed decisions about the health of equipment before equipment failure occurs.

Target ISO Cleanliness Codes: This will be determined based on the most critical piece of equipment within a given system.

Reporting: NFS will provide summary reporting of all analytical results, complete with recommendations for service.

System Service

Contaminants accumulate on the bottom of reservoirs, even in systems that have efficient filtration, and eventually require cleaning. Reservoir cleaning is often overlooked in the filtration process and can lead to machine failures due to the reintroduction of contaminants. These services are commonly scheduled during outage down times, but it can also be necessary to evacuate a reservoir and perform cleaning following an unexpected maintenance issue such as a pump failure or large-scale introduction of contamination. NFS has the capability to perform turnkey service of these systems. This process can include the following, depending on the customer’s needs:

Turnkey System Services

• Pumping the oil out of the reservoir
   ○ Performing onsite reclamation on the oil to get it back into the desired ISO cleanliness and water content spec.
   ○ Storing the oil onsite for customer disposal or arranging for disposal offsite.
• Making entry to perform cleaning of the system, using a Tornado Vac to remove sludge and large debris before using lint free rags to wipe down the interior, ensuring as much contaminant as possible is removed from the system.
• Taking before and after photos of the reservoir conditions for reporting to the customer.
• Collecting debris from the bottom of the reservoir to help with root cause analysis of system failure if applicable.
• Providing the customer time with the reservoir empty to perform any repairs needed to the system if necessary.
• Filtering the new or reclaimed oil back into the system following completion of tank cleaning.
• Provide detailed report following the service, including analysis from an independent lab of the reclaimed oil to ensure cleanliness requirements are met.
• All NFS personnel are OSHA Confined Space certified and will work with customer personnel to ensure that proper confined space procedures are followed.

Custom Flushing Services

In some situations, a flushing service is necessary to remove extreme particulate contamination in a lube oil system. This is most common during new construction or catastrophic failure (bearing failure, pump failure, etc.). New construction debris and catastrophic failures send contamination throughout the entire lube oil system which, if not properly removed through HVF can cause recurring issues with critical equipment for years to come. Our flushing programs are built around ASTM D 6439 and designed to effectively clean systems and protect critical components.

New Equipment Build

The most important time to perform a flush is after a new unit is built and before it is placed into service. A flush will remove all contaminants from the piping, tubing and hoses that entered the system during construction. This service will keep that contamination out of the bearings and other critical equipment.

Planned Outage/Maintenance

Contamination builds up in a lube oil system over time much like plaque in arteries. The most proactive customer will schedule a flush regularly or during a major outage to ensure that their piping is as clean as possible.

Equipment Failure

During an equipment failure the components will typically shed debris into the lube oil system over a long period of time until the user can take corrective action. This leads to thoroughly hard particulate contamination dispersed throughout the lube oil system piping and reservoir. A flush is critical then to reinstate cleanliness and ensure that this contamination does not find a way into critical components.

Lubricant Change Out

When a customer determines that a lubricant change out is necessary, this decision is made based on some aspect of the lubricant properties that have become insufficient. The lube oil piping cleanliness is often overlooked during the decision-making process and new oil is placed into a contaminated system.

Flushing Types

Circulation Filtration

• Take place when the system is in production and running the system pumps in their normal flow pattern.
• Appropriate when performing annual maintenance that is limited in scope and time.

Rinse/Purge

• Utilized when filling the system with a neutral fluid or new charge of oil. The steps include draining the system, refilling the reservoir to the minimum circulation level, and using system pumps circulating in the normal flow path.
• Employed when making a wholesale lubricant change during a conversion or displacing detergents or cleaners used during varnish mitigation.

System Flush

• Uses system pumps to flush system and requires the installation of bypasses around critical components. Inspection screens or media are used to verify cleanliness along with particle counts.
• Employed for light maintenance work – i.e., changing of a temperature-control valve or for non-critical systems such as redundant boiler feed pumps.

High-Velocity Oil Flush

• High velocity occurs once you achieve turbulent flow. Turbulent flow occurs at high Reynolds numbers and is dominated by inertial forces, which tend to produce chaotic eddies, vortices, and other flow instabilities.
• Includes bypassing system pumps and utilizing an external unit.

System Flush

• Uses system pumps to flush system and requires the installation of bypasses around critical components. Inspection screens or media are used to verify cleanliness along with particle counts.
• Employed for light maintenance work – i.e., changing of a temperature-control valve or for non-critical systems such as redundant boiler feed pumps.

Turnkey Flushing Service

• Review of piping system to determine flush rate to achieve an acceptable Reynolds number. .
• Removal of the oil form the reservoir and installation of the flushing equipment tie-ins.
• Making entry to perform cleaning of the oil reservoir, using a Tornado Vac to remove sludge and large debris before using lint free rags to wipe down the interior, ensuring as much contaminant as possible is removed from the system.
• Taking before and after photos of the reservoir conditions for reporting to the customer.
• Collecting debris from the bottom of the reservoir to help with root cause analysis of system failure if applicable.
• Installation of jumper hoses and test screens where applicable to bypass critical components. Some customers have ‘jumper kits’ already created. If the customer does not have this, our team can engineer a solution for the project and will include this kit for future use at the site.
• Filtering the new or reclaimed oil back into the system following completion of tank cleaning.
• Flush system and check the test screens every 12-48 hours depending upon system cleanliness. Continue flush until screens meet an acceptable cleanliness level.
• Removal of oil from system and a post flush confined space entry tank cleaning is performed..
• Reinstate lube oil system and removal of all jumper hoses and flushing equipment tie-ins.
• Refill reservoir with oil and filter to the target ISO cleanliness code.
• Provide detailed report following the service, including analysis from an independent lab of the reclaimed oil to ensure cleanliness requirements are met.
• All NFS personnel are OSHA Confined Space certified and will work with customer personnel to ensure that proper confined space procedures are followed.

Fuel Service Program

It is important to ensure that the fuel in in service equipment is free of particulate and water contamination to maintain the health of the equipment. NFS offers a wide range of fuel related services to our customers to ensure that this goal is achieved.

Fuel Sampling

• Onsite Tank Bottom Sampling:
   ○ Sample pulled from the bottom of the fuel storage tank.
   ○ Visual inspection for sediment, water, bacterial and fungal growth.
• DFC Package:
   ○ Spectrochemical Analysis
   ○ Sediment & Water
   ○ Microorganism Study
• DLTS Package:
   ○ Spectrochemical Analysis
   ○ Sediment & Water
   ○ Microorganism Study
   ○ Particulate Contaminants
   ○ Accelerated Stability

NFPA 110: Standard for Emergency and Stand-by Generators, states that fuel should be tested annually. NFS can design annual sampling programs to ensure the criteria are met and perform service where necessary to ensure equipment is operational when needed.

Fuel Filtration

In most instances when there are fuel issues, the problem can be resolved through fuel polishing. NFS makes use of a Bulk Diesel Cart (BDC) or Mobile Reclamation Unit (MRU) to complete this service, depending on the size of the tank. Fuel polishing consists of running dialysis on the desired to tank remove free and emulsified water as well as contaminants. Fuel filtration can also be performed while transferring or filling tanks. This service can be completed on bulk storage tanks, generator fuel tanks, equipment fuel tanks, etc.

Fuel Reservoir Service

NFS employs a GamaJet tank cleaning system for comprehensive system cleaning with minimal intrusion and waste creation. When necessary, NFS can perform confined space entry tank cleaning of fuel tanks (bulk storage tanks, generator tanks, etc.) to remove built up contaminants.

Biocide Treatment

As part of a fuel polishing service, NFS can also perform biocide treatment where necessary. This service involves introducing a measured amount of biocide additive prior to performing the polishing service to ensure that any microbial growth is eliminated during service.

Fuel Reclamation Benefits:

• Reliability – Fuel contamination is the leading cause of emergency system power failures. A fuel sampling and reclamation program ensures that the fuel is ready when the system is needed.

• Fuel Cost Savings: – Fuel reclamation reduces the purchase of new product and eliminates the cost of disposing of contaminated fuel.

• Maintenance Cost Savings – Clean fuel in a system ensures continued performance and prevents costly breakdowns, decreases the chance of catastrophic engine failure, and extends fuel filter life.

• Compliance – Independent certification of the reclaimed fuel ensures that testing/maintenance records are compliant with NFPA requirements.

• Environmental Protection – Reclamation reduces the environmental impact of fuel systems by lowering the amount of disposed contaminated fuel.