Assessment of the intensity of engine oil contamination during operation

The acceleration of internal combustion engines leads to an increase in thermal and mechanical loads on the most critical parts. To ensure the required resource indicators in conditions of increased loads, it is necessary to use high-quality lubricants, the requirements for the operational properties of which are also steadily increasing. In order to ensure the necessary physical and chemical characteristics of engine oils, additives are introduced into their composition, but during operation the quality of engine oil decreases, the reasons for this are both the destruction of additives, and the accumulation of dirt particles in the oil and the ingress of fuel and coolant into the oil. The conducted studies are devoted to determining the intensity of engine oil contamination under operating conditions in the Wärtsilä 6L20 engine lubrication system and the effectiveness of the dispersing additives contained in the oil. Samples of Petro Canada and TARO oils brands were used as prototypes at the beginning of the operational period, at the time of average operating time and at the time of oil change. The dispersing ability of the oil was determined by the method of assessing the oil stain. According to the results of the research, it is concluded that when the properties of the oil change as a result of contamination, their dispersing ability remains satisfactory. This result can serve as a justification for extending the service life of engine oil, provided that its properties are monitored during operation.

Mineral oil hydrocarbons: a new challenge for the oils and fats processing industry

Mineral oils are widespread food contaminants, and edible oils, like many other foodstuffs, are often contaminated. The lack of robust analytical methods and proper toxicological evaluation make it difficult to set a tolerance level. • The best way to avoid mineral oil contamination is to prevent it by complying with good manufacturing practices, and the best solution to reducing mineral oil contamination in edible oils is through refining, especially during deodorization. This paper gives an overview of contamination sources, levels in some edible oils, regulatory aspects, analytical methods, and strategies for mitigation during refining.

Assessment of soil contamination using remote sensing data in the Tamsag-Bulag oil field, Mongolia

Although field surveus represent an essential method for determining oil contamination of soils and soil cover, the use of remote sensing techniques has become one of the main trends over recent years due to their economic and temporary advantages. The fundamental basis of this approach is the assessment of changes in vegetation cover by vegetation indices as indicator. In this study, the problems of assessment of the soil cover contamination during oil production are considered. It is aimed to select and evaluate objective criteria for soil cover contamination with oil in the Tamsag–Bulag field (Eastern Gobi, Mongolia). For this purpose, during the period of maximum vegetation growth, various vegetation indices were investigated at test sites (4 km2) from 2015 to 2019. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) were used with Sentinel-2 and MODIS of the Terra satellite images at 30 and 250 m resolution, respectively. The monitoring of the land quality with satellite images via NDVI and SAVI allows us to assess the area of oil contamination of the soils and soil cover. The significant increase in the values of the NDVI and SAVI at a distance of more than 4 km from the center of the Tamsag-Bulag oil field is shown. The obtained results indicate the possibility of assessment and monitoring the state of the oil-ed territories of the Eastern Gobi by NDVI и SAVI using satellite images.

Investigating the Filtration Characteristics of Direct Driven Hydraulics

Direct driven hydraulics (DDH) is receiving increasing attention due to its advantages such as high energy efficiency, easy maintenance, and compactness. However, its oil contamination management has not been surveyed in detail, whereas uncontrolled oil contamination might result in extra maintenance efforts or even downtime. Therefore, this research paper analyzes the oil filtration in direct driven hydraulics through modeling and simulation to predict the filtration effects and support the filtration design. Firstly, model blocks of the filtration characteristics are built to be added to the basic DDH dynamic model. The model can hereby include the coupling effects between fluid degradation and component wear, the filtering process, and the time-varying filter performance. Secondly, the proposed model is applied to a DDH that incorporates filtration and simulated under a duty cycle for 960 hours. The DDH efficiency and control performance when considering the contaminant are revealed. Thirdly, the results are compared between different filter selections and a filtration solution is finally proposed. In conclusion, this paper illustrates the filtration effects on the efficiency, control performance, and oil contaminant level of DDH by simulation, which can hereby support the design of the DDH filtration solution. According to the simulations, the filtered DDH resulted in 96% degradation of the pump’s volumetric efficiency after 960-hour running compared to 92% when not using any filters. The extra pressure drop introduced by the filter is below 2 bar, suggesting that the introduction of a filter with 6 μm filtration level is beneficial.

Soil microbiota and microarthropod communities in oil contaminated sites in the European Subarctic

The present comprehensive study aimed to estimate the aftermath of oil contamination and the efficacy of removing the upper level of polluted soil under the conditions of the extreme northern taiga of northeastern European Russia. Soil samples from three sites were studied. Two sites were contaminated with the contents of a nearby sludge collector five years prior to sampling. The highly contaminated upper soil level was removed from one of them. The other was left for self-restoration. A chemical analysis of the soils was conducted, and changes in the composition of the soil zoocoenosis and bacterial and fungal microbiota were investigated. At both contaminated sites, a decrease in the abundance and taxonomic diversity of indicator groups of soil fauna, oribatid mites and collembolans compared to the background site were found. The pioneer eurytopic species Oppiella nova, Proisotoma minima and Xenyllodes armatus formed the basis of the microarthropod populations in the contaminated soil. A complete change in the composition of dominant taxonomic units was observed in the microbiota, both the bacterial and fungal communities. There was an increase in the proportion of representatives of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria in polluted soils compared to the background community. Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria—Alcanivorax, Rhodanobacter ginsengisoli, Acidobacterium capsulatum, and Acidocella—and fungi—Amorphotheca resinae abundances greatly increased in oil-contaminated soil. Moreover, among both bacteria and fungi, a sharp increase in the abundance of uncultivated organisms that deserve additional attention as potential oil degraders or organisms with a high resistance to oil contamination were observed. The removal of the upper soil level was partly effective in terms of decreasing the oil product concentration (from approximately 21 to 2.6 g/kg of soil) and preventing a decrease in taxonomic richness but did not prevent alterations in the composition of the microbiota or zoocoenosis.

Verification Measurement of Laboratory Test Equipment for Evaluation of Technical Properties of Automotive Oil Filters

By simulating the operating conditions, it is possible to verify and evaluate the technical properties of motor vehicle oil filters and the functionality of the designed equipment. Contaminated engine oil from operation was used with MANN W950/26 oil filter and a CNH Industrial 2992242 oil filter in the test circuit. Before use, the level of engine oil contamination in the test circuit was determined by evaluating the physicochemical properties. The laboratory test equipment also allows monitoring the technical life of oil filters, with variously contaminated engine oil, with the possibility of extending engine oil change service intervals depending on changes in the physicochemical properties of engine oil and filter efficiency. These laboratory tests can be performed in parallel in two hydraulic circuits, which can significantly reduce the testing time of the filter capabilities of oil filters, without the risk of engine damage, provided that the tests were performed under operating conditions. The results of the evaluation of the filtration capacity of oil filters can be used in the design of new filter materials, but also with a suitably determined methodology of oil filter replacement and engine oil change interval, it is possible to extend replacement intervals, which has a significant benefit not only from an economic but also ecological point of view. The result of the measurements is the confirmation of the functionality of the device with the possibility of simulating the operating conditions, at different degrees of oil contamination, at different operating temperatures and using different oil filters.