SERVICE BULLETIN

NOTICE: The Type of Change and Recommended Compliance specified reflects Solar’s best judgment regarding the
Service Bulletin. All questions should be directed to your Solar Field Service Representative. Solar, Saturn,
Centaur, Taurus, Mercury, Mars, Titan, SoLoNOx, and Turbotronic are trademarks of Solar Turbines Incorporated.
Cat and Caterpillar are trademarks of Caterpillar Inc. Specifications subject to change without notice.

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ISSUED: January 1987
REVISED:
PRODUCT: All
MODEL(S): All
Specifics:

SUBJECT: LUBE OIL AND VIBRATION ANALYSIS PROGRAMS

Type of Change: Product Information

Recommended
Compliance: Information

Purpose:
To announce the availability of customized Lube Oil and Vibration Analysis Programs for machin-
ery condition monitoring.

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Many turbomachinery owners are seeking ways of reducing the cost of owning and operating their
machinery, while maximizing its useful life. Increasing interest has been shown in machinery health
and condition monitoring, with various types of lube oil analyses and vibration analyses being key
parts of these programs.

Several different types of oil and vibration analyses offer various means of detecting and diagnosing
of machine faults before they become critical. This provides more information on the true internal
condition of the machine, which in turn helps to achieve timely and accurate maintenance planning.
The goal is to reduce unscheduled downtime and maintenance, avoid component failures, and re-
duce long-term overhaul costs.

In addition to our Inspection Services Programs (designed for standby power generation applica-
tions), and our Contract Maintenance Programs (for continuous duty applications), Solar offers a

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variety of customized oil analysis and vibration analysis services. These are briefly described be-
low.

Spectrographic Oil Analysis

Spectrographic analysis of lube oil has been widely used for a number of years in machinery con-
dition monitoring. Oil samples are periodically taken from a machine in a prescribed manner, and
are sent to a laboratory for analysis. At the lab, a spectrometer is utilized to vaporize a portion of
the sample. The light emitted during this process is optically broken down to reveal the spectro-
graphic signature of selected chemical elements. A printout is made showing the quantity, in parts
per million, of each element present in the sample. Examination of these analyses provides valuable
information concerning the wear occurring within the machine and the condition of the oil itself.
Other tests are performed to determine the presence of water in the oil, fuel dilution, and such im-
portant physical properties as viscosity and acidity.

The key to spectrographic analysis lies in the determination of changes in the signature over a
period of time. Each individual machine will have its own signature, and broad classes of machine
types display different patterns in the levels of selected wear elements. In addition to providing a
printed report of the laboratory analysis, Solar offers the advantages of data interpretation and trend
analysis based on in-depth knowledge of our machinery, gained through many years of experience.

A spectrographic oil analysis program is a valuable and cost effective tool for machinery condition
monitoring, especially when used in conjunction with other techniques such as vibration analysis.

Ferrographic Oil Analysis

Ferrography is a technology used to analyze wear particles found in lubricating oil, as opposed to
analysis of the oil itself. A laboratory device uses a strong magnetic field to produce a "ferrogram",
a special glass slide. A bichromatic microscope is then used to examine the particles deposited on
the slide. These particles (both ferrous and non-ferrous) are photographed and visually classified
according to their number, size, shape, and distribution. Analysis of the results can provide valuable
information as to the wear mechanisms present in the machine, and can be used to detect abnormal
wear rates.

Examples of the types of particles include normal wear and cutting wear particles, fatigue chunks,
microscopic spheres caused by roller bearing fatigue, and non-metallic polymers.

Ferrographic analysis has proven to be a useful diagnostic tool, especially when other techniques
(spectrographic analysis, vibration analysis) indicate a potential problem.

Vibration Analysis
In addition to permanently installed hardware which allows for on-line Vibration Monitoring and
microprocessor-based Condition Monitoring, Solar offers a variety of vibration analysis services.

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These range from periodic surveys using a simple hand-held device to highly sophisticated real-
time spectrum analysis. Vibration analysis has proven to be one of the most valuable techniques
for detecting, diagnosing, and correcting a number of machine faults in the field. Examples include
imbalance, misalignment, gear and bearing defects, impending oil pump failures, oil whirl, and
others.

While the use of hand-held vibration transducers and simple instrumentation allows the detection of
many adverse conditions, a significantly increased capability is afforded by our Spectral Analysis
program. Under this program, each machine is first prepared in a way that allows specially selected
vibration transducers to be hard-mounted at key locations on the machine. During each periodic
survey, the transducers are attached to the machine, and their signals are processed using a real-
time analyzer. A series of vibration plots are produced. Analysis of these plots allows sophisticated
examination of the machine’s vibration profile.

Besides gathering the vibration data, Solar offers the benefits of years of experience by providing in-
depth interpretation and trending of the data, as well as appropriate recommendations for follow-up
action.

The specific type and frequency of vibration surveys recommended depends on many factors, in-
cluding the site conditions, operational tempo, and others. Our Customer Services staff can assist
in evaluating these factors to design a customized, cost-effective program for vibration analysis.

ACTION REQUIRED:
It is recommended that your current maintenance and machinery condition monitoring program
be examined. Consideration should be given to incorporating oil and vibration analysis into your
program on a regular, periodic basis. Solar’s District Service Manager or Customer Services Sales
Representative in your area can assist you by providing additional information, and in the develop-
ment of a program designed to meet your unique operating requirements.

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