Hydraulic Oil Care in the Offline Flow, Winch | Tug Bot

Hydraulic system, winch

Vessel: Tug boat “BEAUFORT”, 2010 built by Damen shipyard in the Netherlands
Hydraulic oil: Shell Tellus 46
Oil volume: 1.200 Litres

Challenge

High temperatures put an extreme strain on the hydraulic oil of the winches and accelerate oil ageing processes with immense consequences for the entire hydraulic system. To value the oil more precisely, an oil sample was taken and analysed by an independent laboratory. Result of the analyses: high varnish and particle content; the oil was so dirty that the exact number of particles was not countable; black filter test membrane. The hydraulic system was extremely dirty.

At that point, the Dublin Port Company had already installed a CJC® Hydraulic filter 27/108 in the offline flow on their RoRo Ferry ram hydraulic system. Because of the excellent results on the ferry, the ship owner decided to test such a CJC® filter for the tug boat’s winch hydraulic system.

Solution

A CJC® Hydraulic filter 27/27 was installed. The installation in the offline circuit ensures continuous fine and depth filtration, drying and care of the oil.

Filter material: 100% natural fibres
Filtration degree: 3 µm absolute, retention rate < 1 µm
Dirt holding capacity: approx. 2 kg
Water holding capacity: approx. 0.9 Litres

CJC® Hydraulic Filter 27/27 installed at the hydraulic winch system of the tug boat.

Result with CJC® Hydraulic Filter

The oil sample, which revealed that the oil was extremely dirty, was taken in December – the oil cleanliness level according to ISO 4407 was estimated to be approx. 22/20/14. The oil was so contaminated and dark that an exact particle number was not countable and impeded the ISO Code’s classification. The CJC® Hydraulik Filter was installed shortly after the report of the laboratory. Already after the first filter pass, a second oil sample was taken – the oil cleanliness level improved to 15/14/11 (acc. to ISO 4407). Four months after the installation of the CJC® Hydraulic Filter, a further analyses was taken and documented the ISO Code 13/12/7 – perfect condition for optimum system reliability. No problems were seen on the winch system anymore. According to Noria Corporation, the estimated lifetime for hydraulic components is 10-times longer when the oil cleanliness (ISO Codes) can be improved in such impressive magnitude.

Oil samples

Savings & Benefits for our Customer

Due to the installation of the CJC® Hydraulic Filter, our customer obtained the following benefits:

• Risk of losing charter reduced (coming off-hire)
• reliable, functional winch due to a consistently clean hydraulic system — pumps, valves and pistons optimally protected
• 10-times longer lifetime for hydraulic components possible
• Oil change avoided, and 1,200 Litres of hydraulic oil saved
• CO₂ emissions reduced — 3,120 kg CO₂ are saved per avoided oil change *)

*) The thermal disposal of waste oil causes approx. 2.6 kg CO₂ per 1 Litre.