Texaco‘s VARTECH Industrial System Cleaner is helping customers across key industrial sectors to maintain machinery efficiency by actively addressing varnish formation
VARTECH Industrial System Cleaner is a premium deposit cleaning solution designed to be added directly to turbine, compressor or hydraulic systems during operation, facilitating the removal of varnish and sludge before scheduled maintenance with oil changes. Texaco’s field technical team has recently achieved significant results for clients in sectors such as power generation, oil and gas and chemical processing.
Texaco’s VARTECH technology works through a two-step process: the first helps to remove the varnish and other deposits infiltrated into the system using Texaco VARTECH Industrial System Cleaner, while the second helps to prevent the formation of new varnish through the use of lubricants formulated with VARTECH technology, from the Texaco GST Advantage range.
Waste incineration plant, Sweden
At a waste incineration plant in Sweden, an older steam turbine was running on a mix of turbine oils. Although the turbine was well-maintained, there was a potential risk of varnish formation due to its age. To ensure optimal performance, the plant decided to clean the turbine oil system first with Texaco VARTECH Industrial System Cleaner to provide optimal conditions for the Texaco GST Advantage EP 46 oil in case deposits were already in place. After adding 10% of the VARTECH formulation and circulating it for three weeks, the system was effectively cleaned, as visually evidenced by the varnish removal from the filter element, oil pipe and oil tank, backed up with used oil analysis data.
Chemical processing facility, Sweden
The Texaco technical team were invited to a chemical processing facility following reports of a temperature increase in a bearing within a compressor system. This posed a potentially significant issue as the bearing temperature was continuing to increase and had reached over 110°C. The Texaco team recommended the application of VARTECH Industrial System Cleaner at a 10% concentration level, aiming to manage the bearing temperature until the next scheduled shutdown. Working closely with the onsite maintenance team and after combined oil and VARTECH Industrial System Cleaner-related interventions, the Texaco team managed to bring the temperature down to around 105°C. The interventions also broke the upward bearing temperature trend so that the system could continue running without incurring the cost and loss of time of an unscheduled stop.
Chemical processing plant, The Netherlands
A large chemical processing plant in the Netherlands faced a temperature increase in the bearings of a compressor driven by a steam turbine. The bearings were not scheduled for replacement for another three years, but were showing an upward temperature trend, raising concerns as to whether the equipment could run until the next scheduled maintenance. Texaco technical experts evaluated the situation and reported that the temperature trends and evolution of the datapoints were consistent with the possibility of varnish in the bearings. Based on the specifics of the operation, their recommended course of action was to apply VARTECH Industrial System Cleaner at a seven per cent concentration for a cleaning operation over six days. Temperatures were recorded over three data points and showed an overall decrease. The customer considered the treatment a success, both in breaking the upward temperature trend and in stabilising the system. Temperatures will continue to be monitored until the next scheduled equipment maintenance date, but to date, the VARTECH Industrial System Cleaner product has saved both time and costly early intervention for the plant operator.
Gas turbine, Baltic Sea
On a fixed offshore platform in the Baltic Sea, a turbine was experiencing high outlet bearing temperatures and increased filter usage. Thanks to data supplied by Texaco’s Lubewatch Oil Analysis Programme, and with the help of the local distributor partner, the Texaco field technical team advised that fresh oil alone may not resolve the issue. The technical team recommended adding Texaco VARTECH Industrial System Cleaner at a 15% concentration for four to eight weeks. Following the cleaner’s application, the outlet bearing temperature decreased from over 100°C to around 93°C within four days. During the following four weeks of cleaning, the inlet bearing temperature initially rose but began to decrease again after ten days. A slight increase in differential pressure over the oil filter indicated that varnish was present. After the cleaning was deemed successful, the turbine was stopped, and the oil drained, flushed, and refilled with fresh GST Advantage EP. The reduced outlet bearing temperatures indicated successful varnish removal. With the assistance of the Texaco field technical support team, the Texaco VARTECH Industrial System Cleaner has been successfully deployed in a variety of operational settings. In many cases, it helped to effectively tackle varnish formation and manage temperature control, thereby enhancing machinery performance and reliability. Adding VARTECH Industrial System Cleaner prior to the next oil change helps to ensure that fresh oil is not affected by a system with potential deposits or varnish. This, in turn, helps to negate any negative effects on the fresh oil and maintain operational efficiency.
Finally, to ensure the consistency of performance of the oil system, Texaco offers an oil monitoring programme, LubeWatch®, which allows a regulary analysis of varnish.
