As the lifeblood of any mechanical system, oil performs many functions, such as  reduction of wear, removal of contaminants, removal of heat and acting as a structural material.

Technical Bulletin 60 explored the various laboratory techniques for detecting abnormal wear and contaminants in gas engine oils.

In this edition, we examine what can be measured by oil analysis in terms of detecting oil degradation – both physical and chemical.

Gas engine oils must withstand various levels of oil degradation caused by the gas fuel combustion process, particularly where fuel quality varies significantly over time, such as gas engines running on biogas.

Condition monitoring techniques can facilitate effective maintenance of gas engines and support this emerging form of power generation.

We discuss the most widely used and OEM-requested laboratory techniques for detecting oil degradation, including kinematic viscosity, viscosity index, FTIR (fourier transform infrared), oxidation, nitration, total acid number (TAN), total base number (TBN), RULER (remaining useful life evaluation routine) and the new test, IPH (initial pH).

Interested in learning more? Then read Technical Bulletin 61 by clicking here.