Oil Purifier Project

There are a few types of transformer oil purifying plants to consider, some are combined with others. Go to your electrical library and get any decent book on transformer maintenance to get you started. You want to get rid of moisture, solids in suspension, chemicals & sludge. We've used a so-called "Streamline" (TM?) filter, which draws oil in, heats it up in a controlled faashion, and then it expands in a vacuum chamber to get rid of moisture. I think a normal cartridge filter is inserted after the pump to eliminate metal ingress. If you want to de-acidify or de-sludge th oil, you then subsequently need to run it through a special clay called Fuller's Earth. This is where the fun starts, as it is expensive and difficult to clean for re-use! HTH.

Thanks for the contribution. I manage to get a basic schematic showing how a simple purifier works. I am now in the process of of making a purifier and I need a vaccuum pump. Could you pliz find out for me the suppliers of vaccuum pumps in South Africa as I am failing to find one here in Zimbabwe.

I still think that you are venturing where angels fear to tread, (but if everyone thought like me, no new developments would ever take place!) - but I reckon that being in Zim provides its unique set of purchasing problems . I'm not in the mechanical business at all, so I suggest you use the ananzi website (www.ananzi.co.za): it is a South Africa-specific search site that I use quite often. I put in the search term "vacuum pump" supplier & got quite a few results. If there are big chemical industries, they can possibly supply you with contact numbers too.

Good luck & let us know how it turns out!

Sounds like a ChE project to me. Looks to me like Gideon has some first-hand experience. You might also want to contact someone in the ChemE dept. My guess is that, your design should minimize capital and operating costs though there is sure to be a trade-off between the two. :-)

From my limited experience with transformer oil, I am aware that the main probelm is water content. When designing hydraulic flushing rigs for use with mineral oils we have on accasion fitted a filter with a cartridge very similar in make up to a toilet roll. These were excellent at removing not only water but also solids down to a low micronic level.

This type of filter has also been succesfully fitted to HGV's for filtering the Diesel fuel for the same reasons.

One manufacurer (in the UK) is Kleenoil.

If this is of interest I will try and establish their contact details.

Your approach could work quite well for small transformers - I've used so-called "filter presses" and cartridge filters before, but mostly on switchgear to get rid of carbon in the oil. However, big transformers could have hundreds of litres of moisture to absorb, and then you'd want something more effective.

Try a look at this link to give you an idea what goes into a simple plant http://www.gepower.com/prod_serv/products/transformer_equipment/en/trans_oil_purif_plt.htm The technical link at the bottom takes you to a more detailed layout. (Confession - I've used the services of Fluidex here in sunny South Africa before they became part of GE, there are other players in the global market too!)

Pall Corporation markets an on-line, on-load purifier. It takes advantage of the xfromers heat to assist in the water removal process. As others noted, the water is the main issue with the xformers. Removal of the water slows the breakdown of the insulation which reduces the breakdown of the oil, reduces gas generation and reduces corrosion of the housing.

Older transformers were filled with VOC, agent-orange if incenerated, coolants. Approved handling, transportation, and disposal methods are required for same.

Have you looked into a centrifuge technique? I have used them before but on a primary treatment basis. They tend to separate alot of water and solids which can be skimmed off and/ or decanted respectively prio to the next step of treatment. Filters work well but may become to cumbersome. You may want to also look at also applying membrane fitration technology (ultrafilration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis to a certain extent).

Good Luck

You have not said what country you are in. Different countries have different laws about what chemicals may or may not be used in manufacturing (assuming that you are putting the recycled oil into newly manufactured transformers) as well as recycling. When the US government banned PCB (Poly-chlorinated Bi-phenyls) and other chemicals in transformer oil for domestic use, many manufacturers continued to produce them for other countries, or sent production (final assembly) off-shore, often to countries of use.

Some of these countries may now have passed laws similar to the US, some may not. Better check what can and cannot be used. You may have to set up testing, because contaminated oil (with PCB's and other banned chemicals) may not be good for anything besides incineration. This could certainly change the economics of your plant, possibly to where recycling is not cost effective. You should start sampling your incoming or existing stock of used oil now to determine feasibility before you even begin design work. Would you want to design a buggy whip plant after automobiles made them obsolete? Perhaps if you lived in Amish country!

Go to site of Recovered Energy inc., and look up Boss Oil Separators for your application.