Oil Handling and Properties at Low Temperatures.

The viscosity of some oils varies strongly with temperature. Depending on what it is lubricating, it might be advisable to use a lower viscosity oil in lower temperatures, thereby obviating the need to warm it up.

One of the options for heating that quantity of oil is to hire an inductive drum heater. The local hire centre will have details. Yellow Pages?

My only advice would be that next time you use the proper oil, or begin your search for a solution to the problem of heat sooner in the project.

Will the oil be heated when in service?

Good point. The range of ambient temperatures to be expected is a crucial front-end-engineering-design criterion for most projects. This particular one, whatever it is, needs to be treated as a learning exercise.

Dear all,

The type and viscosity of the oil selected is appropiate for both the application and the temperature range.

-20ºC to+40ºC local ambient temperature extremes.

-30ºC to 120ºC oil application range.

-Operation temperature 85-95ºC.

The system has the required heaters and interlocks built in, avoiding cold start up.

The issue is only to fill up the system, since the filling/filtering unit available with 10 microns filter, can not handle the increased viscosity due to low temperature (460 mm2/s at +40ºC, becomes 12000mm2/s at -10ºC).

@PWslack, many thanks for the drum heater input!

Will ask the customer to find out on Monday, since my knowledge of local language is null.

@Lyn; you are absolutely right. Should have considered it in advance.

I guess too many years working in warm (when not quite hot!) countries made me oversee this detail.

What about the 2nd question, regarding effects of cold storage on the additives?

I have been trough supplier documentation, and no mention about it.

Maybe more suitable for the Chemical Section?

Many thanks for your advise!

Abel

I guess the second question depends on the relative densities and viscosities of the chemicals involved.

And, if they are in solution, or suspension.

If the type of oil is correctly selected for the temperatures to be encountered, then it would not need pre-heating, and therefore the original question is a non-starter.

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Let me guess, your in Kazakhstan?

Had exactly the same problems with a variety of chemicals and oils at remote sites. Worst was glycol we were using as antifreeze! Glycol on its own freezes at -12 Deg C, so it was very hard to mix it with water when it was -30 Deg C. We built habitats (scaffolding and tarpaulin) or tents for everything, compressors and generators and then heated them with diesel fired air blowers. We would also keep the drums in habitats and heat them. In a construction environment, temporary habitats like this are the norm.

This sort of thing for the heaters http://www.heat-gen.com/dieselfiredheate.html

We also built the habitats with a very heavy duty 'bubble wrap' type tarpaulin so we had a bit of insulation.

Dear Sabueso,

Nope!! Not so extreme. Only South Korea, but not the southern part.

Indeed we have the diesel heaters as you mention. About tarpaulines, we have only normal ones but, once you put a double layer, it insulates quite well (within the circumstances). Here you see the mini heating tent at my container office.

For two days heating, got them 45ºC.

Must say that the office instead barely reached 4ºC.

It will remain always fresh in my memory. :)

I will see to arrange tomorrow the "oil tent" and, at the same time, try to get some drum heater.

Salu2 cordiales!

Abel.

PD: A colleague of mine is now in Novosibirsk. No envy at all.. ;)

Search google for "Oil barrel wrap heater" I have used one in the past for very thick grease. It was not in a cold environment but it allowed the use of a fireball pneumatic pump to transfer the grease. Norm

well, I like your style. we hold the right things for the true world.

these days there are two movable steel house being made in our factory.