Engine lubricants should be designed to remain stable in the presence of small amounts of water. Water contamination cannot realistically be avoided although its effects can be limited by good maintenance policies. It can enter the oil from condensation, leaking coolers and deck vents, blow-by gasses and even via poorly operated centrifuges. Water contamination and even salt contamination without the presence of water are very easy to detect either on board the vessel or in a laboratory.
A main engine thrust bearing in a ship can be somewhat damaged by water and severely damaged by seawater. If the lubricant in the thrust block has become contaminated with seawater, the addition of salts to the mixture greatly magnifies the effect. This type of corrosion can be the most devastating. Bearing materials corroded by seawater will form a hard black scale. The scale is of a lower density to the parent metal and expands. This effect fills up the clearances and the oil becomes contaminated and causes even further problems downstream.

Early detection of water presence in lube oils is a major advantage . The presence not only of absorbed water but the cooling of a lubricant can cause water to drop out. This water can be present as "free water" and may be hard to detect by periodic sampling methods. An online continuous fast response and reliable device can prevent unnecessary maintenance and premature change of bearings or new equipment.

EESIFLO's EASZ-1 works on the well known principle of capacitance. A change in the capacitance level directly changes the readout of total water. Sudden changes can be picked up and reported to personnel for them to further investigate the underlying causes. A large volume of the lube oil is continually flowing through the capacitance probe and any water within this large volume will be picked up and reported as a value. The response time is in seconds and it is possible to see trends with faster response times since strange phenomena may not be clearly noticeable with slow response methods.

Lube oil left unchecked can rapidly lead to costly breakdowns. The speed with which water-induced degradation can progress, means that in many applications, water contamination of the oil is a more serious threat to equipment reliability than wear metal contamination!

EESIFLO's EASZ-1 water in oil analyzer provides early warning of any increase in water content so that corrective action can be taken.

The EASZ-1 is a temperature-compensated, microprocessor-based, loop powered water in oil sensor that enables fast and reliable online detection and monitoring of water in oil - remotely displayed as a percentage or ppm. The unit responds rapidly to a change in the resistive capacitance of the oil being monitored and its reliability is not affected by saturation. The EASZ-1 displays any change in water content immediately.

Virtually maintenance free, with no need for sensor change or annual factory calibration the EASZ-1 is an affordable tool for monitoring and protecting hydraulic equipment.

The EASZ-1 can be used for on-line water monitoring and as a control instrument allowing separators and oil purifiers to be started when required, or as a diagnostic or preventative device protecting critical systems from premature failure.

High temp versions also available on request

For more information, or to locate your nearest EESIFLO representative, go to www.eesiflo.com