November/December 2019

HYDRAULICS 32 HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS November/December 2019 www.hpmag.co.uk “Indeed, in the case of applications in the desert or subsea, reliability and longevity are particularly important,” said Barnett. “This is because it can be very expensive to replace parts and equipment due to the relative inaccessibility of where they are situated – you can’t train a dolphin to change an element 3000m below the ocean. Therefore, the integrity of the filters is particularly critical in these types of environments.” Barnett added that when repair or replacement is necessary, having a filter supplier with global presence able to offer speedy supply of spare and replacement parts is very important to keep things operational and productive. The supplier should also be able to provide bespoke filters when required and be able to offer a comprehensive range together with full documentation. Monitoring Wright and Webb made the point that equipment monitoring is also important. “Because most of the subsea market is moving to water glycol systems, monitoring their fluid cleanliness becomes more difficult using the laser technology that is common across the industry,” explained Webb. “In this regard, a key differentiator for Pall Corporation is the use of the company’s PCM500 series fluid cleanliness monitor. The PCM500 series monitor uses a mesh blockage technology that is not affected by the presence of water, so it provides consistently accurate and reliable fluid cleanliness measurements.” Also, with big data and the growing use of cloud-based solutions, Webb explained that remote and on-site monitoring can be undertaken, bringing additional benefits of convenience and cost savings. “The use of data and data analytics will continue to be a key industry focus with regard to cleanliness monitoring,” Webb said. “Pall and other filtration companies see the importance of making it easier for equipment users to both maintain the filter element and monitor the service fluids that pass through them as effectively as possible. They’ll do this by offering effective monitoring solutions that are able to harness the benefits of machine learning and the Internet of Things.” Education According to Geoff Grant, CMP product manager at MP Filtri, the main challenges for particle counters and condition monitoring equipment within the onshore and offshore oil & gas sector is education. “It is important to understand the reasons why all fluids and operating systems have to be cleaned to suitable levels. This is to prevent damage to hydraulic components and contamination of tooling and equipment when connecting them to topside and subsea,” he said. So, what are some of the key functionality must-haves to look for in particle counters to best ensure maximum efficiency and reading accuracy? “Be aware of the fluids you are analysing and use the correct type of particle counter suitable for those fluids, seal material and wetted parts compatibility (i.e., synthetic, water or mineral oil-based),” said Grant. “Also, be vigilant not to cross- Tim Wright, Northern Europe sales manager (Fuels & Chemicals), Pall Corporation: “If chemicals are put into the water stream they could cause polymerisation and blocks filters. In the case of condensate filtration and dewatering, waxes may be present. This makes accurate sizing critical in order to ensure you are not sizing the filtration system based purely on hydraulic flow rate.” Keith Webb, marketing manager EMEA, Pall Corporation: “The use of data and data analytics will continue to be a key industry focus with regard to cleanliness monitoring,”