Cold corrosion test kit Oct 03 2014 German-based CM Technologies has developed a cold corrosion test kit for diesel engines. This easy to use kit helps to identify corrosive wear, abrasive wear and insolubles in the oil at an early stage, the company said. The problem of wear in 2-stroke diesel engines has shifted fundamentally in recent years, as in the past, the focus was on mechanical/abrasive wear, problems with corrosive wear – mostly caused by cold corrosion – now dominate procedures. Increased acid build-up in the engine can result from engine modifications to comply with environmental regulations, the resulting higher pressure during combustion, permanently reduced engine speed, a longer piston stroke and sulphur-containing fuels. In addition, methods of operating the engines, such as slow steaming, are often used, which can result in the temperature around the components surrounding the combustion chamber dropping below the dew point. This also leads to the increased build-up of acid on the combustion chamber parts. When the temperature falls below the dew point, acidic corrosion (cold corrosion) can occur, causing significant damage to the engines, CM Technologies explained. To prevent this, the company developed a cylinder drain oil test kit, which detects both corrosive and abrasive wear at an early stage using on-board tests, allowing early preventative measures to be taken by the engineers. Using CDO (cylinder drain oil) analysis, the compact, portable, combined CDO iron/BN test kit provides immediate data on four important parameters: - Mechanical/abrasive wear. - Corrosive wear. - Alkalinity reserve (BN). - Insolubles, soot content of the oil, allowing early detection of any fuel or combustion problems. The test kit was developed using the company’s experience in machinery condition monitoring, especially for shipping. It comes in a sturdy case and is currently the only system on the market that detects both abrasive and corrosive wear accurately and economically using just one test and one device, the company claimed. Eric Carlsen, senior superintendent with Copenhagen-based NORDEN, commented: “The CMT Cold Corrosion Test Kit is exactly what we have been looking for. It is just what we need for measuring both abrasion and corrosion, and produces reliable results equal to those measured in a laboratory. The comprehensive data provided by this easy-to-use system is a real advantage for our operations.” An Anglo-Eastern (Antwerp) spokesman also said: “We have experienced a great deal of cold corrosion due to slow steaming and welcome the valuable early-warning system offered by this new solution. It is very simple to operate and provides an early indication of potential problems, so action can be taken as soon as possible.” Established in 2003, CM Technologies GmbH was formerly known as Kittiwake GmbH. The company has strategic partnerships with leading industry organisations including MAN and Wärtsilä.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Nov 2014 14:36:39 +0000