Reliability of oil mist lubrication
Reliability of oil mist lubrication
(OP)
We encounter a dangerous fire in our refinery recently.
The direct cause is the failure of the pump mechanical seal which cause the crude oil to leak.
After the fire, when we check the bearing, we find that pump bearing(ball type) also is damaged.
The bearing balls are no loner spherical and some balls disappear.
We use oil mist lubrication for all the rotating machine in our refinery.
What could be the root cause of the fire?
Oil mist fail -> Bearing fail -> Mechanical Seal fail ?
The direct cause is the failure of the pump mechanical seal which cause the crude oil to leak.
After the fire, when we check the bearing, we find that pump bearing(ball type) also is damaged.
The bearing balls are no loner spherical and some balls disappear.
We use oil mist lubrication for all the rotating machine in our refinery.
What could be the root cause of the fire?
Oil mist fail -> Bearing fail -> Mechanical Seal fail ?





RE: Reliability of oil mist lubrication
If you are asking what the actual cause was, its obviously impossible to say without an on site investigation, which will no doubt occur and probably involve insurance investigators, legal experts etc.
If you suspect the oil mist system - there are many possible things that can go wrong, as simple as such systems are, such as :
1. Tank ran dry
2. Loss of air pressure
3. Clogged nozzle(s)
4. Pipe break
5. Poorly designed sytem leading to puddling
etc etc
You haven't indicated whether you know why the oil ignited.
I won't make any other posts on this topic.
RE: Reliability of oil mist lubrication
Lester Milton
NBC Group Ltd, Telford, Shropshire, UK
RE: Reliability of oil mist lubrication
I know I said I wouldn't be replying to this post again - but just this once - I've seen an awful lot of marginally lubricated bearings that have got red hot and burnt up, (probably hundreds) mostly in the machine tool field - mist lube and oil air - and never once have I seen that lead to a fire - there just wasn't enough oil around for that. But I humbly bow to you superior experience!
RE: Reliability of oil mist lubrication
RE: Reliability of oil mist lubrication
RE: Reliability of oil mist lubrication
RE: Reliability of oil mist lubrication
What I am saying is that poor oil mist distribution may cause failure of pump bearing which then induce a seal failure, and let crude oil leak to the air.
It is surely very easy to make a big fire when hot crude oil contact with air.
RE: Reliability of oil mist lubrication
ponderer- is there any other equipment fed by same oil mist system? (if so then one would think the other machines would have been affected by system failure as well).
RE: Reliability of oil mist lubrication
RE: Reliability of oil mist lubrication