Condition Monitoring of Lubricating Oils in Power Plants

Abstract

This paper explores the method by which lubricating oils that are used in power plants are maintained. Lubricants were shown to protect the tribological systems of power plant equipment through their physical and chemical properties and are key to maintaining the power plant's uptime and profitability. A comprehensive review of developing a condition monitoring program is provided. Proper tribodiagnostics of lubricants allow a power plant to predictively maintain the integrity of its equipment to maximize cost savings. The data collected from a successful condition monitoring program can show trends that provide insight into future diagnostics. The integration of artificial intelligence has become increasingly prevalent in condition monitoring systems and continues to be an avenue for future advancement in this field.