Tan Delta Systems launches new SENSE-2 k...
Tan Delta Systems, a manufacturer of real-time oil quality monitoring sensors and systems is leading the way within the power generation and renewables sector with the launch of SENSE-2. The new oil condition monitoring kit provides real-time data about machine oil quality to optimise maintenance and reduce operating costs.
The SENSE-2 is plug-and-play and accurately identifies when oil reaches the end of its life, superseding traditional time-based maintenance schedules which can result in oil being discarded prematurely – with the potential of wasting up to 50 per cent of its useful life.
With rising concerns over the environmental impact of fossil fuel power generation and the increasing demand for energy worldwide, the renewables sector is growing at a rapid pace. Using landfill and biogas for power generation is considered reliable and cost-effective but despite providing many of the same benefits as natural gas, there are unique challenges to the efficient operation of the engines and lubricants.
Chris Greenwood, CEO at Tan Delta Systems said: “Gas engine oils need to withstand the extreme level of oil degradation caused by higher operating temperatures, as well as the by-products of the combustion process of the gas fuel itself, which can lead to high levels of contamination. When a gas engine is commissioned, the oil change intervals will be determined by the manufacturers recommendations but the quality of the biomass combined with the variable load on the engines can significantly affect this recommendation but our SENSE-2 system provides continuous real-time monitoring.
“We work with a number of biogas engine operators and manufacturers worldwide providing tailored oil condition monitoring solutions which use our unique active molecular-level analysis to detect all changes in oil condition and any contamination. The Tan Delta sensor works by providing a full-spectrum holistic (FSHTM) oil quality analysis which ensures the oil’s condition is proactively managed and is not changed prematurely, causing unnecessary cost to the site, or changed too late and causing damage.”
The system was adopted by Schempp to monitor the condition of the engine oil at its biogas plant at its farm in Europe. The 140 hectare farm produces corn, sugar beet and GPS (whole crop silage) with just over 20 per cent of the farm dedicated to barley production. Having started with the manufacturer recommended oil change every 400 hours (22 times per year), this has now been extended to every 800 hours and only 11 times a year with the target of every 1,000 hours in sight. To verify the sensor results, Schempp has also performed parallel lab-sampling after every oil change.
In addition to monitoring the condition of the engine oil, the sensor data is also allowing the team to see when the feed mixture is incorrect and producing too much sulphur, which has allowed Schempp to take remedial action.
The SENSE-2 real-time monitoring uses the world-leading Tan Delta OQSxG2 oil quality sensor to detect any issues before the damage occurs, identifying subtle changes in equipment condition early. It can be fitted easily and efficiently to any existing equipment in any application and is configurable to any oil type.
The OQSx-G2 oil quality sensor within the SENSE-2 kit is also available as a Mobile Oil Tester (MOT) Kit, created with workshops and mobile maintenance teams in mind. Any oil from any equipment can be sampled and tested simply and easily on-site in seconds. The sensor is used in conjunction with the MOT software, which operates on any Windows-based laptop, tablet or PC. Users simply install the MOT app, connect it to the sensor, collect the sample in one of the bottles provided and follow the steps in the software to test the sample.
For more information on Tan Delta’s SENSE-2 Display Kit and how it can benefit your business, please visit the product page.