Why vacuum- what about gravity?
Utilizing vacuum to evacuate the used oil from the gear box speeds up the evacuation process and allows the use of a smaller, lighter hose which puts less strain on the service winch.
Why use modified diaphragm pump over
gear pump?
Gear pumps can contaminate the oil by introducing wear material from the gears into the oil as it pumps it up tower.
Does pump lose pressure when refilling gearbox?
When pumping any material 300 ft. vertically, there will be pressure losses. We also experience pressure losses due to friction loss in the hoses. However, this is not a negative thing. Our modified diaphragm pump can pump up to 1000psi. The user would not want to introduce oil into the gearbox at such a high pressure, so the pressure drop due to vertical distance and friction inside the hose allows the gearbox to be filled at a manageable pressure and flow rate.
Why steel tanks over totes?
We get asked this question on a regular basis. The steel tanks allow us to create vacuum in order for us to evacuate the gearbox quickly. We can also pressurize the new oil tank to force the oil into the pump, thereby preventing pump cavitation. This allows the user to change oil when the weather is cold and the oil is more viscous. Also, the valves that are located on the bottom totes are known to break when travelling across rough terrain while hoses are attached to them. Numerous customers have told us horror stories about losing 320 gallons of $40 per gallon gear oil when the tote valve fails. This failure not only wastes $13,000 worth of gear oil, it also creates an environmental issue due to the clean-up and disposal of the oil and contaminated natural resources. As a green energy, wind farms cannot afford to create pollution.
Why heat the oil?
The oil used in the gearboxes in wind turbines use a very viscous ISO 320 gear oil. By heating the oil, pumping pressures are decreased which creates a safer working environment. Another reason for heated oil is that the gearbox can operate more efficiently with less wear when the oil is introduced at or near normal operating temperatures.
Why filter new oil? It's new!
With the close tolerances inside the gearboxes, even brand new oil is not clean enough to prevent internal damage to gearbox components.Sage Oil Vac uses a CC Jensen filtration system that filters the oil to a 16/14/11 ISO cleanliness level.
Why use a flush fluid?
As drain intervals increase, the likelihood of sludge and wear particles building up in the gearbox increases. Also, some lubricants have inherent sludging problems. Without flushing the gearbox, the sludge and wear particles will stay in the gearbox and contaminate the new oil that is introduced during an oil change. If you leave these contaminants in the gearbox, they can quickly cause damage to gears and bearings and cause the gearbox to fail.
