Print this page Lubrication Applications, Specifications and Selection
A. Bhatia, B.E.
Course Outline
How do you know
if you're using the right lubricant? You might be using a high-quality lubricant,
putting a lot of effort and money into selecting the best quality, but it may
not be right for your application. Differing widely in viscosity, lubricity,
toxicity, biodegradability, oxidation stability, boiling point, and other properties,
lubricants offer a wide range of selection for the increasingly varied needs
of modern industry. Don't confuse the quality of the lubricant with the quality
of the specification. In this course, the reader will learn the basic applications
and specifications typically used in lubricant selection.
This 2-hr course material is based entirely on the US Army Corps of Engineers
document EM 1110-2-1424, "Lubricants and Hydraulic Fluids" and covers
Chapter 11; "Lubrication Applications", Chapter 13: " Lubricant
Specification & Selection" and Chapter 8, "Environmentally Acceptable
Lubricants".
The course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to
enhance the understanding of the course materials.
Learning Objective
At the conclusion of this course, the readers will:
- Learn about the typical lubrication applications for machinery generally encountered in hydroelectric power plants, pumping plants and the auxiliary equipments such as bearings, gears, ropes, wires, gates etc;
- Understand why and where to use mineral oil, grease, synthetic oil and non fluid lubrication;
- Learn the key characteristics and specifications for lubricants;
- Learn about the appropriate selection parameters for your application;
- Understand the codes and testing methods; and
- Learn about
the Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants.
This course is aimed at students, mechanical and process engineers, O & M professionals, H&S professionals, machinery specialists, energy auditors, plant personnel's and general audience.
Course Introduction
Efficient operation
of machinery largely depends not only on the lubricant selected but also on
its method of application. Lubricants formerly were applied by hand, but modern
machinery requires exact methods that can be precisely controlled. For most
machinery, different methods of lubrication and types of lubricants must be
employed for different parts. In an automobile, for example, the chassis is
lubricated with grease, the manual transmission and rear-axle housings are filled
with heavy oil, the automatic transmission is lubricated with special-grade
light oil, wheel bearings are packed with a grease that has a thickener composed
of long fibers, and the crankcase oil that lubricates engine parts is lightweight,
free-flowing oil.
In this course, you will learn about the lubricant applications, specifications
and the selection guidelines.
Course Content
In this course, you are required to study US Army Corps of Engineers document EM 1110-2-1424, "Lubricants and Hydraulic Fluids":
EM 1110-2-1424, "Lubricants and Hydraulic Fluids" - Chapter 11 "Lubrication Applications"
You need to open or download above documents to study this course.
Course Summary
A lubricant may
be oil, grease, graphite, or any substance-that permits free action of mechanical
devices and prevents damage by abrasion and "seizing" of metal or
other components through unequal expansion caused by heat. Lubricants can be
classified by their origin-animal (e.g., sperm oil, goose grease), vegetable
(e.g., soybean oil, linseed oil), or mineral (e.g., petroleum, molybdenum sulfide).
From ancient times until the late 19th century lubricants were obtained from
vegetable oils or animal fats and oils. Today most are derived from mineral
oils, such as petroleum oil, which can be distilled and condensed without decomposition.
Synthetic lubricants, such as silicones, are of great value in applications
involving extreme temperatures. In certain types of high-speed machinery films
of gas under pressure have been successfully used as lubricants.
Differing widely in viscosity, specific gravity, vapor pressure, boiling point,
and other properties, lubricants offer a wide range of selection for the increasingly
varied needs of modern industry. But whatever their derivation or properties,
the purpose of lubricants is to replace dry friction with either thin-film or
fluid-film friction, depending on the load, speed, or intermittent action of
the moving parts. Thin-film lubrication, in which there is some contact between
the moving parts, usually is specified where heavy loads are a factor. In fluid,
or thick-film, lubrication a pressure film is formed between moving surfaces
and keeps them completely apart. This type of lubrication cannot easily be maintained
in high-speed machinery and therefore is used where reciprocating or oscillating
conditions are moderate.
Proper selection of a lubricant is not always straightforward, and it depends
on understanding the lubricating regime (i.e. film, mixed, boundary), established
conventions of classification and an ability to interpret and apply the producer's
data specifications to the equipment. Without this background, it is not easy
to make an informed selection or substitution.
Quiz
Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.
