Isomag bearing isolators prevent water contamination in bearing oil for refinery steam turbines.
Water contamination in bearing oil is a common recurring issue for steam turbines in the oil and gas industry. Labyrinth isolators fail to stop condensate from entering the bearing housing as steam dissipates from the carbon box. A Chevron in Port Arthur, Texas put an end to this issue by replacing the existing labyrinth isolators with Isomag bearing isolators. Since installed in 2014, the end user reports that the seals are running smoothly at low temperatures (120 oF) with no evidence of water contamination. The old practice of evaporating water out of the oil twice a year is no longer necessary.
