In the pursuit of greater efficiency, many OEMs are making design decisions that may amplify the effects of oil aeration.
What you may be noticing…
- Unexpected reduction in hydraulic efficiency
- Unusual or intermittent NVH, violating new government regulations
- Premature component wear, especially with prolonged drain intervals
- Increased temperatures in unexpected areas
- False readings from other fluid diagnostic sensors
Why it may be aeration…
Reduced Hydraulic Efficiency: Hydraulic systems in off-highway equipment depend on incompressible fluid to perform. As air is compressible, oil aeration can adversely effect the efficiency of these systems.
Increased NVH: Pumping aerated oil may create significant noise and vibration. This is due to the gaseous cavitation and rapid dissolution of air occurring within the pump as it compresses and discharges oil.
Increased Wear Particles Aeration significantly reduces the lubricity and load carrying capability of the oil. Metal-to-metal contact may occur more frequently, increasing wear particles and potentially leading to premature component failure.
Increased Temperatures: The temperatures of components or subsystems may be higher than expected, causing a loss in seal durability.
Diagnostic Sensors: Aeration can interfere with sensor readings, causing inaccurate measurements.
Why it will only get worse…
Industry trends such as smaller sump sizes (decreased oil residence time), higher combustion temperatures, lower viscosity oil and extended oil drain intervals all negatively impact oil aeration levels.
