DynamicsWeldingFlushingCorrosionFittings
Filters
FILTERS
Selecting a good filter is no longer a matter of choosing one that has the appropriate micron rating. Today, the tolerances in the system demand that the selection criteria include considerations that were not involved in making the earlier choices. To realize the full potential of your system, the contamination level of the oil must not exceed the limits of the most demanding component in the system.
The correct filter will complement the other engineered aspects of contamination control; i.e. correct pipe, fittings, and miscellaneous sources of particles. It is not possible for a filter to protect the system when there are uncontrolled sources of contamination entering it. The reasons for taking a system approach to controlling contamination is two-fold. The first is that all filters allow a percentage of particles greater than their rated size to escape. The second is that no matter how good the filter is, it can be overwhelmed if the quantity of particles entering the filter exceeds its ability to maintain the correct downstream cleanliness level.
The particle count that escapes a filter is expressed as a Beta Ratio. This Beta Ratio equals the particles challenging the filter divided by the number that escape that are larger than the filter’s rated size. If sufficient particles challenge the filter, it will be impossible for the oil downstream to meet the needs of the most demanding component in the system. The components that are subjected to levels of contamination exceeding their rating will start a chain reaction of additional debris being generated. As the particles enter the system, the rate of particle generation will accelerate until the system fails.