:::DOCTOR GELIGA:::The Ideas Hut:::

The juice industry is extracting value from Shell Cassida Fluid GLE, which delivers savings in time and money through reduced downtime and lower maintenance costs.

Extracting juice from oranges and other citrus fruits is a messy process. Food processing machinery must be kept in tip-top condition to prevent breakdown and potential food contamination. Following a series of trials, Cassida GLE has received global approval from a major machinery manufacturer who requires a non-toxic, tasteless and odourless lubricant for the extraction processes.

The juice extraction process involves the fruit being crushed in ‘cups’, with the juice being extracted through tubes. The crushing machinery is driven up and down on guideposts by cams and springs. This lubricated mechanism is separated from the juice extraction area by lip seals – but juice can be drawn up into the oil, and as with any equipment in close proximity to food or beverage, the use of an H1 certified lubricant is critical to ensure there is no possibility of contamination of the juice with a non-food grade oil.

The process is messy, with the need for frequent machine wash-downs, as the juice and sugary plant water dry to leave sticky deposits if the machines are stopped, for example, overnight. The challenge for the lubricant is to keep the machine clean and free from deposits, prevent wear and corrosion and, because of the potential contamination of the juice, be food grade.

In a carefully monitored test trial, involving three machines at a Florida orange juice extractor, Cassida Fluid GLE 220 resulted in a dramatic decrease in oil pump problems caused by sticky deposits, fewer stoppages for machine service and lower repair costs.

The Shell product did not have to be changed at all during the seven-week trial period - compared to the five changes with a competitor’s food-grade product. The machine manufacturer’s representative was so impressed that he described it as the “best lubricant performance with food-grade oil” he had seen.

He also gave it the company’s first food-grade lubricant OEM approval. Furthermore, it was calculated that this customer could benefit from savings of about US$21,000 per harvest season, across all his 24 machines. The savings are based on a ‘benefits calculator’ devised by the Food Sector team which uses a simple spreadsheet to estimate how much customers can reduce costs. The calculations are based on operational data, such as the frequency and cost of repairs, as well as on oil and consumption costs.

Shell Launches Next Generation Turbo T

Purpose
- To help power generation companies reduce running costs and increase production efficiency over the longer term.

How
- Launch of next generation Shell Turbo premium quality oil for lubricating precision turbines and many other industrial applications.

Benefits
- Maximised machine lifespan - increased protection against oxidation and rust through Turbo T's additives.
- Reduced costs - Turbo T doubles the life of new oil
-Minimised maintenance - Turbo T has excellent water tolerance characteristics and increased tolerance to traces of contamination
-Reduced risk - with resistance to forming sludge and deposits from oxidation stability
Improved reliability - with excellent resistance to foaming minimising likelihood of pump cavitation, oil pressure drops and lubrication starvation

Shell has furthered its commitment to helping power generation companies reduce running costs and increase production efficiency over the long term, with the launch of the next generation Shell Turbo T premium quality oil.

Turbo T Oils are premium quality lubricating oils designed to provide excellent lubrication of precision turbines and many other industrial applications. These oils are made from severely hydroprocessed base oils, which have been carefully selected to provide satisfactory viscosity/temperature characteristics, low foaming tendencies and good water separation properties.

In addition, they contain proven additives to protect equipment against rusting and to resist oxidation for long service life.

Turbo T already has an industry-wide reputation and is used in power stations, hydropower generation and nuclear steam turbines throughout the world.

It meets the requirements of major turbine builders including GE, Siemens, Westinghouse, ABB Alstom, Elliot and Demag Delaval Steam Turbines.

Increased competition within the energy sector combined with a rising global demand for power, has increased the need for reduced running costs, lower maintenance and reliable operation in the drive to boost profitability.

In response, Shell has worked with the world's leading turbine designers and major manufacturers to develop the next generation Turbo T.

Together with a tailored package of products and services available to Shell customers, the upgraded Turbo T can provide a competitive edge for power generating companies.

As well as doubling the life of the oil, new Turbo T can reduce filter maintenance, corrosion and the risk to safety and reliable operation, improving overall plant reliability.


Reformulated Turbo T has twice the oxidation stability of previous oils, providing increased service life and lower costs. It also features increased tolerance to traces of contamination that can lead to blocked filters.

A Shell spokesman commented "Our goal is to strive towards the development of products that can help our customers to maintain efficiency. The new Turbo T allows our customers to eliminate operational headaches and focus on the business of generating and marketing power."

"Shell has an impressive products and services offering for power generation projects around the world and we intend to work with our existing world-wide customers to develop that offering and become a preferred supplier to all new and existing power projects."

"Turbo T is the latest product to come from a major renewal programme of Shell's line-up of turbine lubricants over the last five years. It's the best all rounder among a series of major competitor products against which we have benchmarked it."

Shell is the world's leading supplier of hydrocarbon products and associated services to the global power sector. With its extensive range of specialist turbine products - such as new Turbo T and Turbo CC - combined with an expert service capability and an international network of over 14 base oil refineries and 80 lubricant blending plants, the company believes it is well placed to meet its promise of risk-free lubrication anywhere in the world.

Shell Turbo T is available in ISO VG 32, 46, 68 and 100 and is supplied in drums and 20-I pails.

Next Generation Turbo T: Key Benefits - at a Glance

Doubling the lifetime of their oil.

Reformulated Turbo T has twice the oxidation stability of previous oils, providing increased service life and lower costs, especially in hot applications where oil life can be limited.

Reducing filter maintenance.

Turbo T now has increased tolerance to traces of contamination that with many oils can block filters and lead to loss of oil performance.

Avoiding maintenance headaches by reducing corrosion.

The excellent water shedding characteristics of Turbo T give protection from corrosion and other damaging effects of water.

Reducing the risk to safety and reliable operation from control valve deposits.

Turbo T has improved resistance to forming sludge and deposits due to improved oxidation stability.

Improving plant reliability.

Turbo T has outstanding resistance to foaming giving the best possible insurance against pump cavitation, oil pressure drops and lubrication starvation.

Shell's Green Option Blasts Off !
Shell has rendered waste oil disposal both environmentally friendly and cost effective for Rio Tinto's Hamersley Iron Mine sites, with potential savings of up to AUD$250,000 to be made.

Increasing emphasis on environmental compliance prompted Shell to research new methods of waste management and disposal for Rio Tinto's Hamersley Iron mines in Western Australia.


Extensive research undertaken by Shell's Fuel and Lubricants Engineers indicated that waste oils could be successfully blended with ANFO - Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil Blend, commonly used in blasting.


The potentially toxic hydrocarbon particles found in waste oil can, through this process, be successfully destroyed in the high temperatures, rendering what would have otherwise been harmful waste, harmless.


The waste oil/ANFO mix not only eliminates the need for the costly transportation of waste oils away from the site but also reduces the amount of diesel required in the blasting process by 500,000 litres per year, realising sizeable savings.


With thousands of litres of waste oil produced each year by mine sites, safe and efficient disposal is of paramount importance in both environmental and health and safety terms. Trials of the new 'blend ANFO', conducted at Hamersley Iron's Marandoo mine site, indicated that the ratio of waste oil to ANFO blend could be as much as 50/50 - without any detrimental effect to the final blasting performance.


Comments Chris O'Halloran, local account manager for Shell Australia:


"Waste oil disposal has historically been a very onerous and costly task, impacting on resources and the overall productivity of a mine. However Shell's disposal proposition now means that savings can be expected through the reduction of overall operating costs and reduced diesel bills, providing peace of mind for the customer."


The success of the new technique was highly dependent on a range of stringent monitoring and system changes recommended by Shell, to ensure consistent quality of the final blend. The engineering design of the waste oil tank proved to be a critical component in maintaining the quality of waste oil and featured a range of product integrity and safety features including:

1. The installation of a floating suction arm to the waste oil tank to ensure only quality waste oil is transferred into the final mix
2. The installation of meters to monitor waste oil and final mix levels
   Installation of high level alarms to prevent overfilling of the waste oil tank
3. Ongoing testing of the final blend to ensure the correct concentrations and to ensure minimum water contamination to the final blend