Success story: Enhancing power plant performance with superior lubrication 

As a rapidly growing economy, India’s energy demands are many. The country’s power sector is also one of the most diversified in the world, ranging from conventional sources such as coal, oil, hydro, etc., to viable non-conventional sources such as wind, solar, among others. Simultaneously, power plants today are in urgent need of augmenting output and enhancing efficiency to aid the country’s energy transition, and fulfill its dream of energy autonomy. In ensuring improved capacities while attending to concerns of efficiency, the choice of lubrication solution to support equipment performance can make a monumental difference. 

As an industry leader, Mobil™ Lubricants has been working closely with power plant manufacturers to support their equipment performance and provide quality care through dedicated servicing and monitoring. Mobil’s association with Quippo Energy is one such instance of active industry collaboration.

Association with the energy industry

Quippo Energy Pvt. Ltd. is a leading power generation company based out of Delhi. It operates more than 25 gas engines for power generation across multiple sites in India. These engines were being lubricated with a market-general gas engine oil while its servicing and maintenance was being conducted by an in-house team of experts. Despite adequate monitoring, the engines were experiencing high component wear and a short oil drain interval (ODI) of 2,000 hours. This was escalating maintenance and operational costs, reducing profitability for Quippo Energy.

Seeking redressal, Quippo Energy approached Mobil’s Field Engineering Services (FES) team for advice. After conducting thorough studies, Mobil’s FES team recommended the use of Mobil Pegasus™ 1005, a high-performance gas engine oil. Simultaneously, service assistance was recommended through the Mobil ServSM Lubricant Analysis (MSLA) to monitor oil performance and check rate of engine wear. 

As Quippo Energy began using Mobil Pegasus 1005, an optimal drain interval study was also conducted on the gas engine to review performance. The regular oil analysis and inspection indicated that the switch to Mobil Pegasus 1005 had resulted in reduced engine wear by up to 50 percent under similar operating conditions. It also improved safety in the workshop with reduced equipment interaction time of 208 hours. Due to excellent oil retention, ODI too was extended by 50 percent to 3,000 hours, resulting in reduced frequency of oil filter replacement and annual savings of US$ 22,319. Most importantly, the company reduced waste oil disposal by 9,646 litres, resulting in significant reduction in negative environmental fallout – a key concern for power plants today.

Innovation for assured results 

In line with Mobil’s goal of constant innovation, Mobil Pegasus 1005 is the latest addition to the Mobil Pegasus™ pedigree of proven natural gas engine oils with a balanced, durable formulation. Under this series, the Mobil Pegasus 1005 has been designed to provide high output and low emission in four-cycle gas engines with the highest levels of protection while maintaining superior performance in earlier model engines. It has delivered proven performance over the years with a balanced, durable formulation that helps reduce oil consumption and frequent top-ups, improves reliability by controlling deposit formation and helps minimise wear on critical engine components.

Mobil Pegasus 1005 uses high-quality base stocks and advanced additive technology to deliver exceptional oxidation stability, nitration resistance and thermal stability. The product formulation is balanced to provide outstanding anti-wear characteristics that protect heavily loaded valve train components, pistons, liners, bearings, and gear trains while maintaining compatibility with catalytic converter materials. 

Attending to the challenge of reducing negative environmental fallouts in power plant operations, the Mobil Pegasus 1005 is particularly known for its proven keep clean performance. Its detergent-dispersant system controls the formation of carbon and varnish deposits to minimise oil consumption and maintain engine cleanliness even during extended drain intervals. The Mobil  Pegasus 1005 is designed to control deposits in the combustion chamber and on pistons to maximise engine efficiency and reliability. Further, it controls deposits in heat exchangers to maximise heat production. The Mobil Pegasus 1005 also comes with extended oil life and low oil consumption, further contributing to clean performance and reduced environmental fallouts.  

Timely service for maximum care 

Along with its product solutions, Mobil’s service expertise too has earnt customer goodwill for aiding productivity and profitability goals. Mobil’s MSLA programme is dedicated to monitor, review and enhance equipment performance through oil monitoring and analysis. It aids in increasing productivity, reducing unscheduled downtime, improving equipment durability, and lessening lubricant consumption. By taking a proactive, predictive approach to maintenance, MSLA helps companies become safer, more productive, and more aware of environmental care practices. 

With the combination of superior formulation under Mobil Pegasus 1005 and quality service maintenance of MSLA, Mobil has delivered safety and increased productivity. Most importantly, it has attended to concerns of environmental care through reduced oil waste disposal and long lubricant and equipment life.

For more information, please visit https://www.mobil.co.in/enin/business/energy

(Exxon Mobil Corporation has numerous affiliates, many with names that include ExxonMobil, Exxon, Esso and Mobil. For convenience and simplicity, those terms and references to “corporation”, “company”, “ExxonMobil”, “EM”, and other similar terms are used for convenience and may refer to one or more specific affiliates or affiliate groups.)

Mobil SHCTM Gear Series

The Mobil SHC™ Gear Series is a line of exceptional performance, synthetic industrial gear oils designed to provide outstanding protection to gears and bearings and extended oil life even under extreme conditions, further enabling problem-free operation of equipment and increased customer productivity. These scientifically engineered synthetic lubricants are formulated from synthetic base fluids that have exceptional oxidation and thermal properties and excellent low temperature fluidity. The high viscosity index of these oils minimises change in viscosity relative to temperature, enabling wider operating temperature range and improved low temperature startup. 

Mobil SHC Gear Series lubricants contain an advanced additive system designed to provide excellent protection against conventional wear modes such as scuffing as well as a high level of resistance against micropitting fatigue. In addition, compared to conventional gear oil chemistries, it offers the potential for improved lubrication of gearbox rolling element bearings. Mobil SHC Gear Series products offer outstanding rust and corrosion protection relative to conventional gear oils, even in the presence of seawater contamination. 

The Mobil SHC Gear Series lubricants are part of the Mobil SHC line of products that are recognized and appreciated around the world for their innovation and outstanding performance. These synthetic products, pioneered by our research scientists, symbolise the continuing commitment to using advanced technology to provide lubricants with excellent balanced performance.