Electrostatic discharges, especially in zinc- and ash-free oils, can cause scorching and holes in filter elements and give rise to accelerated oil ageing, formation of oil sludge, explosions in the tank and breakdowns in electronic systems and measuring instruments. The physical phenomenon responsible is the shearing of charge carriers at the filter surface. If the oil is not conductive, the charge carriers can no longer be equalised. The voltage increases until the breakdown voltage is reached and discharges occur. In applications at low conductivity (< 500 pS/m), voltage surges up to several kV can occur, resulting in the above-mentioned damage to filters and oil in the system.
In a typical example, the charging of a conventional, non-optimised filter element used with a low conductivity oil (132 pS/m) caused voltage peaks of 30 000 V, resulting in discharge sparking in the tank. The presence of the aerosol mixture in the tank led to explosions, which damaged the breather filter.
HYDAC’s Stat-Free element technology prevents this kind of damage, with all its resulting problems. It guarantees safe operation of the system, irrespective of the conductivity of the oil, and contributes significantly to the functional safety of hydraulic and lubrication systems.
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