Development of an Environmentally Acceptable Hydraulic Fluid
- Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States)
- Artesion, Inc., Tacoma, WA (United States)
Hydroelectric plants operators like the United States Army Corps of Engineers seek their traditional petroleum-based fluids with environmentally acceptable hydraulic fluids (EAHF) to reduce their impact and liability related to spills and leakages to the water and environment. Artesion, Inc. and its sub-contractor Washington State University (WSU) sought to optimize WSU’s existing EAHF blend into an improved product that would demonstrate long-term stability while meeting the EAHF requirements of the EPA’s Vessel General Permit (VGP). Multiple rounds of Design of Experiments testing were performed from WSU’s base formulation, modifying mixing ratios to generate multiple test fluids. These fluids were then tested for hydraulic fluid properties. It was found that there was a significant tradeoff between oxidative stability and biodegradability; highly stable materials were not sufficiently biodegradable, while the highly biodegradable materials quickly failed in stability tests. After four rounds of Design of Experiments, AI and WSU had found a base fluid which met the VGP, but only had a Rotating Pressure Vessel Oxidative Test (RPVOT) of 284-minute RPVOT stability, far short of the 500-minute target that would be needed for hydroelectric plants. It was determined that WSU’s route had shown initial promise but needed more refinement to be able to produce an acceptable EAHF.
- Research Organization:
- Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States); Artesion, Inc., Tacoma, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- DOE Contract Number:
- SC0018898
- OSTI ID:
- 1542191
- Report Number(s):
- AIWSU-00001
- Resource Relation:
- Related Information: N/A
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
North Dakota Integrated Carbon Storage Complex Feasibility Study. Final report
Fukushima Nuclear Crisis Recovery: A Modular Water Treatment System Deployed in Seven Weeks - 12489