Question 406Steam Plants - 1st Asst/Chief

The correct answer is A) Lube oil will discharge from the heavy phase discharge port to the sludge tank. If a manually cleaned disk-type centrifugal lube oil purifier does not have sufficient sealing water prior to admitting oil flow to the bowl, the lack of sealing water will prevent the proper operation of the purifier. Without adequate sealing water, the heavier contaminants and impurities in the lube oil will not be separated effectively, and they will be discharged through the heavy phase (sludge) port instead of being retained in the bowl. This can lead to contamination of the purified lube oil. The other answer choices are incorrect because: B) overheating and flashing of the lube oil would not occur due to insufficient sealing water; C) emulsification of the lube oil is not a direct result of this issue; and D) the lack of sealing water would not affect the centrifugal force applied to the lube oil, but rather the separation of contaminants.