Proposal for filtration system for biodegradable lubricants in agricultural tractors
¹Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Transport and Handling, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, SK 949 76 Nitra, Slovak Republic
²Slovnaft, a. s., member of MOL Group, Vlčie hrdlo 1, SK 824 12 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
*Correspondence: radoslav.majdan@gmail.com
Abstract:
This paper presents a filtration system for universal tractor transmission oils (UTTO) to eliminate contamination, namely all kinds of particles and water. The aim of the research is the proposal of a universally useful filtration system for increasing the cleanliness level of biodegradable oils. The filtration systems consist of a filter housing with filter element, hoses, quick couplings and a measurement device to set the flow rate and pressure of the filtered oil. A measurement device (CS 1320) was used to monitor the cleanliness level of oil during filtration. The quality of the filtration system was evaluated according to kinematic viscosity at 40 °C, total acid number, concentration of additives (Ca, S and Mg) and content of chemical elements (Fe, Cu, Si, Al, Pb, Ag, Ni and Mn). The filtration system was designed for all tractor types because it can be connected to implement hydraulic circuit by houses and quick couplings. The filtration system was tested in the new type of tractor Zetor Forterra 114 41 after completing 900 engine hours (oil contamination exceeded limits). On the basis of the performed filtration, it can be concluded that this a simple and affordable filtration system reduces the concentration of the most dangerous contamination: iron (Fe) by up to 32.95% and silicium (Si) by up to 22.23%. There was only a slight decrease in the concentration of additives recorded after use of the filtration system. The kinematic viscosity and the total acid number didn’t exceed the prescribed limits.
Key words:
agricultural tractor, ecological oil, lubricants contamination, lubricating properties