Water condensation is caused by temperature difference in the hydraulic reservoir. Faulty coolers, faulty seals or leakage on the reservoir can cause water ingress. Unfortunately mineral oil based fluids age faster when water is present in the oil whereby the additional presence of catalysically acting particles multiplies the speed of ageing. In an efficient water extraction process the operating fluid is drawn from the oil reservoir by the vacuum in the reactor via the suction strainer and the shut of valve. The oil trickles down slowly and from there is fed back into the oil reservoir by the gear pump via the filter.
Water is removed from the fluid in the reactors.
The vacuum present has the effect of reducing the boiling point of the water. The water vapour is released into the atmosphere or the water reservoir via the vacuum pump. Whereas centrifuges can normally only separate free water, the vacuum extraction principally remove those forms of water in oil. Drying of the liquid in a vacuum also degasefies the lubricating or hydraulic fluid. Thereby the lubricating properties are improved and wear is reduced.