Scientific & Technical Report

The Essential Guide to Oil Filter

Performance Testing Standards
Ramraj Venkatadri, Ph. D
Global Marketing Manager, Pall Corporation
Mark Brayden
R&D Fellow, The Dow Chemical Company

AIChE Paper Number: 145b

Prepared for Presentation at the
2015 AIChE /EPC Spring National Meeting
Austin, TX, April 26-30, 2015
AIChE and the EPC shall not be responsible for statements
or opinions contained in papers or printed in its publications.
 Evaluating Filter Performance?
Always Use a Recognized Protocol

Filter users depend on national and evaluation, and has served as the
international standards for the testing of primary filter test standard since 1999
fluid filters for a certain level of quality but things could be improved….
and performance and for comparison of
SAE ARP4205 — Aerospace Fluid
performance claims from different filter Power — Hydraulic Filter Elements —
manufacturers. Without a standard test Method for Evaluating Dynamic
method each manufacturer would be left Efficiency with Cyclic Flow:
to their own methodology and Some real life filter applications are
convenience to evaluate and rate filters tougher than others. Most hydraulic
systems exhibit cyclic flow conditions
The role of standards organizations is to that can have an impact on filter
provide the industry with a level playing performance that a lab test under the
field where product performance can be ISO 16889 procedure could not
assessed, replicated and communicated reproduce, nor predict. Faced with the
in a reliable and consistent manner. need to better simulate these tough
Following is a comparison between a dynamic operating conditions, the A-
few filter testing procedures, some 6C1 committee of SAE on
internationally recognized, some not: Contamination & Filtration reviewed
numerous proposals by industry
ISO 16889:2008 Hydraulic fluid power experts.
— Filters — Multi-pass method for
evaluating filtration performance of a After a long process of discussion,
filter element: testing, evaluation, and verification, the
This is the most widely recognized test committee approved a test method in
for evaluating the performance of December 2005, the SAE ARP4205
hydraulic and lubrication filters since procedure.
1999. It improved and replaced ISO
4572 that was in use since 1981. Often This test cycles flow for 5 seconds at the
referred to as the “Multi-pass Test”, this full flow and 5 seconds at 25% of the full
test standardizes measurement of flow rate – thus cycling at the rate of 0.1
efficiency (the Beta Ratio) as well as Hz. The SAE ARP4205 procedure
flow resistance, contamination loading includes a specific detailed method for
characteristics, etc. The test is validation of the test stand and the
performed under steady state flow ability of the stand to accurately
condition with injection of a standardized measure the contamination levels. The
contaminant. Particle counts are method uses ISO Fine Test Dust as the
monitored on-line as the filter is loaded test contaminant.
with test contaminant (ISO Medium Test
Dust). This test procedure was a major Under the SAE ARP4205 test
step in the standardization, clarity, and conditions, similarly rated filters as per
communication of filter performance the testing under ISO16889, showed
very different performance, illustrating installations around the world were
the need for cyclic tests to better predict equipped with CST rated filters.
real life behavior of filter elements under
cyclic flow conditions. Pall SRT filters demonstrated superior
performance both in lab and real life
Table I below shows the SAE ARP4205 measurements of fluid cleanliness,
test results for similarly rated (5µm(C) per validating the CST test as a consistent
ISO 16889) from eight different and reliable predictor of actual filter
manufacturers. The results are shown performance in tough conditions. In fact,
as fluid cleanliness levels, per ISO it was actually the CST procedure that
4406, downstream of the test filters, was proposed to the SAE A-6C1
giving the users a recognizable committee by Pall and was later
performance criterion. The oil adopted with a few minor modifications
cleanliness based on the actual as the SAE ARP4205 procedure in
stabilized particle counts downstream of 2005.
the filters at 80% net pressure drop,
which is near the end of the filter service Despite claims to the contrary, today
life, clearly illustrate that filter from there are a number of independent
manufacturer 1 maintained the best fluid laboratories all over the world that can
cleanliness, and therefore will provide run filter performance tests under cyclic
the greatest protection to the system. flow conditions per the SAE ARP4205 to
This represents a clear differentiation provide a true, unbiased, and
among filters with similar micron rating reproducible assessment of a filter.
per the Multi-pass test.
Dynamic Filter Efficiency (DFE) test –
Hy-Pro’s internal testing procedure:
The DFE test used by Hy-Pro was
originally a contender in the selection
process of the SAE AC6-1 Committee
on Contamination and Filtration.
Because it was rejected by the
committee in favor of the Pall CST
proposal, the DFE test is not a SAE
standard procedure, and cannot be
Table 1 – Test results per SAE ARP4205 for replicated under the strict guidelines of
similarly rated filters from eight manufacturers. SAE, nor any other standards body.
There are a number of fundamental
Pall Cyclic Stabilization Test (CST): differences between the CST and the
Over 15 years ago, Pall developed a DFE procedures - most prominently the
test procedure to qualify a new line of DFE cycles the flow at full rate for 3
filters designed specifically to sustain minutes and at 50% of the full flow for 3
very tough operating conditions. Pall’s minutes, thus cycling at the rate of
“Stress resistant Technology – (SRT)” 0.0028 Hz compared to 0.1 Hz for the
filters were developed using the Pall Pall CST test – which makes the DFE
Cyclic Stabilization Test (CST) at the cycle rate 36 times slower. The rate of
time. Within a few years, thousands of change of the flow rate (the speed at
which flow rate changes from one value Conclusion:
to the other) is not published for the The ability of a filter to sustain tough
DFE test. It is impossible to know if the operating conditions and still provide
filter is subjected to rapid change in flow excellent fluid cleanliness is paramount
rate, or a slow rise. In the CST to protect modern machinery.
procedure, flow changes happen within
0.1 to 0.2 seconds. In addition, the Hy- International standards bodies like SAE
Pro DFE literature does not discuss and ISO have worked hard and
important test parameters such as initial diligently to develop testing procedures
contamination level for filter test or the that would simulate real life conditions.
injection system and the base upstream Today SAE ARP4205, and – in the
gravimetric level. The SAE ARP4205 future, the ISO 23369, are designed to
procedure includes a specific detailed provide an unbiased, repeatable and
method for validation of the test stand equitable evaluation of filter
and the ability of the stand to accurately performance.
measure the contamination levels.
There was no such validation procedure Filter users should therefore seek out
for the DFE test when proposed to SAE. test data based on these industry-
The “DFE Rating” Hy-Pro uses for its proven, peer reviewed and committee
filters is somewhat analogous to the sanctioned test methods. Relying on
“nominal” filter rating in the sense that non-standard procedures invalidates
only the filter manufacturer assigning any meaningful comparison between
the nominal rating knows what it means filters. It can ultimately place critical
and it is different from one manufacturer machines at risk if the filters designed to
to the other. protect them have not been evaluated
and shown to perform in accordance
ISO 23369 — Hydraulic fluid power — with the tough conditions of an industry
Multi-pass method of evaluating recognized test standard.
filtration performance of a filter
element under cyclic flow conditions:
It should be noted that there is another
cyclic flow test procedure under
development by ISO under the
designation ISO 23369. This procedure
recognizes the need for rapid flow
cycling and specifies a cycle rate of 0.1
Hz with the flow change taking place
within 0.1 to 0.2 seconds, the same as
SAE ARP4205. This shows the wider
recognition and applicability of the SAE
ARP4205 procedure as the standard to
adequately measure, and compare, filter
performance under cyclic flow
conditions.
References:

1) DFE…The Evolution in Filter Element Multi-Pass Development Testing – Hy-Pro’s

Competitive Advantage. Retrieved (November 11, 2013) from:
https://www.hyprofiltration.com/clientuploads/directory/Knowledge/PDFs/DFE.pdf

2) Scientific & Technical Report - The Cyclic Stabilization Test (CST). Retrieved
(November 11, 2013) from:
http://www.pall.com/pdfs/Fuels-and-Chemicals/PME_SRT-Tech-A.pdf

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