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[Plant Production Engineer]

Q1- Why the size of Nitrogen gas filter is kept at 3 micron for compressor seals?

Q2- Lube oil filter size is kept at 10 micron for turbo compressor bearings, why?

[LRS]

It will be to protect against solid contaminants that could block small gaps and passages. When a solid contaminant is about the size of the passage or gap it is passing through there is a greatly increased chance that it will jam against the walls and block the flow. Most solid contaminants are irregularly shaped. If as an irregularly shaped contaminant flows through a passage or gap it slips, rotates and rolls, then there is a possibility that because of its odd shape it turns into an orientation to become just the right size plug to block the passage or gap.

It does not mean that all passages and gaps will be block just because solid particles are present. But the situation is probabilistic and eventually it happens to someone somewhere on a random basis. Hence the right beta value for filters are critical if you want to remove particles of a certain size.