New lube oil for GE gas turbines claims to boost efficiency by 15%

ExxonMobil and GE announced the launch of Mobil SHC 918 EE gas turbine oil, a new technology that can improve turbine bearing efficiency by up to 15% compared to conventional ISO VG 32 turbine oils.

Designed for use in multi-shaft 7HA, 9HA, 6FA.01 and 7FA GE gas turbines, the turbine oil is designed to help power plant operators reduce production costs and deliver on sustainability goals through lowered carbon dioxide emissions.

GE and ExxonMobil collaborated to develop Mobil SHC 918 EE gas turbine oil through a process that involved three phases:

• GE developed a test rig to simulate turbine bearing surface speeds under varying load conditions to select the optimum turbine oil to provide energy efficiency benefits.
• Mobil SHC 918 EE was then successfully tested in GE’s Test Stand both 7HA and 9HA gas turbines. Performance was monitored by 4000 sensors through a battery of extreme testing conditions, including critical speed startups under a variety of operating conditions.
• GE then field-tested Mobil SHC 918 EE in 6FA & 7FA turbines, running reliably for over two years.