| Piston power


Collaboration between OEMs and lubricant suppliers is key


The case of ExxonMobil and INNIO Egor Geist ExxonMobil


Natural gas is playing an increasingly vital role in satisfying the world’s energy needs and acting as a bridge to low carbon. But using natural gas to generate reliable power is not without its challenges. Natural-gas-fuelled piston engines often operate in remote locations and extreme climates. Meanwhile, elevated operating temperatures and pressures, compounded by fuel contaminants, make preventative maintenance and effective lubrication even more critical.


Managing these challenges is tough enough when an industry stands still. However, with technology and environmental legislation evolving at speed, it’s vital that OEMs and lubrication companies work in lockstep to help operators reach new heights of equipment reliability and productivity – both for the engines of today and for the dual-fuel or hydrogen-powered engines of tomorrow.


A catalyst for innovation As innovative engines operate at increasing pressures and temperatures, traditional engine oils often suffer, reducing oil drain intervals, uptime and power output. This has driven OEMs to search for advanced lubricants, formulated


A H2 in natural gas pipeline NG+H2 H2 H2


to meet the challenge of today’s high-output engines while facilitating longer oil drain intervals. At ExxonMobil, for example, more than five decades of collaboration with leading OEMs has kept the Mobil Pegasus™ range at the forefront of gas engine oil innovation, extending oil drain intervals while delivering unparalleled anti-wear performance. Oils like these can provide multiple in-use benefits, including reduced maintenance costs, oil consumption and human–machine exposure.1


The power of two


With engine oil performance so integral to power plant reliability, OEMs require long-term lubrication collaborations to work on solutions for cleaner, more powerful, and more efficient engines. ExxonMobil’s co-operation with the Jenbacher team, which began in the 1990s, has deepened over time.


In 2020, we announced a long-term collaboration agreement for INNIO’s Jenbacher2 Type 2, 3, 4, 6 and 9 engines. This has resulted in the co-development of a range of high- performance lubrication solutions that help customers improve their operational reliability, productivity, profitability, and sustainability.1


B local admixing NG H2


Co-engineered for confidence This agreement led to the introduction of our first co-engineered gas engine oil, Jenbacher N Oil 40 – a high-performance, long-life lubricant. The latest operational data from the Jenbacher engine fleet demonstrates this oil’s advanced performance, with more than 8 million hours of operation, and proves its ability to extend oil drain intervals by as much as two times. In an early adopter engine, where the oil has been in use for over 42 000 hours, oil drain intervals of up to 7000 hours have been achieved.3


This technology allows operators to rely on extended oil-condemning limits without compromising the protection of critical engine parts, helping to reduce total life cycle costs by up to 30%.4


Fuelling the future


Our collaboration with INNIO’s Jenbacher team has always been driven by a shared desire to innovate. As the Jenbacher team works on new technologies to empower communities and industries on their way to net-zero, this collaboration has expanded to include solutions for hydrogen engines, enabling future solutions that are available today.


C Pure H2


A-1: Low H2 blending


no upgrade required <5%v H2


A-2: Medium H2 blending


minor upgrades required 5-25%v H2


Conventional gas + H2


B-1: Special gas engine


dedicated product design up to ~60%v H2


fuel mixture boosted system H2


 required


existing versions available


existing versions available


Mineral based lubricants New-lubricant development space Above: New-lubricant development space for hydrogen www.modernpowersystems.com | September 2023 | 35


specially released engines


fuel injection system


specially released engines


B-2: Pipeline gas / H2


engine


upgrades required 100% pipeline gas/100% H2


C: H2


engine


upgrades required 100%v H2


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