Basic Principals

of Kidney Loop
Filtering
Index

Overview
1. - Kidney loop filtration
2. - Filtering Time -- How long should you schedule?
3. - Recommended System Operating Levels
4. - System Intervention
5. - What Intervention is appropriate?
6. - Kidney Loop Filter Cart Application
 Oil viscosity (relating to oil temperature and weight)
 Oil movement (GPM) through the filter
 Amount of oil to be filtered
 Kidney loop vs. full flow filtration
 Filter media size
 Filtering time
 System contamination (mixing in the oil)
7. – Vehicle Guideline Coverage for Filtration Procedures
Overview
Off-line filtering procedures for machine fluid systems are often complicated. A
prior knowledge of filtering basics will help ensure the desired outcome. Passing
oil through a filter is only one step to managing the total system cleanliness.
Successful results are obtained when a holistic approach to the system
management is applied. Issues covered in this article relate directly to off-line
filtering procedures. The following information should be applied when filtering
machine fluid systems.

1. - Kidney loop filtration

Is a process where a certain amount of fluid is removed from a system, filtered,
and then returned to the system. This is different than full flow filtration, which
is common in machine return filter applications.
In a kidney loop filtration process, oil is removed from the system, filtered, and
then returned to the "now dirtier" system for circulation. The contamination level
of the whole system is reduced slightly during each pass of the Kidney-loop
oil. The total contamination level will decrease steadily over time. Kidney loop
filtration is a slow process; however, it is less costly than oil changes and the
resulting labor or other types of system cleanup.
Kidney loop filtration is a process where a certain amount of fluid is removed
from a system, filtered, and then returned to the system. This is different than full
flow filtration, which is common in machine return filter applications. In a kidney
loop filtration process:
 Oil is removed from the system
 Filtered
 Returned to the ‘now dirtier’ system for circulation.
The contamination level of the whole system is reduced slightly during each pass
of the kidney-looped oil. The total contamination level will decrease steadily, over
time. Kidney loop filtration is a slow process. However, it is less costly than oil
changes and the resulting labor or other types of system clean up. The kidney
loop filtration process can be implemented during a scheduled PM interval or
after a catastrophic component failure. It is in addition to your normal
maintenance procedures.
2. - Filtering Time -- How long should you schedule?
S.O.S sampling is the best method of determining the system contamination
level. On site S.O.S information will guide you with this decision. When the
contamination level has been lowered to the recommended ISO target,
discontinue the filtering process. On site S.O.S information can easily be
obtained using a Caterpillar Portable Particle Counter. Information on the use of
a Portable Particle Counter during kidney loop filtering is located in the various
machine system guidelines.
A time measurement is another method of determining the proper system filtering
duration. This is a very general method but can provide some guidance when a
Portable Particle Counter is not available. The following rules are used to
determine the length of time required to properly filter a fluid compartment:
1. The filtering system must pass each fluid unit of compartment oil through the
kidney loop filter. To accomplish this, the filter unit must move 7 times the
compartment fluid capacity through the filter. This is due to the mixing mechanics
and dead compartment areas.
Example: If a tank has a capacity of 10 gallons, the filter unit must move 70
gallons of oil through the filter one time.
2. To clean and lower the system contamination to a level determined by the filter
media, all filtered oil must pass through the filter media 5 times.
Example: A system is being filtered through a 10um filter. Due to the filter media
efficiency, all oil needs to pass through the filter media 5 times. This improves the
filter media efficiency by filtering a higher percentage of the particles the media
was designed to remove.
Filtering time can be summarized in the following example. System capacity is 30
gallons.
7 X 30 gallons = 210 gallons
(to pass all of the oil through the filter, one time)
5 X 210 gallons = 1050 gallons
(To properly filter the particles out of the oil down to the rated size of the filter
media)
A Kidney Loop filter cart capacity is rated at 15 gallons per minute. The filter cart
must operate for 70 minutes (1050/15 = 70) to achieve our filtering goal.
Remember, using this time formula is not exact. To verify the final fluid
cleanliness, approved methods must be used.
The filter unit capacity must be properly selected to move the required amount of
oil (1050 gallons) through the filter in the targeted time frame. Other parameters
for filter cart operation and efficiency will be discussed later in this article. Vehicle
specific filtration time instructions are located in the various Caterpillar Filtering
Guidelines.

3. - Recommended System Operating Levels

Caterpillar Machine operating cleanliness levels do not dictate an allowed level of
system contamination. They are guidelines to help the dealer and customer
manage the machine system health for the life of the product. They are not
specifications but are the maximum contamination ‘operating levels'
recommended by Caterpillar. Operating the machine systems at or below these
contamination levels will help achieve the engineered life of the system
components. A system management strategy would be difficult to implement
without these guidelines. Based on historic SOS data, component life is directly
related to proper fluid health and cleanliness management. Contamination
Control procedures such as utilizing high efficiency filters or off-board (kidney
loop) filtration procedures will reduce or eliminate the contamination related
failures so often seen in poorly maintained vehicles. Older machines, whose
system filtration is not adequate to achieve the new recommended cleanliness
levels, will be covered in a separate document. The engineered life of any
component is attainable by eliminating wear and contamination related failures.

4. - System Intervention
When should fluid filtration be implemented? When should action be taken on a
contaminated system? Refer to When to Filter Machine Systems.
Following are several symptoms or signs indicating possible system intervention
are required:
 opening any hydraulic system for repair or service
 Poor maintenance practices
 Leaks
 System overheating
 Poor system efficiency
 Normal wear
 SOS analysis indicates high contamination levels for any
reason
5. - What Intervention is appropriate?
There are several methods to consider when addressing system contamination.
 Customer Education
 High Efficiency Filters
 Kidney Loop Filtration
 Oil Changes
 Complete System Flushing
Any of the above measures may be appropriate for a given system contamination
level and condition. Incorporation the required intervention level as required.
NOTICE: After a Catastrophic component failure of any kind, the complete fluid
system MUST be thoroughly cleaned. Kidney Loop Filtration as the first or only
system cleaning procedure is not an option. Manual cleaning may include some
or all of the following steps:
 Flushing all system lines (hose cleaner gp.)
 Major component tear down and cleaning or exchange
 Steam cleaning large housings or tanks
 Complete oil replacement
Caterpillar filter carts are NOT designed nor intended to completely clean a
catastrophic system failure without the proper degree of manual cleaning
intervention.
The service provider must determine the final proper intervention measures.
They are the ones closest to the machine operation and history.

6. - Kidney Loop Filter Cart Application

A select line of filter carts supports the Caterpillar kidney loop filtering strategy.
Caterpillar filtration carts are designed to reduce elevated levels of contamination
in the oil. The filtering efficiency of any filter cart is determined by many things:
• Oil viscosity (relating to oil temperature and weight)
 Viscosity plays a large part in determining how fast the oil will
flow through the filter and filtering unit.
 Oil viscosity determines the contaminant mixing or lack thereof
in the compartment oil. It also relates to the next item...GPM.
• Oil movement (GPM) through the filter
How much oil is actually passed through the filter? This can vary due to the:
 viscosity
 filtering unit air pressure
 filter unit plumbing
 filter media size
 filter media dirt saturation
 filter bypass condition
All Caterpillar filter unit capacities are rated with 10W oil at 70 deg. F. If moving
oils with different viscosity ratings than the parameters above, the rated oil
movement or filtering capacity of the filter unit will change proportionately.

• Amount of oil to be filtered

100% of the system oil is not located in the reservoir. 30-40% of the system fluid
capacity can be lying in the system piping and components. The system must be
exercised to exchange the dirty oil with the clean oil in the reservoir or
compartment where it can then be filtered.
• Kidney loop vs. full flow filtration
 Kidney Loop filtration has continuous mixing of the clean and
dirty oil. Oil in sheltered parts of a compartment may not
properly mix with the returning clean oil. It may require longer
filtering times for this sheltered oil to mix and then pass
through the filter unit. Use the proper equation in the "How
long should you schedule to filter a given system?" section
above. Remember, if the contaminated oil never reaches the
cart filter media, it will never be cleaned.
 Full Flow filtration would seem to be fast and easy but if the
system is an Open Loop System, the resulting filtration is still a
kidney loop operation. Oil flows from the tank, through the
pump and out to the filter. Eventually the oil is returned back to
the tank resulting in a kidney loop type of mixing operation.
 Single pass filtering is never an absolute or efficient means of
filtering. Multi- Pass filtration is a better type of filter process to
reach your filtration goal.
• Filter media size
 Filter media has rated efficiencies for different sizes of
contaminants. A 10- micron (um) absolute filter will take out
most 10um and larger particles and a decreasing percentage
as the particle sizes go down. A 5um absolute filter will take
out most of the 5um and larger particles and a decreasing
percentage as the particle sizes go down from there. In other
words, a 10 micron absolute filter will only remove a certain
percentage of a given particle size. The oil contamination level
will eventually stabilize for a given filter media. Additional
filtering from that point would NOT be of value nor
economically feasible unless a smaller micron filter media is
(5um?) used. See the chart below:

•Filteri ng time

 Filtering time is determined by all of the above conditions but

can generally be based on the oil flow through the filter media.
However, the filtering time will always be dependent on the
specific situation including many variables. A portable particle
counter is the best measurement tool when checking the final
contaminant level.

• System contamination (mixing in the oil)

  System contamination can only be thoroughly mixed by
exercising the machine and system components. By
exercising the machine system, the oil is warmed, viscosity is
lowered, and contaminant mixing takes place at a higher rate.
More importantly, when contamination is mixed and placed
into suspension, it will be carried to the filter cart. Remember, if
the contamination does not get to the filter unit, the filter unit
cannot do its job!
The above information provides the basic filtration principals required to properly
perform a system “kidney loop” filtering procedure and troubleshoot its results.

7. – Vehicle Guideline Coverage for Filtration Procedures