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Tannas
Foam Air Bath

TFAB™

Training Guide
 Introduction
Tendency of oils to foam can cause inadequate lubrication, cavitation, and overflow
loss of lubricant, resulting in mechanical failure.

Additives have been developed to reduce the amount of foam, and this foam test is a
gauge to determine the effectiveness of the additive.
 Test Methods

ASTM D892 Foaming Characteristics of Lubricating Oils

●

●
Sequence I, II, III

ASTM D6082 High Temperature Foaming Characteristics of Lubricating Oils

●

●
Sequence IV

IP 146
Chinese GB/T12579

Chinese SH/T0722
 TFAB Overview - Front
™

Air Supply Tube

Diffuser Tube

HMI Touchscreen

Glass Cylinders Main Power Switch

Storage & Drying Rack

Viewing Window
Swivel Screw Feet
 TFAB Overview - Back
™

Air Inlet

Fuses
Cooling Inlet *
Power Receptacle
Cooling Outlet *

* Used to connect to external chiller or tap water

 TFAB ™

Overview
Inside Front Panel
 TFAB Overview
™

Rear Internal Components

Fuse Block
Direct Drive Motor

Air Valve

Blower

Cooling Valve
 TFAB ™

Overview
Touchscreen
Controller
 TFAB™ Safety Features
Fuses Air Pressure Relief Over-Temp Cutout
- 2 main power - Relieves Pressure on both air lines at
- Fuse bank 125 PSI - Turns off power to the heater
 Calibrations

Thermo- Air Leak

couple Flow Check

Thermocouple Air Flow Calibration Air Flow Leak Check

Calibration - 150°C Set air flow to ~200mL/min.
(Depending on Sequence I, II, or IV)
 Pinch either air supply – ensure
 rotameter bead drops to 0.
Use a Mass Flow Meter 
Use external heating block
or bath to calibrate
Exit Air Flow Check
Air Flow Rotameters Set air flow to ~200mL/min.
Use certified thermometric Measure flow rate through device for 5
device min (±3 seconds).
Total volume ~ 5 times mean value
Thermocouple Calibration

Recommended Annual Calibration

 Thermocouple Calibration
Adjust the Calibration Offset so that
TFAB T/C matches the external calibrated T/C.
Air Flow Leak Check
 Air Flow Calibration
Calibrate the rotameters @ 200 mL/min (Sequence IV)
and 94 mL/min (Sequence I, II, III)
Recommended Annual Calibration
 ●
Place probe into a reference sample

Test Setup – 1
through the straight stainless steel tube
passing through the Rubber Stopper.
18” T/C probe ●
Select desired sequence
Note: T/C must be placed in a sample
that is not being tested. A “dummy”
sample is recommended so that 2 (follow the method)
samples can be tested at once.
 ●
Press buttons one at a
Right & Left Air ●
time.
Wait
Adjust the flow meters to Test Setup – 2
Buttons air flow required for that (follow the method)
sequence.
Right & Left Air ●
After 300 seconds, select
the RIGHT AIR Timer
button Test Setup – 3
Buttons or LEFT AIR button.
(follow the method)
 If testing all six (6) sample
positions, rotate carousel so

Rotate Carousel ●
next two samples are visible.
Move Probe
Connect Air Lines.
Test Setup – 4
●
Select RIGHT AIR or LEFT
AIR button.
(follow the method)
Foam Examples
 Kinetic
Foaming
Kinetic Foaming

Image © ASTM D6082-12, page 2.

 Cooling

Cooling circulation activated by pressing the COOL button. If using a chiller bath it must be turned on and
cooled down PRIOR to testing.

The “Heat” button should be

on during cooling to ensure
the sample stabilizes at the
desired testing temperature.

Tap water or optional chiller

bath may be used.
 Suggested Testing Order
Same Sample (pulled
and cooling while
running Seq. I)

Sequence III
24°C
Sequence I 24°C
94 mL/min
94 mL/min
Sequence II
93.5°C
94 mL/min
Sequence IV
150°C
200 mL/min
 Suggested Testing Order
SEQUENCE IV
Fill a first set of six glass cylinders and perform
Sequence IV at 150 ˚C – dispose of the oil
samples after the test. May preheat samples on
hotplate. Sequence III
24°C
Sequence I 24°C
94 mL/min
94 mL/min
Sequence II
93.5°C
94 mL/min
Sequence IV
150°C
200 mL/min
 Suggested Testing Order
SEQUENCE II
Fill a set of six glass cylinders or the same six
glass cylinders as used in Sequence IV, and
perform Sequence II at 93-94 ˚C. May preheat
on hotplate. Sequence III
24°C
Sequence I 24°C
94 mL/min
94 mL/min
Sequence II
93.5°C
94 mL/min
Sequence IV
150°C
200 mL/min
 Suggested Testing Order
SEQUENCE II
Pull Sequence II test samples from the Carousel, and cool them to room
temperature in a secondary carousel or cooling rack.
Insert an independent Thermocouple in one of the samples to monitor the
temperature. These samples will be used for Sequence III.
Sequence III
24°C
Sequence I 24°C
94 mL/min
94 mL/min
Sequence II
93.5°C
94 mL/min
Sequence IV
150°C
200 mL/min
 Suggested Testing Order
SEQUENCE I
Fill a second set of six glass cylinders and
perform Sequence I at 24 ˚C. Dispose of the
samples after the test.

Sequence III
24°C
Sequence I 24°C
94 mL/min
94 mL/min
Sequence II
93.5°C
94 mL/min
Sequence IV
150°C
200 mL/min
 Suggested Testing Order
Once the temperature of the
Sequence II samples reach 24-25
˚C, remove the independent
Thermocouple.
Sequence III
24°C
Sequence I 24°C
94 mL/min
94 mL/min
Sequence II
93.5°C
94 mL/min
Sequence IV
150°C
200 mL/min
 Suggested Testing Order
SEQUENCE III
Once the samples from Sequence II reach 24˚C,
run Sequence III.

Sequence III
24°C
Sequence I 24°C
94 mL/min
94 mL/min
Sequence II
93.5°C
94 mL/min
Sequence IV
150°C
200 mL/min
Test Completion
NOTE: Thoroug
Ensure hly clean
the unit out each
When and the Glass
testing is glassware Cylinder
have
complete with a
cooled
, turn off down to
hydrocar
the main room bon
power. temperatu solvent to
re before remove
handling the
any items. remainin
g oil.
TFAB - Areas to Watch
™

Cleanliness Timing

Diffuser Stone Permeability Diffuser Stone Pore Size

Moving the T/C

 Diffuser Stone
Verification

Setup for Permeability Setup to test maximum

Measurement test pore size
Additional TFAB Accessory

Optional
Chiller
Bath
 Additional TFAB Accessories

The Right Hand Air Outlet

The Digital Exit Air Meter (DEAM) directly connected to the DEAM
can placed on top of the TFAB unit. Coalescing Filter Inlet.
 New Precision – ASTM D892
D892, Seq. D892, Seq. D892, Seq.
I Tendency II Tendency III Tendency
●
Repeatability ●
Repeatability ●
Repeatability
= 0.7076 * X0.7909 = 0.2119(X + 27) =1.3640 * X0.6872

●
Reproducibility = ●
Reproducibility = ●
Reproducibility =
1.1195 * X0.7909 0.4408(X + 27) 2.6996 * X0.6872
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
Questions?

Thank you!