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Electrical substation at a hydro power plant illustrating turbine lubrication systems used in power generation.

Improved turbine lubrication oil cleanliness in hydro power plant

At the Castaic Power Plant, shared oil systems for governors and turbine shut-off valves required overlapping annual maintenance outages. After installing CJC® Oil Filters, oil cleanliness improved to ISO 9/6/2, maintenance intervals were extended by up to two years, and system downtime was reduced.


Application Snapshot

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Industry:

Power

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Country:

United States

Droplet icon representing the type of oil used in the application.
Oil type:

Turbine lubrication oil, R&O 46

Executive summary

The Castaic Power Plant operates shared oil systems for governors and turbine shut-off valves. Maintenance or cleaning of one system required taking two turbines out of operation. The plant previously carried out annual maintenance on all three oil systems, leading to overlapping outages and complex scheduling.

A CJC® Oil Filter type HDU 27/54 PV with CJC® Filter Inserts type B 27/27 (3-micron filter insert with water and varnish removal) was installed.


Following installation, oil cleanliness improved significantly, reaching ISO 9/6/2 as verified by the CJC® Particle Counter. Maintenance intervals were extended by up to two years, downtime was reduced, sludge removal from the reservoir was eliminated, and equipment lifespan was prolonged. After more than two years of operation, the plant continues to see excellent results.

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Gear with checkmark icon representing longer intervals between oil maintenance services.

Extended maintenance intervals

Intervals between oil maintenance outages were extended by up to two years.

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Reduced downtime and maintenance frequency

Servicing is now limited to one shared oil system per year instead of all three, reducing overlapping outages.

Droplet icon representing improved oil cleanliness levels according to ISO standards.

ISO cleanliness improved to 9/6/2

Oil cleanliness improved from ISO 16/14/11 (before filtration) to ISO 9/6/2.

Circular arrow icon around a droplet representing longer service life of hydraulic components through cleaner oil.

Extended component lifetime

Prolonged hydraulic component lifetime contributes to reduced resource consumption and waste.

Technicians wearing safety helmets and high-visibility vests inspecting an industrial oil filtration unit.

Client brief

The Los Angeles Department of Water & Power operates the Castaic Power Plant, a pumped storage hydroelectric facility with six 250 MW Francis hydro turbines. The shared lubrication systems serve both the governors and turbine shut-off valves for Units 1 and 2.

Engineer holding two oil sample bottles comparing contaminated and cleaner turbine oil.

Challenge

Because the governors and turbine shut-off valves share oil systems, maintenance of one system required shutting down two turbines. The plant performed annual maintenance on all three oil systems, resulting in overlapping outages and complex scheduling.

Industrial oil filtration system installed in a power plant turbine lubrication room.

Solution

A CJC® Oil Filter type HDU 27/54 PV with B 27/27 3-micron filter inserts was installed. The filter removes particles, water, and varnish from the turbine lubrication oil.

Oil particle counter displaying ISO cleanliness code 9/6/2 during oil condition monitoring.

Measured oil condition development

Oil cleanliness before filtration was recorded at ISO 16/14/11 on 13.01.2022. After installation of the CJC® Oil Filter on 11.08.2023, cleanliness measured ISO 17/14/9. On 15.10.2024, oil cleanliness reached ISO 9/6/2.


The CJC® Particle Counter verified the ISO 9/6/2 cleanliness level, indicating extremely clean oil.

Results and operational impact

With the implementation of the CJC® Oil Filter, maintenance intervals were extended by servicing only one shared oil system per year instead of all three. This reduced downtime and eliminated sludge removal from the reservoir.

Enhanced oil cleanliness has prolonged the service life of hydraulic components and systems. After more than two years of operation, the power plant continues to achieve excellent results.





“Installation of the C.C.JENSEN’s oil filtration units has had a significant positive impact on our operations at Castaic Power Plant. These units have allowed us to extend the interval between shared oil maintenance outages by up to two years, while maintaining optimal oil cleanliness and prolonging the lifetime of our hydraulic systems.”

-Senior Electrical Mechanic Supervisor & Maintenance Manager, Mr. Stutts

Table showing oil cleanliness improvement before filtration and after installation of a CJC® Oil Filter.

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