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Close-up of large steam turbine gears illustrating lubrication systems and water removal in turbine lube oil.

Steam turbine lube oil water removal with PTU3 27/108

Continuous water ingress in steam turbine lube oil systems required frequent drainage due to inefficient centrifuge operation. Installation of a CJC® PTU3 27/108 Filter Separator significantly reduced water content and improved oil cleanliness, while delivering financial benefits compared to centrifuge service costs.


Application Snapshot

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Industry:

Power

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Country:

Saudi Arabia

Oil droplet icon representing oil type or lubrication fluid.
Oil type:

Steam turbine lubricating oil (lube oil)

Executive summary

Continuous water ingress in steam turbine lube oil systems resulted in weekly water drainage due to inefficient centrifuge operation. The root causes included gland shaft seal leakage and poor centrifuge performance.


Oil contamination with free water caused increased shutdowns and maintenance hours. Oil samples showed a cleanliness level of NAS 12 at the lube oil system outlet tank.


A fixed installation of a CJC® Filter Separator PTU3 3×27/108 was implemented, running continuously at 3,100 litres per hour with 12 × BLAT 27/27 filter inserts.

Following installation, the system separated free water and cleaned oil degradation products. Water content was reduced from >25,000 ppm to 219 ppm within one month in one installation and reached almost 0% water level with NAS 7 after one week in another installation.


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Significant water reduction

Water content was reduced from >25,000 ppm to 219 ppm within one month, and nearly 0% water level was reached after one week in another installation.

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Lower cost compared to centrifuge operation

The PTU3 27/108 provided financial benefits compared to annual centrifuge separator service costs.

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Reduced shutdowns and maintenance

Continuous removal of free water improved system stability and reduced maintenance hours.

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High separation and dirt holding capacity

Approximately 9,000 litres of water were discharged over a 10-week period (~5.6 litres per day).

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Client brief

VPI Immingham and SEC – Qurayyah Steam & QCC2 Power Plant operate steam turbines from GE and Mitsubishi with large-capacity main lubrication systems. The systems include lube oil tanks with volumes of 27,500 litres and 45,000 litres.

Contaminated industrial equipment and components affected by water ingress in turbine lubrication systems.

Challenge

Continuous water ingress due to seal breaks and other causes contaminated the lube oil system with free water. The centrifuge separator was not able to efficiently remove the water, requiring weekly drainage. The contamination resulted in high pressure in the system, heavy load, increased shutdowns, and higher maintenance hours. Oil analysis showed NAS 12 cleanliness at the outlet tank.

CJC® PTU water removal filtration system installed in a steam turbine lubrication plant.

Solution

A CJC® Filter Separator PTU3 3×27/108 was installed as a fixed installation, operating continuously at 3,100 litres per hour with 12 BLAT 27/27 filter inserts. The system manages water ingress and filters contaminants from the oil.

Two oil samples in bottles comparing clean turbine oil and water-contaminated oil.

Measured oil condition development

Within one month of operation, water content was reduced from more than 25,000 ppm to 219 ppm. Over a 10-week period, the unit discharged approximately 90,000 times, corresponding to a total of 9,000 litres of water, or approximately 5.6 litres per day.

In the Qurayyah Steam Power Plant installation (October 2024, and March 2025 at QCC2), the system separated all free water and cleaned oil degradation products. After one week of operation, the water level was almost 0% and oil cleanliness improved from NAS 12 to NAS 7.

Results and operational impact

The installation of the CJC® PTU3 27/108 effectively managed water ingress and improved oil cleanliness. Water separation performance was maintained during continuous operation, and filter elements were replaced after six months.


The solution reduced the dependency on centrifuge operation and provided financial benefits compared to annual centrifuge service costs.









"Satisfied with the results in terms of water separation and dirt holding capacity. Filters were replaced after six months of continuous operation."

-Client's comments



Digital display on CJC® filtration unit showing operating hours and discharge count during operation.

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