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For biological contamination to become established in a oil system, some or all of the following conditions need to exist:
Temperatures in the range 25 to 50 deg C.
Greater than 500 ppm of water in the oil.
Areas of low flow/stagnant conditions.
Oxygen which accelerates growth rates.
Suspended particles that serve as initial colonisation or coalescing sites.
Emulsification of the oil, to facilitate nutrient transport across the cellular boundary.
Recommendations
During long term shutdown, the following precautions should be taken:
Regular operation of the oil systems and oil pumps (typically three times per week) to ensure that oil is circulated,
including through standby oil coolers and filters.
The oil purifier maintained in service throughout the shutdown to maintain water content below 500 ppm.
The oil tank temperature maintained above 50 deg C (by electrical heating in the purifier or other location).
Oil samples taken from various locations in the system on a regular basis (at least every three months) and analysed
for signs of biological contamination.
Water drained from all system low points.
A visual inspection should be made of various locations in the oil system by TV camera and/or selective opening of
flanges on the supply side (particularly downstream of the oil coolers).
If evidence of biological growth is found, further advice should be obtained from Alstom and oil suppliers to ascertain
the exact type and cause of the infestation, and to formulate an action plan to eradicate the infestation. This can be
very time consuming and involve removing the entire oil charge and manually cleaning all accessible surfaces
Care should be taken to avoid cross-contamination of other parts of the station oil systems (e.g. by passing infected oil
through station oil transfer systems).
Recommended precautions to be taken during normal operation to prevent biological contamination of the oil system are:
Regular sampling of the oil and maintenance of oil cleanliness with low ISO particle counts.
Ensure that the water content in the oil does not exceed 500 ppm, preferably below 200 ppm.
Recommended in case a biological contamination of the oil system has been identified:
Alstom has recently worked closely with oil suppliers and Customers and determined that a case-by-case approach is
required, and further advice can be given on this basis. However the above general steps make a good-practice guide
for prevention of, or when presented with this type of contamination.
Should you have any questions regarding this CIB, please contact your Customer Service Manager or Project
Manager, referring to the number and subject of this CIB.