Two generators that failed during a March 28 inspection at the world's largest drainage pump station passed tests this week to determine whether problems that caused the shutdown had been corrected. Contaminated diesel fuel and loosened bolts and compression plugs are suspected in the equipment failure at the $1 billion West Closure Complex.
Engineers think algae in the diesel fuel obstructed the generators' injectors. The growth also was located in three of six fuel tanks.
Rene Poche, a spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers, said the complex's four generators were evaluated Wednesday and Thursday. No operational problems were reported, he said.
The emergency work at the massive structure, at the junction of the Harvey and Algiers canals, wraps up just weeks before the start of the 2014 hurricane season. With 11 pumps powered by 5,000-horsepower diesel engines and the world's largest sector gate, the complex is designed to block storm surge from threatening thousands of West Bank homes and businesses. It was put into service in 2012.
Consultant Danny Caluda told members of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West this week that Clean Fuel Inc. had completed a high-velocity cleaning of the fuel distribution system. He also recommended additional filtration for the generators.
"They placed a biocide in the tanks to begin killing the biological growth. At the same time, they began stirring up the tanks and vacuuming out the material that was there, flushing the lines,'' he said.
Poche said the work included replacing injectors where necessary and installing extra fuel filters. "Increased fuel sampling is being done to monitor fuel quality,'' he said.
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