ODB solution

SUSTAINABILITY

ODB cleaning

Oil degradation by bacteria for fluid-filled oil cables

OVERVIEW

Environmentally friendly

Decommissioning of fluid-filled power cables requires special processes in cities and populated areas, where cables are not always easily accessible to dig up or empty effectively via high pressure air discharge.

Prysmian Group Services offer environmentally friendly cleaning using our ODB ® - Oil Degradation by Bacteria System, which is a biotechnological approach to cleaning oil-filled electrical cables.

Using this method, a desired degree of oil discharge can be achieved before cable remediation, for the benefit of the environment.

PROCESS

ODB system

The Oil Degradation by Bacteria (ODB) system is based on a unique blend of environmentally friendly and non-pathogenic class 1. bacteria capable of:

  • seeping into the paper-wrapped core of a cable
  • break down the dielectric oil in a cable
  • produce biodegradable substances in a cable

The ODB solution's technical equipment is based on special injection units that feed liquids into the cable containing bacteria and nutrients (mineral salts) for organic growth.

Thanks to the bioactive substances produced by the bacteria, liquid oil can be extracted from the cable, filtrated and properly disposed of. Cleaning fluid with bacteria can be re-injected into a cable several times to obtain a specific degree of cleaning.

ALL-IN-ONE

Container solution

All equipment for the ODB solution is easily transportable and comes in a pre-assembled container equipped with:

  • concentrated bacteria and mineral salts
  • cable accessories like joints
  • injection equipment where each unit can process 3 cables simultaneously
  • filtration equipment for oil and cleaning fluid
  • storage equipment for oil waste
  • equipment for bacterial growth
  • equipment for the supplementary collection of waste oils
  • heating unit
  • electrical panel
  • light fixture 

The bottom of the container stores several collection trays or sump pallets that can hold 1,000 liters of liquid each. On top of these are various units with liquids described above.

Automated process

The ODB cleaning process requires up to several bacterial injections into the cable. Normally, weekly injections are performed and at the same time all equipment and last week's results are checked, including oil collection and sampling of bacteria for laboratory analysis and so on.

After the bacterial injections have been initiated, they are automatically controlled by a PLC system. In case of problems during injection, the device will automatically stop and an error message will be sent. The results of the ODB oil cable cleaning process follow an exponentially flattening curve, so it can be carefully calculated how long it will require to achieve a specific degree of oil cleaning.