What is The Role of Self Cleaning Filter in Pumped Storage Power Plant

JX Filtration December 24, 2025 Self Cleaning Filter

The Role of Self-Cleaning Filter in Pumped Storage Power Plants

In pumped storage power plants, water is pumped from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir during off-peak periods to store energy, and released through turbines to generate electricity during peak demand.

The entire system operates under high load, long cycles, and frequent start-stop conditions, placing strict requirements on water quality. Self-cleaning filters therefore play a critical role in water quality assurance and equipment protection.

1. Water Quality Risks and Potential Hazards

In circulating water, cooling water, lubricating oil cooling systems, and related auxiliary systems, the presence of the following impurities may occur:

silt and sand
metallic oxides
microorganisms and organic particles
mechanical debris

When particle size is ≥ 50 μm, it may result in:

wear of turbine runners and guide vanes
damage to bearings and sealing components
blockage of valves, nozzles, and pipelines
reduced heat-exchange efficiency in cooling systems

→ ultimately leading to reduced unit efficiency, shorter maintenance intervals, and increased operational risk

2. Pain Points of Traditional Filtration

Traditional filtration equipment is mainly manual or semi-automatic and presents the following issues:

requires shutdown for cleaning → affects continuous dispatch capability
heavy manual labor for cleaning
low cleaning efficiency
cannot respond effectively to sudden increases in contaminants (e.g., post-rainfall sediment surge)
does not meet the needs of unattended or minimally staffed power stations

This is inconsistent with the high reliability and high automation requirements of pumped storage power stations.

3. Core Functions of Self-Cleaning Filters

Self-cleaning filters offer the following characteristics:

automatic online backwashing
continuous operation without shutdown
multiple control modes: differential pressure / time / manual
strong adaptability to high-sediment and fluctuating water quality
long maintenance intervals with minimal manual intervention

Therefore, in the pumped storage industry, self-cleaning filters primarily serve as:

✓ critical protection devices for turbines, bearings, and coolers
✓ front-end barrier for circulating and cooling water systems
✓ anti-blockage protection for pipelines and valves
✓ an essential element ensuring long-term, stable operation

4. Typical Application Points

Self-cleaning filters are commonly used in:

circulating cooling water systems
unit sealing and cooling water
hydraulic oil cooling water systems
HVAC and fire-fighting make-up water
ecological make-up water and bypass treatment systems

In summary:

👉 In pumped storage power plants, self-cleaning filters function as both the “shield of the equipment” and the “purification gateway of the system.”