The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line BlueBook

Technical reference booklet – 2017 Edition

A technical reference booklet on catalytic fines, sulphur emission legislation, oil compatibility issues
and how to handle these challenges with modern fuel treatment systems
The Alfa Laval
Adaptive Fuel Line
This publication intends to provide an overview of the
Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line concept, and the rationale
behind why it is being developed. The document
functions as a technical reference booklet for those
interested in understanding the function and relevance
of a specific component, in an introduction to fuel
handling in general, or in how the entire fuel chain can
be designed to improve fuel handling efficiency and
reduce operating costs.
 Inside view

What you need to know about catalytic fines, sulphur emissions

legislation, oil compatibility issues and how to handle these
challenges with modern fuel treatment systems.

Summary 7
1 Marine Bunker Fuels 8
1.1 Marine fuel oils 10
1.1.1 Residual fuel oil 10
1.1.2 Distillates and other liquid fuels 10
1.1.3 Renewable fuels (FAME) 10
1.2 Refining processes 10
1.2.1 Crude oil 10
1.2.2 Atmospheric distillation 11
1.2.3 Vacuum distillation 12
1.2.4 Secondary conversion processes 12
1.3 Cat fines 13
1.3.1 Cat fines units 13
1.3.2 Cat fines composition 13
1.3.3 Cat fines concentration standards 14
1.3.4 Measuring cat fines content 14
1.3.5 Cat fines trends in today’s heavy fuel oil 15
1.4 Basic separation 16
1.4.1 Sizing of separators 16
1.4.2 Maximum recommended capacity vs. certified flow rate 16

2 Fuel Treatment – Engine Performance 17

2.1 Fuel treatment today 17
2.1.1 Standards and recommendations 17
2.1.2 Fuel oil quality and onboard treatment 18
2.1.3 Fuel cleaning equipment 18
2.2 Cat fines and engine performance 19
2.3 Distillate-specific concerns 20

3 Legislative Impact on Ship Operation 21

3.1 The importance of sulphur restrictions 21
3.2 IMO MARPOL Annex VI 21
3.3 European Union regulations 22
3.4 California sulphur regulations 22
3.5 Changeover between residual and distillate fuels 22
3.5.1 General considerations 23
3.5.2 Temperature gradient 23
3.5.3 Changes in viscosity 23
 3.5.4 Incompatibility 24
3.5.5 Lubricity 24
3.5.6 Cold flow properties 24
3.6 Using scrubbers instead of changing fuels 24

4 Fuel Oil Treatment: The Modern Approach 25

4.1 The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line 25
4.1.1 Optimization of fuel system layout 25
4.1.2 Equipment optimization 25
4.1.3 Feed optimization 26
4.1.4 System supervision and automation 26
4.1.5 Multi-fuel management 26
4.1.6 Waste fuel recovery 26
4.2 Operating parameters 27
4.2.1 Slow steaming contributes to better separation 27
4.2.2 Separator flow control 27
4.2.3 Temperature 28
4.3 Fuel system design 29
4.3.1 Uni-fuel system 29
4.3.2 Multi-fuel systems 29
4.3.3 Why HFO separators should not be used for cleaning MDO/MGO 30
4.3.4 Tank design 30
4.3.5 Fuel changeover 30
4.4 Technical solutions 30
4.4.1 Alcap™ technology 30
4.4.2 FlowSync™ – Energy efficiency and flow optimization 31
4.4.3 High temperature separation 32
4.4.4 Pure Dry – Energy efficiency and fuel recovery 32
4.4.5 In-line cat fines monitoring 33
4.4.6 ACS – Automated Fuel Changeover System 34
4.4.7 FCM One – Fuel Conditioning Module 35
4.4.8 Electronic fuel record book to ensure compliance 35
4.4.9 Moatti fuel filters – Engine protection 36
4.4.10 2Touch – Monitoring fuel cleaning 36
4.5 The Adaptive Fuel Line 37

5 Acronyms 38
Reference list 39
The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

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 The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

Summary
The shipping industry today faces many challenges. New sulphur emission
regulations are driving the transition towards new low-sulphur fuels.

Producing low-sulphur fuel oils often requires a process This publication is divided into four chapters
called catalytic cracking. This process leaves behind Chapter 1: Marine Bunker Fuels
residues of particulate matter, usually containing aluminium This section deals with the process of producing marine fuel
and silicon, called catalytic fines or cat fines for short. These oils, provides an introduction to catalytic fines, and discusses
cat fines are very hard and range in size from 100 microns cat fine trends in heavy fuel oil today as well as other fuel
down to submicrons. If not properly separated from the quality properties.
fuel, cat fines have the capability to wear down engine
components and cause severe engine damage. Chapter 2: Fuel treatment – Engine Performance
This section describes how cat fines influence engine per-
In a competitive market, there are always demands for formance and how other parameters influence separation
cost reductions and increased efficiency. Alfa Laval efficiency.
offers market-leading equipment for fuel handling and
fuel processing on board ships. The concept behind Chapter 3: Legislative Impact on Ship Operation
the Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line is to take advantage This section provides a summary of current sulphur emissions
of Alfa Laval’s range of equipment throughout the entire legislation. It discusses the establishment of new emission
fuel handling system, enhance communications among control areas (ECAs) and the increasingly stringent emissions
individual components, and thereby optimize fuel treatment regulations, which have led to multi-fuel operation. It also
performance. The result is lower operational costs and addresses the consequences of changeover between residual
higher separation efficiency, which leads to cleaner fuel, and distillate fuels.
fewer cat fines, reduced engine maintenance costs and
more secure ship operations. Chapter 4: Fuel Oil Treatment: The Modern Approach
This section describes the fuel treatment system of tomorrow
and highlights six different areas where efforts can be made
to optimize a plant or onboard equipment in order to improve
energy efficiency, fuel quality and environmental compliance.
Interconnecting components and adding intelligence may yield
great advantages. This is the Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line.

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The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

1 Marine Bunker Fuels

Onboard fuel treatment and fuel cleaning when using marine fuel oils is critical
for efficient ship operation. Here some aspects and challenges of marine fuel
treatment are described, with particular focus on the increasingly important
issue of cat fines content in fuel oils.

Bunker fuel is used on board vessels both by the main Consulting Ltd.1 Here changes in demand can be seen as
engines, which generate propeller thrust, and by the auxiliary these environmental regulations enter into force:
engines, which provide electrical energy for onboard systems.
A broad range of fuels is used for marine transport. ISO 8217 • The global sulphur limit of 3.50% introduced in 2012.
is the current international standard regarding specifications
for petroleum products for use in marine diesel engines and • The 0.10% emission control area (ECA) sulphur oxides
boilers, prior to appropriate treatment. (SOx) limit introduced in 2015, which changed the demand
from 1.00% residual fuel to 0.10% MGO within ECAs.
Environmental regulations, described in Chapter 3, Legislative
Impact on Ship Operation, increasingly have an effect on • The 0.50% sulphur limit, which will take effect in 2020.
global bunker demands. Residual fuels dominate demand
today, but will most likely be replaced by pure distillates 1 The original forecast predicted that the global sulphur cap would enter into
and blends in the future. Figure 1 shows a 25-year forecast force in 2025. This model has been adjusted to the IMO MEPC decision
of global bunker demand published by Marine and Energy for a 2020 introduction of the global 0.50% sulphur cap.

Global bunker demand 2005–2030 forecast

350

300

250
Demand — million tons

200

150

100

50

0
2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2027

2028

2029

2030

1.00% Residual fuels 1.50% Residual fuels 4.50% Residual fuels 3.50% Residual fuels 3.50% Scrubbed

0.10% Marine gas oil (MGO) 0.10–0.50% Fuel Marine diesel oil (MDO), other Liquefied natural gas (LNG)

Figure 1. Demand for different types of fuels.

Source: “Outlook for Marine Bunkers and Fuel Oil to 2035”, Marine and Energy Consulting Ltd., with changes made due to 2020 sulphur cap legislation.

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 The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

In July 2016, a consortium led by the independent research

and consultancy organization CE Delft published its fuel
availability report to support the decision-making process of 4%
2%
the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the 8%
International Maritime Organization.

“The main result of the assessment is that, in all scenarios, 10%

the refinery sector has the capability to supply sufficient
40%
quantities of marine fuels with a sulphur content of 0.50%
m/m or less and with a sulphur content of 0.10% m/m or
less to meet demand for these products, while also meeting
demand for non-marine fuels.” 11%

Based on this assessment, the IMO announced in October

2016 that the global sulphur cap of 0.50% on marine fuels
would enter into force on January 1, 2020. Several stake-
25%
holders are critical to the decision, stating that the transition
will be problematic and that the regional fuel supply will not
be able to match the demand.

The marine industry represents about one-tenth of the global Automotive

petroleum consumption. When the sulphur cap is introduced in Heavy-duty vehicles
2020, the global demand for distillates is forecast to increase Marine
by 85 million tonnes per year, from about 1.2 to 1.3 billion Aviation
tonnes, because most vessels will have to switch from HFO Buses
to MDO or another compliant fuel blend (IBIA, 2016). The use
Motorcycles
of scrubbers and liquefied natural gas (LNG) may decrease
Rail
the use of MDO and fuel blends at the transition, but forecasts
indicate that availability of such equipment and fuel will not
cover the demand (DNV GL, 2016).
Figure 2. Petroleum consumption by transportation market segment:
Different types of fuels used within shipping and the refining The marine industry uses 240 million tonnes per year, which corresponds
processes are briefly described in the following sections. to 11% of the total global demand.

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The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

1.1 Marine fuel oils 1.1.3 Renewable fuels (FAME)

Vegetable oils and fats are sulphur-free and can be converted
Ship operations require the use of different types of fuel, which into fuel suitable for combustion in diesel engines. The oil
are commonly referred to as marine fuel oils. Ship engines are must be processed to reduce the viscosity and improve the
flexible machines capable of consuming everything from heavy cold-flow properties. The resultant fuel is known as Fatty Acid
fuel oil to lighter distillates such as marine gas oil, provided Methyl Ester (FAME). Due to the processing requirements,
that an efficient fuel cleaning system is in place and that the the cost of FAME is significantly higher than distillates derived
temperature and viscosity are within the recommended limits from crude oil. Fuel handling is also more challenging since
of the engine. FAME is a nutrient for microorganisms, which can multiply,
especially in the presence of free water in, or under, the fuel.
1.1.1 Residual fuel oil Due to their high costs and limited availability, renewable
Residual fuel oil, or heavy fuel oil (HFO), is essentially a fuels today are not considered to be commercially attractive
refinery byproduct. It is blended to satisfy market demand for alternatives to marine fuels derived from crude oil. In the
a relatively cheap source of energy. The main drivers in the ISO 8217/17 standard, up to 10% of bio-fuel drop-in is
refining industry are the production of light and middle distillate allowed in the fuel blend.
grades, used to formulate gasoline, jet fuel, automotive diesel
fuel and chemical feedstock.
1.2 Refining processes
1.1.2 Distillates and other liquid fuels
The use of distillates has become more common within the Crude oils are the typical source of the most common fuels.
shipping industry due to the 0.10% sulphur cap in ECAs that This section describes some of the basic refining processes
entered into force on January 1, 2015. It is assumed that that are applicable to the production of residual fuels.
ships run on HFO outside ECAs and then switch to distillates
as the ships enter ECAs. Low-sulphur fuel oils used in the 1.2.1 Crude oil
marine industry are commonly divided into Marine Gas Oil Crude oil is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons recovered
(MGO), which is a pure distillate, and Marine Diesel Oil (MDO), from geological pockets through drilling. Oil is processed
which is a blend containing both distillates and residuals. to provide the type and quantity of each petroleum product
required to fulfil global demand. No two crude oils are alike
In 2014, new heavy distillates entered the marine bunker due to significant variations in density, viscosity, sulphur
market to meet demand for fuels with ultra-low sulphur content, vanadium content and other properties, implying
content. One example of such a fuel is Heavy Distillate Marine a difference in end-product yield that can be produced by
ECA (HDME), a paraffinic product, which like HFO requires a refinery.
pre-heating for use in combustion engines. Another example
is Vacuum Gas Oil (VGO), which is heavy oil that is left over Fractions of crude oil are separated most commonly by
from petroleum distillation and then further refined through distillation. Originally, crude oil was distilled in an atmospheric
vacuum distillation. distillation process to obtain the required grades at the

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 The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

required quantity. Vacuum distillation enables further refine- compartment near the base of the tower. Temperature is
ment of atmospheric residue. Both atmospheric distillation restricted so as not to induce thermal decomposition. As
and vacuum distillation are refinery processes based on the the crude oil is heated, all except the heaviest hydrocarbons
physical separation of crude oil components into distillate evaporate and rise through the perforations of each tray at
fuels. Because these processes do not chemically alter the each level.
structure of the oil, the original crude oil may be reproduced
by mixing together all the output streams and components in As vapours rise through the tower, some of the vapours
the appropriate proportions. condense due to the temperature drop caused by the cooled
trays. At the same time, the heat of the vapour causes
1.2.2 Atmospheric distillation fractions of the condensed liquid with lower boiling points to
The first step in crude oil refinement is the separation of the re-evaporate. Oil vapour will, in this way, move up the tower
oil into various fractions by distillation. The process takes until it has reached a level where the temperature is insufficient
advantage of the fact that crude contains a complex mixture to cause evaporation. Fractions of oil are thereby separated
of hydrocarbons with different boiling points. The lightest and according to volatility and may be drawn off at each level of
most volatile hydrocarbons boil off as vapours first, and the the tower for further processing. Crude oil components with
heaviest and least volatile last. If the vapours are cooled, they the lowest boiling points collect at the top of the tower and
condense back into liquids in the reverse order, the heaviest those with the highest boiling points collect at the base of the
first and the lightest last. tower. Boiling points vary from approximately 60°C at the top
to over 300°C at the base.
Distillation is carried out as a continuous process in a
fractionating tower, which is fitted with perforated trays at All the crude oil, however, is not fractionated into distillate
several levels, marked by dashed lines (Figure 3). Crude products. The most volatile of the vapours remain in gaseous
oil is heated to approximately 350°C and pumped into a form and exit at the top of the tower, while fractions of crude

Figure 3. Distillation of crude oil Further

into different fractions. processing

Petroleum gas
(LPG)
• Camping gas
gas
Vapours rise Further • Industrial gas
processing

Gasoline
• Petrol
Further
processing

Naptha
• Chemical feedstock

Further
processing

Kerosene
• Aviation fuel
• Domestic heating oil
Further • Industrial heating oil
processing

Gas oil
• Diesel oil

Further
processing

Lubricants
Liquids fall and waxes
• Lubricating oil
• Wax
Preheated
crude oil

Further
processing

Residue
• Fuel oil
• Bitumen

11
The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

that have a boiling temperature above 300°C collect at the complex refinery processes, known as secondary conversion
base of the tower. These crude fractions are known as atmos- processes, is therefore frequently required.
pheric residue and may be used as a blended component of
residual fuel oil. 1.2.4 Secondary conversion processes
To better meet worldwide demand, refineries employ
Atmospheric distillation is a relatively simple physical process, secondary conversion processes to extract a higher portion
where the fuels are separated according to specific boiling of light distillate fuel from crude oil. As distillation separates
ranges. The type of crude determines the percentage of each fractions of crude oil according to their volatility, these
product that can be obtained. Low-density, low-viscosity processes alter their chemical structure.
crude oil yields more distillate fuel and a smaller proportion
of the atmospheric residue compared to high-density, high- Secondary conversion processes include “cracking” where
viscosity crude. the long hydrocarbon chains of heavy fuel fractions are
broken into shorter molecules, which can then be more easily
As mentioned, demand has caused many refineries make processed into fuel oil products that are in demand. There are
use of additional refining processes apart from atmospheric two basic types of cracking processes: thermal cracking and
distillation. The general aim is to reduce the amount of residual catalytic cracking.
fuel and increase the amount of distillate fuel.
Thermal cracking
1.2.3 Vacuum distillation Thermal cracking makes use of temperature, pressure and
Vacuum distillation is similar to atmospheric distillation but time to provoke a chemical reaction that alters the structure of
takes place under vacuum conditions. Due to the correlation the oil. Thermal cracking can be carried out on both distillate
between pressure and the boiling point of a liquid, the bottom and residual fuels. Typical thermal cracking processes include:
residue from atmospheric distillation may be evaporated visbreaking, which significantly lowers the viscosity of heavy
at the same temperature if the pressure is decreased. This residue to enable blending with other fuel oils, and coking,
enables a higher portion of light distillate fractions to be which destroys the fuel oil, producing only distillate fuel and a
drawn off without exceeding temperatures where thermal solid with a high carbon content known as coke.
decomposition takes place. As for atmospheric distillation,
not all the liquid vaporizes. The fraction that is collected at Catalytic cracking
the bottom of the vacuum distillation tower is referred to as Catalytic cracking processes also alter the chemical compo-
vacuum residue and may be used as a component of marine sition of residual fuel oil. Chemical catalysts, rather than high
residual fuels. pressure, are used to break down complex hydrocarbons into
simpler molecules. Catalysts are substances that stimulate
These two simple distillation processes alone, however, do chemical reaction without being changed in the reaction itself;
not produce quantities of distillate oil products that meet the chemical properties of catalysts therefore remain constant
increasing global demand. The use of subsequent and more throughout the process.

Figure 4. Catalytic cracking.

Gases

Reactor

Flue gas Gasoline

Light cycle oil

Regenerator

Heavy cycle oil

Catalyst Fractionator
Decant oil

Air Feed Steam Origin of catalytic

fines in HFO

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 The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

The most common process is fluid catalytic cracking 1.3 Cat fines
(FCC), which is used to convert gas oil and residual oil
into high-octane gasoline and diesel fuel. Figure 4 shows Cat fines are very hard particles that typically consist of silicon
how the catalysts, in the form of fine particles that are and aluminium compounds. Their presence in marine residual
approximately 20 to 100 μm in diameter, are circulated fuel oils is a consequence of the oil refinement process known
between a reactor and a regenerator in a fluidized bed as catalytic cracking. Cat fines are undesirable due to the
process. The catalysts used in this process are generally fact that they may cause severe abrasive engine wear if not
expensive, and large cracker units typically contain about removed by the fuel treatment system (Alfa Laval AB, BP
500 tonnes of catalyst. Marine Ltd & MAN B&W Diesel A/S, 2016).

Hot catalyst from the regenerator mixes with the feedstock 1.3.1 Cat fines units
and then enters the reactor. Upon contact with the catalyst, When discussing cat fines, it is central to distinguish between
the feedstock vaporizes. The vapours in turn react, breaking particle concentration and particle size.
the chemical bonds to achieve the desired product quality.
The reaction causes some carbon to be deposited onto the • Particle concentration is described using the unit, parts
catalyst particles. Catalyst and vapours are then separated in per million (ppm). When it comes to cat fines, concentra-
the reactor where vapours rise and flow into a fractionating tion describes the mass ratio between cat fines and oil, for
tower for further processing. The catalyst flows back into example, 60 mg/kg = 60 ppm.
the regenerator where heat is applied to burn off the carbon
deposits prior to returning the catalyst to the reactor to be • Particle size is measured in μm, sometimes referred to as
mixed anew with the feedstock. micron, where 1 μm = 1 micron = 1 · 10 –6 m.

Continuous recycling of the catalyst causes it to break up 1.3.2 Cat fines composition
into smaller particles, primarily due to attrition. Some of The composition of cat fines varies depending on the type of
these particles are carried over into the fractionator and are feedstock and whether the main unit of the cracker is optimized
commonly referred to as catalytic fines (cat fines). Although towards gasoline (light) grade or diesel (heavier) grade produc-
refiners attempt to minimize the loss of catalyst from the tion. Catalyst composition is not disclosed today, but all catalysts
catalytic cracking process, carryover of the cat fines is contain various forms of synthetic crystalline zeolite. Zeolites
inevitable. are aluminosilicate minerals especially suitable as catalysts
because of their potential to hold high amounts of cations and
The product drawn off at the bottom of the fractionator is their microporous material structure. The zeolite used in FCC
called slurry oil, decant oil or FCC bottoms. Slurry oil has a catalytic cracking is typically composed of alumina and silica
high density of about 1,000 kg/m3 at 15°C and a low viscosity tetrahedral molecules with one aluminium or one silicon atom
of approximately 30 to 60 cSt at 50°C. It is an ideal blending at the centre, and one oxygen atom in each corner (Figure 5).
component for residual fuels due to its high aromaticity,
conferring stability to the end fuel product. It is through this The catalyst used in crude oil refinement contains zeolite
bottom fraction of catalytic refinement that cat fines enter particles dispersed in a matrix, which contains compounds of
residual fuel with the potential to cause severe damage to aluminium and silicon. About 45–65% of the particle volume
the engines in which the fuel is combusted. consists of the pores (Figure 6), and specific rare metals

Figure 5. Tetrahedral molecule. Figure 6. Zeolite microporous molucular structure.

13
The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

are added to yield catalytic properties. The pores give the

particles a large surface area, which enhances the chemical
reaction in the cracking process.
5–9 μm
Cat fines are formed through the breakup of the catalyst, 10–14 μm
mainly due to attrition, as the catalyst is recycled through 15–34 μm
the cat cracker plant. Cat fines are variable in shape and 35–100 μm

size, ranging from submicron to approximately 30 μm and

occasionally up to 100 μm. Figure 7 shows a typical particle
size distribution of cat fines in heavy fuel oil.

Judging from scarce literature references, the density of cat

fines may vary between 0.9 and 1.3 g/cm³ (compared to a Figure 7. Cat fines particle size distribution in HFO. (BP, 2007)
typical HFO density of 0.96–1.01 g/cm³). Similar densities and
the fact that zeolite pores are most likely filled with oil after
the cracking process implies a reduced margin of success in ISO 10478 is the standardized method of determining the
separation through settling. aluminium and silicon content of fuel oils. The method makes
use of inductively coupled plasma emission and atomic
1.3.3 Cat fines concentration standards absorption spectroscopy. In other words, Al/Si-atoms of a
ISO 8217 is a collection of generally accepted standards prepared oil sample are first excited to emit electromagnetic
concerning fuel quality. These restrict the concentration radiation. A spectroscopic analysis, which makes use of the
of cat fines in fuel oils available on the market to 60 ppm fact that excited atoms emit characteristic wavelengths, is
Al+Si (aluminium plus silicon) fuel content. Marine engine then conducted. The intensity of radiation with wavelengths
manufacturers currently stipulate 10 ppm as the maximum characteristic to aluminium and silicon indicates the con-
acceptable levels of cat fines in fuel prior to injection. centration of cat fines. It is worth mentioning that this method
Proper onboard fuel cleaning procedures, including settling, measures the concentration of cat fines in fuel oil, but it does
separation and filtration, will reduce the level of cat fines not give any indication of cat fines size distribution, which is
present in bunker fuel upon delivery. highly relevant in the context of onboard fuel treatment.

1.3.4 Measuring cat fines content Measuring the cat fines content of fuel oil as part of onboard
There are two reasons for determining the cat fines con- routines is a relatively new concept, but highly relevant con-
centration of fuel oil. The first is to check whether the refined sidering the recent increase in frequency of cat fines attacks.
oil from a plant fulfils the ISO 8217 fuel standard and thereby While the ISO 10478 method is ill-adapted to continuous
has an acceptable level of cat fines upon delivery. The second onboard measurement, one existing method employs the
reason is to provide a continuous update on the quality of fuel same user-friendly technique used for medical imaging.
used on board. This method, known as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)

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 The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

Figure 8. HFO cat fines trends, 2009–2012. (DNVPS)

40 3.0 Sulphur
Al+Si
2.5
36

2.0

Sulphur [% m/m]
Al+Si [mg/kg]

32

1.5
28
1.0

24
0.5

20 0
Jan 2009

Apr 2009

Jul 2009

Oct 2009

Jan 2010

Apr 2010

Jul 2010

Oct 2010

Jan 2011

Apr 2011

Jul 2011

Oct 2011

Jan 2012

Apr 2012

Jul 2012

Oct 2012
spectroscopy, exploits the magnetic properties of the cat The first ECAs were introduced in Northern Europe between
fines in order to detect them, and is available today. Onboard 2006 and 2007. This primarily had an impact on fuels supplied
detection and a way to optimize cat fines countermeasures in the Antwerp-Rotterdam-Amsterdam (ARA) area. Similar
are incorporated in the Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line, which trends can be observed when the regulations change and
is described in In-line cat fines monitoring on page 33. new ECAs come into effect.

1.3.5 Cat fines trends in today’s heavy fuel oil Fuels with a high content of cat fines can be found in all
Various sources point to a trend of increased concentrations residual fuel grades. However, on average, lighter grades
of cat fines in marine heavy fuel oils. Data collected by DNV have a lower concentration of cat fines compared to higher
Petroleum Services (DNVPS) supports this statement (Figure 8). viscosity grades. Figure 9 presents the average cat fines
concentration in different fuel types based on samples taken
The graph (Figure 8) is based on several samples taken from during 2012. Concentrations of Al+Si of different fuel grades
various suppliers of heavy fuel oil. It illustrates the correlation are presented in mg/kg (equivalent to ppm with respect to
between the content of cat fines and sulphur. Environmental weight) and are divided into five ranges. The height of the bars
legislation has led to an increased demand for low-sulphur represents how the cat fines concentration varies for different
fuels (Chapter 3). This in turn has motivated refineries to viscosity fuels. Note that almost 40% of the most common
increase blending of heavy fuel oil. As described in the section fuel grade, RMG 380 cSt, contains cat fines in the range of
on Catalytic cracking (page 12), fuel blending is the main 21 to 40 mg/kg Al+Si, and almost 20% of RMG 380 fuels
source of cat fines. contain 41 to 80 mg/kg Al+Si.

80 <100 cSt
101–250 cSt
70 251–420 cSt
>421 cSt
60

50

40

30

20

10

0
0–20 21–40 41–60 61–80 >80

Figure 9. Average cat fines concentration of different fuel grades.

Source: DNV Petroleum Services.

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The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

1.4 Basic separation To base oil consumption on the maximum continuous rating
(MCR) of the engines, the following formula can be used:
Particles are removed from fuel oil in separators as well as
in settling tanks based on the principle that particles have a
greater density than the oil. In settling tanks, given a sufficient P · b · 24
Q= (l/h)
amount of time, all particles will settle to the bottom of the  ɏ൉
tank. However, if the particles are very small, they will settle
very slowly. Where:
Q = Fuel oil consumption (l/h)
P = MCR (kW or HP)
The factors determining the settling velocity (Vsettling ) of the b = Specific fuel oil consumption (kg/kWh or kg/HPh), specified by the
particles are described by the well-known Stokes equation: engine supplier
ɏ = Fuel oil density (presumed to be 0.96 kg/l)
 = Daily net operating time (number of operating hours per 24-hour day)

d2ሺɏpȂɏl)
Vsettling = Ƚ
 ͳͺɊ Tests for finding specific fuel oil consumption are normally
conducted using distillate fuel, and the results may have to
Where: be adjusted by a factor for so-called non-ISO conditions. It is
d = Particle diameter
ɏp = Particle density assumed that the engine supplier includes this value in the
ɏl = Liquid density factor b above.
Ɋ = Liquid viscosity
Ƚ = Gravitational or, in a separator, centrifugal acceleration
1.4.2 Maximum recommended capacity vs.
certified flow rate
The action of a separator increases from 9.8 m/s2, as in There are two models used to compare separators: maximum
gravitational settling, to many thousand times this value. recommended capacity and certified flow rate.
Cat fines particles are subject to the same principle when
being separated in a disc stack separator as in a tank. The Maximum recommended capacity
centrifugal force acts upon the particles, moving them to Suppliers of separators determine the maximum
the periphery, whereas the flow of the oil brings the particles recommended capacity (MRC) for each unit according to
towards the centre of the bowl. When the flow reaches a individual criteria, which are not commonly known and not
certain rate, the cat fines particles will escape with the oil absolutely comparable.
rather than being separated from it. Here again, the particles
do not have time to settle. Certified flow rate
A separator’s certified flow rate (CFR) is measured according
1.4.1 Sizing of separators to the Separation Performance Standard stated in the CE
Correct sizing of the separators is of utmost importance. standard CWA15375:2005. Artificial spherical particles that
When specifying the total required flow rate of the fuel are five microns in size are added to a fuel-like liquid. The
cleaning system, the fuel consumption of auxiliary engines CFR is defined as the flow rate when 85% of the particles
and boilers, if any, must be considered. Currently, the are separated from the fluid by the separator. Using CFR
appropriate separator is selected using the capacity to specify a separator’s capacity ensures the selection of
tables issued by the separator suppliers and engine the correct separator size for the performance required and
manufacturers. thereby ensures safe engine operation.

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 The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

2 Fuel Treatment – Engine Performance

Marine fuel oil can be categorized into several grades with varying characteristics.
Some of the characteristics can be affected by onboard fuel treatment systems,
while others cannot. The quality of the fuel specified by international standards is
explained in this chapter.

2.1 Fuel treatment today Concerning onboard fuel cleaning in general (ISO 8217 bunker
fuel standard), CIMAC fuel recommendations and Alfa Laval
Marine diesel engines are designed to accept all commercially product guidelines converge at three basic, but essential,
available fuel oils, provided they are adequately treated on precautions for the safe and efficient operation of separators:
board. For this purpose, a well-designed fuel treatment
system is required. Separators, in combination with a settling • Fuel requires preheating to the correct temperature before
tank, are generally accepted as the fuel cleaning system within entering the engine.
the industry.
• The correct separator capacity/layout must be ensured,
2.1.1 Standards and recommendations that is, that fuel throughput must correspond to the
Statements from these two independent associations, specified flow capacity.
CIMAC (International Council on Combustion Engines) and
ISO (International Organization of Standardization), are highly • Proper separator operation and maintenance.
relevant for all stakeholders within the maritime industry.
CIMAC is a non-profit collaboration with the aim of promoting In response to the growing issue of cat fines attacks, both
the exchange of insights, technology and advancements ISO 8217 and CIMAC have specified that the content of cat
among its members. Members include engine manufacturers, fines in fuel oil delivered to the ship must not exceed 60 ppm.
research organizations, suppliers, classification societies and Engine manufacturers generally require that the maximum
universities. cat fines level is further reduced by the fuel treatment system
on board to a maximum of 10 ppm prior to fuel injection into
the engine. As the level of cat fines in the bunkered fuel is
lowered, the engine builders expect a related reduction in the
amount of cat fines in the fuel entering the engine.

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The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

Table 1. Important fuel oil parameters.

Fuel property Implication Affected by separation

Density Bunker price and separator adjustment Not affected
Viscosity Injection temperature and required heating/cooling Not affected
Water Corrosion and deposits in tank Strongly
Micro carbon residue Deposits in engine Not affected
Sulphur Emissions, lubrication and base number (BN) Not affected
Sediments Separator (and filter) load Strongly
Ash content Engine wear Moderately
Vanadium High temperature corrosion in engine Not affected
Sodium Deposits and corrosion in engine from NaCl Strongly
Aluminium + Silicon Abrasive wear from cat fines Strong to moderate
CCAI Engine ignition quality Not affected
Pour point Filter clogging Not affected
Flash point SOLAS and classification societies rules generally require Not affected
temperatures at a minimum of 60°C

2.1.2 Fuel oil quality and onboard treatment 2.1.3 Fuel cleaning equipment
Fuel oil quality varies, even though fuels may nominally be Figure 10 illustrates a typical fuel treatment system. The
classified as the same type. Changing bunker demands main units are the settling tank, separator, service tank and
bring new fuels to the market. Hence, it is essential to have fuel conditioning module or FCM (also known as a booster
accurate specifications of the fuel bunkered. It is equally system). The fuel treatment system includes equipment
important to interpret the parameters accurately and to know that cleans the fuel, including the settling tank, centrifugal
which ones may be affected by onboard treatment. Table 1 separators and filters.
lists significant fuel oil parameters together with their main
implications on ship operation. The right column indicates to Settling tank
what degree each property may be affected by separation. Heavy and large particle components in fuel oil, such as large
All parameters in Table 1 are included in the ISO 8217 fuel oil cat fines, will accumulate on the bottom of the settling tank
standard. due to gravity. However, high seas and rough weather may
cause these components to be stirred up and fed to the
Water content, sediments, sodium and cat fines can separators. Since the capacity of the separators is limited, this
effectively be reduced by the separation systems on board may influence the purity of the cleaned fuel. Regular draining
(Table 1). Some ash content can also be reduced. It is also of the settling and service tanks is therefore necessary to
important to evaluate the levels of zinc, phosphorus and reduce this risk.
calcium in the fuel since this may indicate the presence of
lube oil in the fuel.

Max 60 ppm Max 10 ppm

catalytic fines catalytic fines

Settling tank Separator Service tank FCM Main engine

Figure 10. Typical fuel treatment system: The maximum cat fines content of bunkered fuel cannot exceed 60 ppm, according to ISO 8217/2012.
Engine manufacturers recommend that a maximum level of 10 ppm cat fines in fuel prior to injection into the engine.

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 The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

Separators All cat fines that remain in fuel oil after centrifugal separation
If properly operated, most separators are capable of removing have the potential to cause abrasive wear and damage to the
nearly 100% of cat fines larger than 10 μm in size. Most cat engine, which in turn can lead to inefficient and potentially
fines smaller than 3 μm, however, will not be removed by unsafe operating conditions. That is why cat fines level
separators when operating at the maximum recommended must be reduced as much as feasibly possible by the fuel
flow rate. To check the efficiency of the separators, it is treatment system.
recommended that samples are taken from the separator
feed and outlet at least every four months and sent to an Engine builders claim that cat fines smaller than 4 μm are
established third-party institution for analysis. considered to be less harmful than larger cat fines (CIMAC,
2013). The higher the amount of cat fines, the greater the
Filters risk of unsafe operating conditions. Under such operating
Filters are installed as extra protective measures to prevent conditions, there is an increased risk of breakdown, and it is
large particles such as rust flakes from entering the fuel likely that the engine will require more frequent maintenance
system. Large particles with low densities may pass than those maintenance intervals recommended by the
through the separator but will be removed by filters. engine manufacturer.

The fuel injection system and the combustion chamber

are two units of the fuel treatment system that are most
2.2 Cat fines and engine performance susceptible to wear due to cat fines. The fuel injection pumps
increase the pressure of the fuel before it enters the engine.
Cat fines are particles that vary in size from submicron to The small tolerances between the plunger and barrel can
tenths of μm, from a speck of dust or pollen to the width of lead to small particles getting trapped between the surfaces
coarse human hair. Though virtually invisible to the human and embedded in the material. The same problem occurs in
eye, cat fines are very hard and capable of severely scratching the combustion chamber, where the cat fines may become
– if not cutting – metal (Alfa Laval, BP Marine, MAN B&W embedded between the piston ring and cylinder liner. The
Diesel, 2007). relative movement between the surfaces leads to abrasive
and accelerated wear of the components.
Rust, sand and dust are sometimes found in fuel but most
often are removed from the fuel by the separators before If the pumps are damaged, they will deliver subpar
entering the engine. Such components are also normally performance and lower fuel pressure to the engine. This
less harmful compared to cat fines and found in much in turn will reduce the engine efficiency and increase the
smaller quantities. operational costs. Engine wear and subsequent damage
is expensive and should be avoided.

Figure 11. Cat fines are very hard particles, capable of scratching and cutting metal.

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The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

2.3 Distillate-specific concerns To address these issues and to maintain the correct fuel
parameters at the injection point, it is essential that the
The ISO 8217 standard regarding maximum sulphur content fuel conditioning unit is suitable both for managing fuel
in fuels used on board ships has focused on the use of low- changeovers in a simple and safe way by controlling
sulphur distillates in engines designed for use with residual temperature ramp inside the system and for maintaining
fuel oil. The low viscosity of these distillates has led engine the correct temperature of light fuel at the time of injection.
manufacturers to restate their criteria regarding minimum
viscosity and lubricity. The use of low viscosity distillates will Demands on the fuel conditioning system
increase when the global 0.50% sulphur cap takes effect To meet engine manufacturer’s requirements, the fuel
in 2020. conditioning system must be able to:

Influence on diesel engines • Control the transition from the high injection temperature
The burning of distillates in diesel engines has some critical of HFO to the low injection temperature of distillate fuels
aspects that can affect engine injection systems, pumps and so that the temperature gradient remains within the
other equipment. Fuel viscosity at injection, which affects engine manufacturer’s recommended limit. A typical rate
the lubrication capacity of fuel injection components, is the of temperature change at the fuel inlet to the fuel pumps
first issue with which to deal. Since the injection temperature is 2°C per minute.
of light fuel is much lower than that of HFO, a second issue
arises from the temperature gradient: a sudden temperature • Keep the distillate fuel oil temperature and its viscosity
change can cause thermal shocks within the injection system. within the engine manufacturer’s recommended limits.

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 The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

3 Legislative Impact on Ship Operation

The establishment of Emission Control Areas (ECAs) together with increasingly
stringent global emission regulations has led to new operational requirements in
terms of fuel use.

3.1 The importance of all vessels in operation after the introduction date.
The regulation defines the sulphur content of the fuel,
sulphur restrictions where compliance is to be achieved based on the fuel
as loaded. There are different sulphur limits applicable
The main driver for reduction of sulphur content in exhaust inside and outside of ECAs, which are areas where
gas is the negative impact that sulphur oxides have on human the IMO has agreed that a higher level of protection
health. Sulphur in the exhaust reacts with the air and forms is required.
small particles known as sulphate aerosols. When breathed
in, these particles can pass through the lungs and enter the • Regulation 4 covers equivalents, by which a vessel is
bloodstream, where they can trigger lung inflammation and fitted with an apparatus (i.e., an exhaust gas cleaning
cause cardiovascular disease as well as lung and heart failure system) or the ship owner uses other strategies to
(Platts, 2016). ensure that the compliance method is at least as effective
in terms of emissions reductions as those defined in
Regulation 14.
3.2 IMO MARPOL Annex VI
Figure 12 shows current ECAs (2016), where there is more
The MARPOL Annex VI legislation regarding sulphur stringent control of emissions of sulphur oxides and nitrogen
emissions can be summarized into two regulations. oxides, as well as areas that may be considered as ECAs in
the future. The emissions limits have gradually been reduced,
• Regulation 14 covers sulphur oxides and particulate both inside and outside the ECAs (Figure 13). In 2020, a
matter. It should be noted that this regulation applies global sulphur cap of 0.50% will take effect.
to the fuel used not only by new vessels but also by

New ECA?

ECA

ECA

ECA New ECA?

ECA New ECA?

New ECA?
New ECA?
New ECA?

Existing
Possible future ECA

Figure 12. 2016 Emission Control Areas (ECAs).

Source: DNV.

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The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

IMO sulphur limits Global

ECA-SOx
5

4.5
Maximum sulphur content in exhaust gas [%]

3.5

2.5

1.5

0.5

0
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026

Figure 13. The reduction timetable for sulphur emissions.

3.3 European Union regulations 3.4 California sulphur regulations

To implement the IMO MARPOL Annex VI regulations in EU The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has defined a
legislation, the European Union originally developed Directive region, extending up to 24 nautical miles from the California
1999/32/EC, which was subsequently amended by Directive shoreline or from the shoreline of the Channel Islands off
2005/33/EU. However, this legislation also contained certain the southern California coastline, in which only the use of
additional requirements. Notable additions are (with all limits distillate fuels of grade-specific maximum sulphur contents
expressed in mass percentage): is permitted. As of January 1, 2014, the maximum sulphur
content limit is 0.10%.
• In EU territorial seas, exclusive economic zones and
pollution control zones (excluding ECAs), the content There is an ongoing sunset review by ARB, which will lead to
of sulphur in fuel is limited to a maximum of 1.50% for a decision on whether to allow the use of ultra-low-sulphur
passenger ships, including ferries and cruise vessels on fuel oil (ULSFO) blends and the use of scrubbers. These
scheduled services, arriving at or departing from any sulphur-reducing fuels and techniques are allowed in the other
EU port. ECA areas, and the review will evaluate if they achieve the
same results on emissions as the current California ocean-
• From January 1, 2010, ships at berth in an EU port must going vessel fuel regulations. The evaluation is planned to be
use fuel with a maximum sulphur content of 0.10%, except continue until 2018. The latest information can be found at:
for ships that, according to published timetables, are due to www.arb.ca.gov/ports/marinevess/ogv.htm
be at berth for less than two hours.

The European Parliament Directive 2009/30/EC limited the

sulphur content of fuels used by inland waterway vessels to a 3.5 Changeover between residual
maximum of 0.0010% (10 mg/kg) from January 1, 2011. and distillate fuels
The 2012/33/EU review of the EU legislation incorporates Since most ships are running on HFO (a high sulphur fuel),
the latest MARPOL Annex VI regulations and contains the many vessels will switch fuel when entering or leaving an ECA
following additional stipulation: unless an approved equivalent (e.g., abatement technology) is
employed to achieve compliance. From 2015 onwards, prior
• Fuel with more than 3.50% sulphur content will only to entering an ECA, a vessel must change over from residual
be allowed for sale and use by ships equipped with an fuel with a maximum sulphur content of 3.50% to distillate
approved closed-loop exhaust gas cleaning system fuel with a maximum sulphur content of 0.10%. Conversely,
(i.e., one with no discharge of wash water overboard). after exiting an ECA, it generally is desirable to change back
to residual fuel from distillate to reduce fuel costs, unless a
All EU regulations on the subject can be found on: return into the ECA is imminent. The requirements dictate that
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/ changeover must take place during sailing, whilst approaching
or leaving the ECA boundary.

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 The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

Most operators have experience of changing over between

residual and distillate fuels, and vice versa. Automatic fuel
changeover systems are available; however, the process
can be carried out manually. It is mandatory for detailed
procedures to be put in place and duly documented on
board, and for the crew to be familiar with the operation.
Insufficient knowledge of the required actions may result
in component damage or engine shutdown. For detailed
advice on changeover procedures, the specific equipment
manufacturer’s recommendations should always be
consulted.

3.5.1 General considerations

To avoid compounding compatibility problems, it is
recommended not to return residue and distillate mixtures
back to the distillate or MDO service tank.

When a two-stroke engine is to be operated with low-sulphur

fuel for a prolonged period, many engine manufacturers
recommend that the cylinder oil be switched from a high-
BN type to one with 40BN or a lower value. Cylinder oil feed
rates should also be taken into consideration, and engine
manufacturer recommendations must be followed. The
operation of two-stroke engines on high-BN cylinder oil at
high feed rates while using low-sulphur distillate fuel can lead
to rapid accumulation of piston crown deposits, which result
in severe scuffing.

There are also several technical considerations and challenges

associated with fuel changeover. These include:
lower viscosities than residual fuels, typically in the range
• Temperature gradient of 2.0 to 11.0 mm2/s (cSt) at 40°C and, as such, must not
• Changes in viscosity be heated and may instead have to be cooled or chilled.
• Incompatibility Most equipment manufacturers recommend a minimum fuel
• Lubricity viscosity at the fuel pump inlet of 2.0 to 3.0 mm2/s (cSt). Fuel
• Cold flow properties with a viscosity that is too low may lead to excessive leakage
within the fuel pumps and problems when operating at high
3.5.2 Temperature gradient load. Startup difficulties may be experienced, especially at
To ensure fuel injection equipment keeps functioning low engine power settings when fuel demand is very low
properly, it is recommended that a maximum fuel changeover and is reduced due to excessive internal pump leakage.
temperature gradient should not be exceeded. Generally, Insufficient viscosity may also lead to fuel pump seizure and
engine manufacturers recommend a gradient of no more premature wear due to a reduced hydrodynamic lubricating
than 2°C per minute. Rapid changes in fuel temperature will oil film. In addition to engine-mounted pumps, the operation
increase the likelihood of pump malfunction and seizures. of pumps in the fuel handling system should also be taken
For the reasons stated above, fuel changeover can take into consideration.
considerable time from initiation to completion, in some cases
more than 60 minutes for the fuel temperature change alone. To achieve the equipment manufacturer’s minimum require-
Many engine manufacturers recommend actions that can ments, distillate fuels should be sourced with sufficient
provide further protection, whilst possibly reducing the time viscosity. Fuel coolers or chillers can be used, if necessary,
required. For example, when changing over between HFO and to help prevent the viscosity of the fuel from becoming too
distillate or MDO, or vice versa, engine load can be reduced, low. Additionally, switching off the pipework steam and
which helps to slow the rate of temperature change. trace heating systems early will assist in reducing the fuel
temperature when the changeover is made.
3.5.3 Changes in viscosity
Typically, the optimum operational viscosity of a fuel at Conversely, when changing back to residual fuel from
the engine fuel pump is within the range of 10–20 mm2/s distillate, it is critical to ensure that the temperature of
(cSt), though it is vital to ensure that the requirements for the fuel is sufficiently high in order to achieve the required
each engine are met. To achieve optimum viscosity with viscosity at the fuel pump inlet. Trace and steam heating
residual fuels, it may be necessary to heat them to more in the pipework can be switched on to assist this process,
than 100°C. However, distillate fuels have significantly but heating of the distillate must be avoided.

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The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

Figure 14. (Left)

A dismounted
separator subjected
to instable fuel.

3.5.4 Incompatibility 3.6 Using scrubbers instead

As described above, the changeover procedure requires
sufficient time, during which there will be a mixture of the two
of changing fuels
very different types of fuels. The risk of incompatibility between A scrubber is an exhaust gas cleaning system that reduces
residual fuel and low-sulphur distillates is considered higher the emission of sulphur oxides. Using a scrubber (Figure 15)
than what is typically associated with mixing different types of enables the ship owner to use high-sulphur HFO within ECAs
residual fuel. Introducing distillate may cause the asphaltenes instead of low-sulphur MGO, while still complying with IMO
in the residual fuel to precipitate as heavy sludge. This may sulphur emissions regulations. This method is approved by
result in filter clogging and, in extreme cases, may cause fuel IMO legislation. However, while the U.S. Coast Guard has
starvation in the engine and subsequent engine shutdown. approved the use of low sulphur distillates, it is still evaluating
Another associated issue may be sticking of the injection and has not approved the use of scrubbers as of 2016.
pump due to deposits between the plunger and the barrel.
By the time the global 0.50% sulphur cap takes effect in 2020,
Compatibility tests may be carried out either on board the use of scrubbers may be an attractive alternative for ship
during bunkering or via an independent laboratory. owners who want to continue to use less expensive HFO yet
still comply with the legislation. According to DNV GL (2016),
3.5.5 Lubricity an initial investment in scrubbers will pay for itself within one to
Lubricity is the ability of the distillate to lubricate between six years, depending on the ship type and trade.
surfaces, which are not in motion relative each other, or so-
called boundary lubrication. Distillates with sulphur content
less than 0.05% can exhibit lubricity that is too low. The
result may be seizure of the fuel pump. Low lubricity can be
improved through the use of additives.
Figure 15. The Alfa Laval
3.5.6 Cold flow properties PureSOx system.
Distillates are indeed characterized by their low viscosity.
However, they can differ in chemical nature and have large
variations in cold flow properties, i.e., viscosity at low
temperatures can impact their abilities to be pumped.

Cold flow properties are measured as:

• Pour point: The lowest temperature at which the fuel will flow.
• Cloud point: The temperature at which dissolved particles
precipitate and give the fuel a cloudy appearance.
• Cold filter plugging point: The lowest temperature at which
the fuel will pass through a filter under specified conditions.

The cold filter properties of a distillate are mainly dependent

upon the wax content and the ability of long paraffinic
hydrocarbon chains to precipitate as wax crystals.

Ships operating in cold areas should demand distillates with

winter quality specifications to avoid wax precipitation in fuel
storage tanks. Heating the distillate prior to separation in
order to avoid the precipitation of any waxes in the treatment
system is also recommended.

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 The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

4 Fuel Oil Treatment:

The Modern Approach
The requirements for handling fuel on board are completely different today than a
decade ago. Single-fuel operation has been replaced by multi-fuel operation and
stricter regulations have been implemented to govern sulphur emissions. The list
goes on, and today’s fuel treatment systems must be adapted to current and
future conditions.

4.1 The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line against cat fines. It is not a single product, but rather a
comprehensive and systematic approach based on several
The modern approach to fuel treatment systems is especially key products and Alfa Laval knowledge. It utilizes slow
focused on: steaming synergies and groundbreaking technologies to
increase both the total energy efficiency and total separation
• Energy efficiency efficiency.
• Fuel quality
• Environmental compliance Below is a brief overview of the Adaptive Fuel Line. The
• Engine protection different targets, solutions and outcomes are summarized for
each part of the fuel treatment process.
Six different areas have been identified where it is possible
to optimize fuel treatment: 4.1.1 Optimization of fuel system layout
When uni-fuel fuel treatment systems are replaced by multi-
• Optimization of the fuel system layout fuel systems, special considerations need to be taken to
• Equipment optimization ensure safe and compliant operation.
• Feed optimization
• System supervision 4.1.2 Equipment optimization
• Multi-fuel management Using equipment with the latest technology is essential in
• Waste fuel recovery meeting requirements. Equipment with outdated technology
often consumes more energy while delivering the same
The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line is a complete solution for performance; however, the separation efficiency is generally
minimizing energy consumption and maximizing protection poorer, and the process control is not sufficiently accurate.

Table 2. Optimization of fuel system layout.

Overall target Solution Outcome Reference

Fuel system layout Improvements in • Segregation of fuel oils Fuel system design,
fuel system layout • Reduced risks page 29

Table 3. Equipment optimization.

Overall target Solution Outcome Reference

Equipment optimization Alcap™ technology • Measures the water content at the oil outlet Alcap technology,
in high-speed • Provides flexibility page 30
separators • Cleans fuel with varying density
FCM One • Conditions fuels to match engine specifications FCM One, fuel
exactly conditioning
• Handles multiple fuels module, page 35
• Can produce fuel blends
• Manages the changeover between different fuels

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The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

4.1.3 Feed optimization 4.1.5 Multi-fuel management

Feed optimization aligns the feed rate of the fuel to the actual Multi-fuel management enables precise control of fuel
engine load. This in turn increases separation efficiency and blending and changeover as well as recording data related
decreases energy consumption. to fuel blending and changeover. This ensures safe engine
operation and prevents non-compliance.
4.1.4 System supervision and automation
A properly designed system for monitoring the fuel treatment 4.1.6 Waste fuel recovery
plant can prevent unwanted effects and provide valuable Recovery of fuel oil from waste fuel oil contributes to sub-
information for reliable operation. stantial savings in the total cost of fuel as well as waste oil and
solids handling. Up to 2% of a vessel’s bunker consumption,
normally lost, is recovered for use as reusable fuel.

Table 4. Feed optimization.

Overall target Solution Outcome Reference

Align flow with slow FlowSync™ using • Reduces energy consumption by the pump, Temperature and
steaming VFD control to heater and separator High separation,
adjust pump flow to • Provides more efficient separation and better pages 28, 31 and
Increase cleaning
actual engine load particle removal due to the fact that the fuel 32
efficiency
remains in the separator for a longer period of time
High-temperature • Reduces thermal losses High temperature
separation • Effectively uses thermal energy separation,
• Maintains cleaning efficiency page 32
• Retains throughput capacity

Table 5. System supervision and automation.

Overall target Solution Outcome Reference

Prevent cat fines attacks Catguard: In-line • Accurately measures cat fines levels within the FlowSync – Energy
cat fines monitoring treatment system – prior to the engine efficiency and
Provide a reliable
• Enables immediate corrective action to be taken flow optimization,
assessment of fuel use
and identifies root causes of problems page 31
Identify issues before • Enables the crew to optimize cleaning efficiency
damage and larger FCM One: Fuel • Accurately measures fuel use FCM One – Fuel
problems occur consumption • Provides data for optimization of fuel treatment conditioning
Ensure user-friendliness monitoring system module and Moatti
• Detects fuel losses at an early stage fuel filters, pages
35 and 36

Table 6. Multi-fuel management.

Overall target Solution Outcome Reference

Safeguard fuel ACS: Changeover • Lowers consumption of distillate In-line cat fines
changeover + blending control • Optimizes fuel composition monitoring,
• Ensures safe changeover page 33
Reduce distillate
• Exactly matches sulphur targets
consumption
FCM One: • Records changeovers Automated Fuel
Electronic fuel • Automatically provides time stamp and GPS data Changeover
record book • Documents activity via printout or secure digital System (ACS),
export page 34

Table 7. Waste fuel recovery.

Overall target Solution Outcome Reference

Recover the HFO fraction PureDry: Waste fuel • Recovers lost fuel as reusable fuel PureDry – Energy
of waste fuel oil in recovery • Reduces amount of waste to handle, store and efficiency and fuel
accordance with MEPC.1/ deposit by 98% recovery, page 32
Circ.642

Reduce waste fuel

volumes and associated
disposal costs

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 The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

4.2 Operating parameters 4.2.2 Separator flow control

Controlling the flow through the separator is essential for the
Various operating parameters affect separation efficiency. separation result. To maintain the highest possible separation
These include flow rate and temperature, which control both efficiency, the flow through the separator should be kept low
fuel viscosity and density. and as stable as possible. The flow speed can be controlled in
two ways:
Continuous flow control is a simple and effective way of
ensuring optimized separation performance. Because ships • Fixed flow control
do not always operate at their MCR and design speed, there In fixed flow control, a flow-regulating valve is installed before
is an opportunity to reduce flow rates and improve separation the separator. When it is throttled and the pressure exceeds
efficiency. It is recommended that operators use the entire a value determined by a spring-loaded valve, the valve opens
installed separator capacity and run standby separators in and oil is sent back to the settling tank. This solution is simple,
parallel. Manual flow control is sometimes installed and should but not the most energy efficient since some of the oil is
be used. pumped back to the settling tank.

4.2.1 Slow steaming contributes to better separation • Variable flow

Slow steaming refers to the practice of operating transoceanic Using a variable frequency drive (VFD) to control the speed
cargo ships, especially container ships, at significantly slower of the feed pump motor enables the feed rate to be adjusted
speeds than their maximum speeds. Normally, a fuel oil to match the actual engine load. Unlike fixed flow control that
separator has a layout for 100% engine fuel consumption throttles the flow, the use of variable flow reduces energy
plus constant values for different margins. However, ships use of both the feed pump and the separator. Using variable
today rarely operate their engines at 100% load. Decreasing flow for an engine operating at 75% MCR reduces the flow,
the flow through the separator in relation to the engine fuel thereby increasing separation efficiency (Figure 16).
consumption will result in higher separator efficiency, because
the fuel will remain in the separator longer and, thereby,
undergo separation for a longer period of time. Therefore,
there is a great potential to increase separation efficiency by
applying automatic flow control in relation to the actual fuel
consumption.

FlowSync effect on separation efficiency

Feed
100%
75%
50%
Particle concentration

Particle diameter

Figure 16. Separation efficiency illustrated by particle concentration after separation when flow is reduced from 100% to 75% and 50% of MRC.
The red curve represents the particle concentration at the separator inlet.

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The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

Effect of temperature on separation efficiency

Feed
85%
90%
98%
Particle concentration

Particle diameter

Figure 17. Separation efficiency for different temperatures. The red curve shows the particle concentration in the feed, and the other curves indicate the
particle concentration at the separator outlet at separation temperatures of 85˚C, 90˚C and 98˚C.

4.2.3 Temperature
Another parameter that can be altered to improve separation
efficiency is oil viscosity. As the temperature of the oil
increases, the viscosity of the oil decreases. If the temperature
drops to 90°C, then the flow must be reduced to 72% of the
nominal flow in order to maintain separation efficiency at the
same level that can be achieved at 98˚C. At 85°C, the flow
needs to be cut to 50%. Figure 17 illustrates what happens to
the separation efficiency if the temperature is reduced while
the flow rate is kept intact.

It may seem natural to consider the separation efficiency of

fuels at a temperatures higher than 98°C due to the potential
to improve efficiency by increasing separation temperatures.
However, it is important to note that the present limit of 98°C
has been set with respect to safety reasons. It should also be
mentioned that today’s onboard separators are designed as
open atmospheric systems.

Provided that safety issues can be managed, a separation

temperature of 115°C would translate into a flow improvement
of 80% over current levels while maintaining performance. In
other words, maintaining the flow at an increased temperature
will improve separation efficiency.

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 The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

4.3 Fuel system design supply the service tank when running at full steam; the other
separator usually remains in stand-by mode. While this
For more than 25 years, the shipping industry adapted system is a simple and straightforward compared to multi-fuel
onboard systems to run on heavy fuel oil. Extra effort has systems, it is also less flexible.
been put into enabling auxiliary engines to run on HFO.
This reduced costs as well as simplified the fuel system 4.3.2 Multi-fuel systems
set-up. Environmental regulation puts extra demand on fuel With the 2015 ECA sulphur cap, many ships must make
system design and set-up when ships are not able to run on changes on board in order to handle multiple fuel grades.
HFO any more in ECAs. With the introduction of the global The systems for heavy fuel oil, ultra-low sulphur fuel oil and
0.50% sulphur cap in 2020, the use of MDO and other distillates are to remain separate and distinct until after the
blends of distillates and residuals is expected to increase. service tanks in order to reduce the risks associated with fuel
However, pure distillates, such as MGO, will still be used problems, such as compatibility and compliance (Figure 19).
in the ECA areas. If the sulphur content in the fuel used in the ECA is very close
to the sulphur content limit, even small amounts of HFO
4.3.1 Uni-fuel system can result in non-compliance. Segregation is of the utmost
The use of two separators is recommended for a fuel importance to reduce risks of fuel incompatibility and non-
treatment system of a ship running on a single fuel type compliance.
(Figure 18). One of the separators is usually sufficient to

Figure 18. Uni-fuel treatment set-up.

Main engine

Settling tank Service tank FCM

Separators

Auxiliary engine

Figure 19. Fuel system layout for ships operating on multiple fuels.

Settling tank Service tank

FO Main engine
Separators

FCM

Settling tank Separator Service tank Auxiliary engine

ULSFO/MDO/MGO

29
The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

4.3.3 Why HFO separators should not be used for

cleaning MDO/MGO
The use of existing HFO separators for cleaning MDO creates
some handling issues. When changing from HFO to MDO,
even the piping, pumps and heaters are filled with fuel that
has a higher sulphur content.

Inadvertently mixing fuel with a higher sulphur content with

MDO, even in small quantities, can result in off-spec fuel and
cause a great deal of problems. To prevent these problems,
the system must be cleaned by running MDO through the
pipes until the system is cleaned of high sulphur levels. This
again creates some handling issues:

• Stability: Mixing MDO/MGO into HFO is not recommended.

This may result in severe handling issues if the HFO
becomes unstable and produces large amounts of sludge,
which are very difficult to handle and, in severe cases, may
clog the entire fuel system.

• Inability to determine compliance with MARPOL limitations:

Without taking and sending samples to a laboratory for
analysis, it is impossible to determine when MDO treated in
HFO separators is in compliance with MARPOL sulphur limits
and can be sent to the storage tank. Such analysis takes
time and, in practice, is not an option for most operators. Figure 21. A separation system with Alcap™ technology.

4.3.4 Tank design

Slanted tank bottoms facilitate the collection and removal
of cat fines, and prevent them from being stirred up in 4.4 Technical solutions
rough weather. Overflow piping between the service tank
and settling tank routes the oil back to the settling tank at The Alfa Laval portfolio includes highly efficient fuel treatment
reduced engine load. Overflow piping at the service tank products for use throughout the entire fuel processing chain.
bottom directs oil with the highest concentrations of cat The problem with today’s operations is that the fuel handling
fines away from the engine. often runs at full capacity, even if the ship is slow steaming. By
interconnecting the individual equipment in the fuel processing
4.3.5 Fuel changeover line and enabling them to adapt to the actual engine load, the
The ECA fuel switch is an essential part of the multi-fuel fuel treatment process can be run in a much more efficient
management concept for changeover and blending control. way. By reducing the flow of fuel through the separators at
Positioning the switch close to the engine helps ensure moderate ship speed not only saves energy, but also reduces
safety and minimizes the amount of the high-sulphur fuel in the risk of cat fines entering the engine. This section describes
the piping when switching over from HFO to distillate. Using some Alfa Laval technologies and how to connect these
GPS data from a monitoring system further contributes to technologies to enhance operations with smarter operations.
compliance with sulphur emissions regulations by making sure
that the changeover is complete well before entering the ECA. 4.4.1 Alcap™ technology
During the oil crisis in the early 1970s, refineries were forced
to remove increasingly more light fractions from the crude
oil to improve profitability. To achieve this, different distillation
methods were developed, which resulted in reduced HFO
quality and densities too high to be handled by conventional
HFO purifiers. Both the density and viscosity of the oil became too
high, and as a result separator manufacturers were forced
Compliant fuel?
to develop better separation techniques. The density limit for
the older, conventional Alfa Laval separators was 991 kg/m³
and 600 cSt; however, the new densities were 1,000 kg/m³ or
higher. Alfa Laval was then forced to redesign the separators
to handle the higher densities, and the solution was Alcap.
Distillate
With Alcap, the density limit for the new separators was
increased to 1,010 kg/m³ and the viscosity limit was set
Figure 20. The ECA Fuel Switch. at 700 cSt.

30
 The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

Separator design the changes in the water content. Both free and emulsified
The Alcap separator is actually a clarifier, which means the water contamination is measured. The higher the value, the
capacity for water removal is very low due to the closed water more water the oil contains. Oil has a dielectric constant of
outlet. To address this, a water drain valve has been installed approximately 4 to 6, and water has one of approximately
in the water outlet instead of a clarifier disc, thereby creating 90 to 95. This means that even a small amount of water will
the possibility to drain water when required. drastically increase the conductivity reading and thereby
indicate the presence of water in the oil.
In essence, the Alcap separator is basically a clarifier when
in operation, but is capable of being drained of accumulated Process
water by opening the water outlet for a few seconds. Alcap is the only separation technology on the market that
continuously measures the water in the clean oil outlet. The
The Alcap separator is energy efficient mainly due to the oil/water interface in the separator bowl automatically adjusts
design of its bowl. The disc stack is designed for handling based on this measurement. This allows fuels with varying
fuels with variable densities. This makes the Alcap separators densities of up to 1,010 kg/m3 to be separated without
very flexible and capable of automatically handling different oil changing the gravity discs as is required for conventional
densities, without having to change the gravity discs. separators.

Controlling the water drain valve The oil losses are negligible. Technically, this is because the oil
The water drain valve needs to open and drain water inlet is closed and the oil is pushed towards the disc stack by
when required. Knowing when to open the valve requires adding displacement water to the bowl before the separator
monitoring the full flow in the clean oil outlet. As soon discharges. This procedure contributes to the minimal amount
as an increase in the water level is detected, the control of oil lost at discharge.
unit initiates either draining or discharge, depending on
the application. A water transducer monitors the water 4.4.2 FlowSync™ — Energy efficiency and
content in the oil by measuring the oil’s conductivity at flow optimization
the outlet. Technically, the transducer acts as a capacitor. Today the feed rate to the separators is at maximum capacity
The capacitance varies with the dielectric constant of at all times. During slow steaming this implies that the amount
the liquid, and there is a significant difference between of fuel to be processed through the separator is greater
the dielectric constant of water and that of oil. Therefore, than the fuel required from the service tank to the engine.
fluctuations in conductivity are very sensitive measures of Recirculation of fuel is therefore quite significant.

Figure 22. The FlowSync user interface (overview tab).

31
The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

Figure 23. FlowSync controls the flow rate by matching the feed pump speed to the actual engine load.

Main engine

Settling tank Feed

F ed pumpss
Fe Preheaters
ers Separator
S Service tank Supply
Supply pumps
ps Filter FCM

Auxiliary
A ili engine
i

FlowSync

Introducing FlowSync to the fuel line enables the fuel feed rate can increase separation efficiency by up to 80% for the same
to the separators to be matched to the actual engine load. bowl as described in Operating Parameters, page 27.
When the feed rate to the separators is reduced, separation
becomes more efficient, and less energy is consumed by the It is important to note that distillates have a lower flash point
feed pumps and separators. Separation efficiency increases than HFO. Therefore increasing the temperature too much
because the fuel has a longer residence time in the separator may create an explosive atmospheric environment. Distillates
bowl, which enables particles that have a lower settling in general, however, already have much lower viscosities than
velocity to be removed from the oil. HFO, and high temperature separation is therefore not required.

4.4.3 High temperature separation 4.4.4 PureDry — Energy efficiency and fuel recovery
The viscosity of the fuel is strongly dependent on the During fuel handling and fuel treatment, some fuel is lost.
temperature. The higher temperature, the lower viscosity; and Based on experience, the fuel oil loss is estimated at up to
the lower viscosity, the higher the separation efficiency. It is 1% of the vessel’s bunker fuel oil consumption. Sources of
therefore desirable to increase the temperature of the liquid in recoverable fuel include:
the separator as much as possible. Heating the HFO to 98°C
to prevent the water from boiling is a common practice. Inside • Backflushing from automatic fuel oil filters (Figure 24)
the bowl, the pressure prevents the water from evaporating, • Fuel settling and service tank drains, tank coamings and
but this may have serious consequences during a discharge. cofferdams (Figure 25)
The +100°C water will then be released into atmospheric • Fuel injection pumps
pressure and boil off instantaneously, leading to a large • Boiler burner leakages
pressure increase inside the separator stand. • Drip trays under fuel transfer pumps, etc.
• Pipe leakages
Increasing the temperature holds great potential to increase • Fuel spill incidents
the separation efficiency. Raising the temperature to 115°C • Fuel oil purifiers

Figure 24. Automatic fuel oil filters. Figure 25. Service tank drains.

32
 The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

Figure 26. The Alfa Laval PureDry system.

To recover fuel oil effectively, waste fuel oil from these sources 4.4.5 In-line cat fines monitoring
must be collected in a separate tank and not be mixed with Catguard from NanoNord A/S (Figures 28 and 29 on next
spillage from lube oils, hydraulic oils, and other oils that page) is an in-line cat fines monitoring solution for the fuel
cannot be used as part of recovered fuel oil. The Alfa Laval cleaning process. It functions as an extra safeguard, signalling
PureDry system treats the waste oil in this tank, continuously an alarm if it detects that levels of cat fines are too high when
separating out the water and solids and recovering reusable the fuel enters the engine.
fuel. The resulting streams are:
Catguard can automatically measure the level of cat fines at
• Water with <1,000 ppm oil different sampling points. If a preset alarm level is reached at
• Fuel with <5% water the engine inlet, it is possible to switch immediately to cleaner
• Super-dry solids (5–15 kg super-dry solids per 24 hours) fuel from the second service tank as an emergency action.
More importantly, it is possible to analyze the root cause of
The recovered reusable fuel is led back to the settling tank. rising levels of cat fines and implement countermeasures to
Separated water is led to the primary bilge water tank for further prevent similar events from occurring again.
treatment. The solids can be landed as dry waste and disposed
of in the same way as oily rags and used filter cartridges. Cat fines have a higher density than fuel oil and, as
PureDry handles fuel with densities up to 991 kg/m3. mentioned, tend to settle at the bottom of the tanks.

Main engine

Settling tank Feed pumps

pss Preheaters
ers S
Separator Service tank S
Supply
upply pumps
ps Filter FCM

Auxiliary engine

PureDry

Figure 27. PureDry recovers waste oil and separates it into reusable fuel, water and super-dry solids.
The reusable fuel is pumped back to the settling tank.

33
The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

Figure 28. Catguard. Figure 30. The Alfa Laval

Photo courtesy of Automated Fuel Changeover
NanoNord. System.

In rough seas, accumulated cat fines can be stirred up and 4.4.6 ACS – Automated Fuel Changeover System
suddenly raise cat fines concentrations at the tank’s outlet. The burning of distillate fuels in diesel engines has some
To circumvent problems, it is important to clean the tank as critical aspects that can affect engine injection systems,
soon as the measurement device indicates elevated levels of pumps and other equipment. Fuel viscosity at injection,
cat fines at the tank outlet (separator inlet or engine inlet). which affects the lubrication capacity of fuel injection
components, is the first issue to deal with. Then, since the
Furthermore, if the same device also indicates that the injection temperature of distillate fuel is much lower than that
removal rate of cat fines by the separator is too low, the levels of HFO, a second issue arises from the temperature gradient:
of cat fines will also rise at the engine inlet. The root causes a sudden temperature change can cause thermal shocks
for such a low removal rate generally are: within the injection system.

• Fuel oil that has a higher viscosity than expected To address these issues while maintaining the right fuel
• Fuel oil that contains smaller-than-average cat fines parameters at the injection point, it is essential that the fuel
• A separator that requires service; or forwarding unit is suitable both for managing fuel changeovers
• A combination of these in a simple yet safe way by controlling temperature ramp
inside the system and for maintaining the correct temperature
With Catguard installed, the crew can follow the separation of light fuel at the injection point.
process and make the corrections necessary to ensure that
clean fuel is fed to the engine.

Catguard
C d

Main engine

Settling tank Feed

F ed pumpss
Fe Preheaters
ers S
Separator Service tank S
Supply
upply pumps
ps Filter FCM

Auxiliary
A ili engine
i

Figure 29. Catguard installation in fuel treatment system.

34
 The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

The Alfa Laval Automated Fuel Changeover System (ACS) is a Fuel conditioning today encompasses much more than HFO,
reliable, fully automatic system that facilitates the changeover especially in marine installations. Emissions legislation is
of fuel, regardless of quality, while keeping fuel viscosity within forcing ship owners to use lighter and more expensive fuel
the limits set by engine manufacturers (Figure 30). As a part oils and distillates, while fuel prices encourage reliance on
of the high-pressure stage of a fuel oil booster, the ACS residual fuels. Most vessels now operate on two or more fuels,
integrates the heaters with a parallel cooling system. which poses operational and safety concerns when switching
between them.
The ACS makes it possible to:
Different vessels address the challenges in different ways;
• Control the transition from the high injection temperature some even blend their own fuels on board. So although some
of HFO to the lower temperature of distillate fuels so that vessels may have the same engine specifications, different
the temperature gradient is within the limits set by engine requirements may be placed on their boosters.
manufacturers.
The Alfa Laval FCM One is an enhancement of the original
• Maintain the distillate fuel oil temperature and its viscosity Alfa Laval Fuel Conditioning Module and provides a new level
within the limits set by engine manufacturers. of functionality (Figure 31). In addition to conditioning fuel to
match engine specifications exactly, the FCM One can be
The ACS works easily with the Alfa Laval FCM or any other configured to handle multiple fuels, produce fuel blends and
fuel oil booster system, and due to its configuration, it can manage the automatic changeover between them.
easily be installed as a retrofit system.
4.4.8 Electronic fuel record book to ensure compliance
4.4.7 FCM One – Fuel Conditioning Module Compliance with environmental regulations according to IMO,
Fuel conditioning is the treatment of fuel oil by a booster California ARB and EU sulphur directives can be supported
system to meet the cleanliness, pressure, temperature, through a designated system design along with automatic
viscosity and flow rate specified by diesel engine manu- monitoring and log functions. But in addition to technical
facturers. These parameters are vital for the engine’s com- solutions, knowledge of the legislation and how to operate in
bustion performance. This makes securing these parameters certain situations is also important. It is essential, for example,
an important part of both energy efficiency and emissions to know the inspection criteria and the consequences of
reduction. non-compliance as well as how a technology malfunction

Figure 31. The Alfa Laval FCM One.

35
The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

Table 8. Input data for the electronic fuel record book.

Blending Changeover Bunker information GPS signal

% Fuel 1 Position CV1 Bunker Delivery Note reference Latitude
% Fuel 2 Position CV2 Fuel oil grade Longitude
Sulphur content Sulphur content Sulphur content UTC/GMT time
Fuel consumption Viscosity Analysis report ref.
Viscosity Temperature MARPOL sample seal no.
Temperature Bunkered quantity

may affect non-compliance. Technical solutions like those The Alfa Laval Moatti oil filter is one with continuous automatic
outlined in Table 8 can help ship owners and operators avoid backflushing, where the filtered oil drives the backflushing
penalties for non-compliance. process (Figure 32). The backflushed oil is cleaned by
refiltration before being recirculated in the system.
Electronic fuel record book (eFRB)
The FCM One provides a secure digital record book that 4.4.10 2Touch – Monitoring fuel cleaning
allows owners to easily document and show their compliance To optimize fuel cleaning equipment, it is essential to use the
with the legislation, either as a digital file or as a printed latest fuel-cleaning technology and fuel-cleaning knowledge.
document.2 Information technology today provides vast opportunities to
optimize plant performance in terms of energy efficiency and
4.4.9 Moatti fuel filters – Engine protection oil quality. Take the Alfa Laval 2Touch HMI, for instance, which
An automatic filter is positioned at the end of the system to together with the control system monitors the separation
capture and remove particles and impurities before they can process.
enter the engine. For the best protection, the filter should
be placed as close to the engine as possible. The filter The Alfa Laval 2Touch HMI employs a colour touchscreen
screen mesh size is determined by the requirements of the panel (Figure 33). It is used to enter system configuration
diesel engine builders. Often, the automatic filter is placed data, tune and calibrate system components, register alarms,
in parallel to a manual bypass filter. provide means to handle the parameter values required for
system-technology diagnosis and process optimization, store
2 Class
C ass approval
app o a pe
pending.
d g trends and recipes, and provide numerous other functions.

Figure 32. The Alfa Laval Moatti fuel oil filter. Figure 33. The Alfa Laval 2Touch HMI.

36
 The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

4.5 The Adaptive Fuel Line

The concept behind the Adaptive Fuel Line is to bring
together all of the individual components of the fuel treatment
chain and optimize them in order to reduce energy con-
sumption, increase efficiency and at the same time enhance
operational safety.

The core of the fuel treatment system is the Alcap™

separators, which are very flexible in terms of handling
different fuel densities. Because the density of heavy fuel oil
varies significantly, in combination with different low sulphur
blends, it is important to maintain good separation efficiency
for different fuels.

If the engines are not operating at full capacity, which is often

the case, FlowSync reduces and matches the flow of fuel
through the separators to the actual engine load. By doing
so, energy consumption is reduced and separator efficiency Sludge from the separators, filters, service tank drains, and
increased because the fuel has a longer residence time in the other sources is then treated in the PureDry system. This
separator bowl. FlowSync ensures that the service tank is three-phase system separates oil from water and leaves a
always filled with a small overflow for recirculation. super-dry solid at the bottom of the unit. The recovered oil
phase is then recirculated back to the settling tank and goes
The booster unit, FCM One, makes sure that the fuel is within through the fuel treatment process once more.
limits for optimal engine efficiency in terms of temperature,
viscosity, pressure, flow and cleanliness. The module also As an extra level of security, the Catguard module observes
handles the transition between different fuel types in a multi- the cat fines levels at different points of interest along the fuel
fuel operation, for example, when entering or leaving an ECA. treatment chain. If stormy weather occurs, turbulence may stir
up large concentrations of settled particles from the service
Before the fuel enters the engine, it passes an oil filter. The tank, which may then enter the engine. In such an event, the
Moatti filter is an automatic self-backflushing system that system may switch over to another cleaner fuel.
protects the engine against ash and other large solids.
The particles are concentrated into sludge at the bottom One possible configuration of the entire Adaptive Fuel Line is
of the filter. illustrated in Figure 34.

Fuel
el A
el B
Fuel
el C
Fuel

C
Catguard

Main engine

Settling tank Feed

F ed pumps
Fe pss Preheaters
ers S
Separator Service tank S
Supply
upply pumps
ps Filter FCM

Auxiliary
A ili engine
i

PureDry
P

FlowSync

Figure 34. Typical configuration of the Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line.

37
The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line

5 Acronyms

Acronym Description
ACS Automated Fuel Changeover System
ARA Antwerp-Rotterdam-Amsterdam
(C)ARB (California) Air Resources Board
CFR Certified Flow Rate
CIMAC The International Council on Combustion Engines
ECA Emission Control Area
eFRB Electronic Fuel Record Book
FAME Fatty-Acid Methyl Ester (Biodiesel)
FCM Fuel Conditioning Module
HDME Heavy Distillate Marine ECA
HFO Heavy Fuel Oil
HMI Human Machine Interface
IMO International Maritime Organization
ISO International Organization for Standardization
MCR Maximum Continuous Rating
MDO Marine Diesel Oil – Blend of distillates and residual oil
MEP Mean Effective Pressure
MGO Marine Gas Oil – Distillate, practically sulphur free
MRC Maximum Recommended Capacity
VFD Variable Frequency Drive

38
Reference list
1. CIMAC, “Guideline for the Operation of Marine Engines on Low Sulphur Distillate Diesel”, 2013.
2. CIMAC, Paper No. 51, “Onboard Fuel Oil Cleaning, the ever-neglected process How to restrain
increasing Cat-fine damages in two-stroke Marine Engines”, 2013.
3. CE Delft, Assessment of Fuel Oil Availability – Final Report, 2016.
4. Alfa Laval AB, DNVPS, “Fuel treatment course”, EPS002-E-1 V3, 2013.
5. Alfa Laval AB, “The Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line”, 2013.
6. Alfa Laval AB, BP Marine Ltd, MAN B&W Diesel A/S, “Marine diesel engines, catalytic fines and
a new standard to ensure safe operation”, 2007.
7. Alfa Laval AB, “Alcap”, EPS012-I-1 V1.
8. DNV GL, Global Sulphur Cap 2020 – Guidance paper, 2016.
9. European Union Directive 1999/32/EC.
10. European Union Directive 2005/33/EC.
11. European Union Directive 2009/30/EC.
12. European Union Directive 2012/33/EU.
13. IBIA, “Signals hinting at 2020 entry into force of 0.50% global sulphur cap”, 2016.
14. IMO MARPOL Annex VI.
15. IMO, IMO sets 2020 date for ships to comply with low sulphur fuel oil requirement,
Press Briefing 28/10/2016.
16. ISO 8217:2012 Petroleum products – Fuels (class F) – Specifications of marine fuels.
17. Outlook for Marine Bunkers and Fuel Oil to 2035, Marine and Energy Consulting Ltd.
18. Platts, “The IMO’s 2020 global sulphur cap – What a 2020 sulphur-constrained world means
for shipping lines, refiners and bunker suppliers”, 2016.
 www.fotoskrift.se
Alfa Laval in brief
Alfa Laval is a leading global provider
of specialized products and
engineering solutions.

Our equipment, systems and services

are dedicated to helping customers to
optimize the performance of their
processes. Time and time again.

We help our customers to heat, cool,

separate and transport products such
as oil, water, chemicals, beverages,
foodstuffs, starch and pharmaceuticals.

Our worldwide organization works

closely with customers in almost 100
countries to help them stay ahead.

How to contact Alfa Laval

Contact details for all countries are
continually updated on our web site.
Please visit www.alfalaval.com to
access the information.

Alfa Laval reserves the right to change specifications without prior notification.
Alfa Laval is a trademark registered and owned by Alfa Laval Corporate AB.

MDD00534EN 1701