News

Experience with the use of VLSFO after 1 Year

20.01.2021

Technical Update

“ Experience with the use of VLSFO after 1 Year.”

With the IMO 2020 regulations already in effect on January 1^st. 2020, there has been a dramatic shift in the dominant bunker fuel, shifting from Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) to the new 0,5% Sulphur Very Low Sulphur Fuel OIL ( VLSFO).

After one Year of usage of the VLSFO, many experience reports by institutes and operators are meanwhile available.

Although the change has seemed relatively smooth regarding availability and prices,

the reports show that the initially fears regarding stability and incompatibility problems of the blended VLSFOs are confirmed and not solved yet.

It was reported that instability of VLSFOs lead to:

Sludge accumulation in the storage tanks, piping systems or centrifuges and filters causes purifier and filter chokes.

Compatibility issues lead to:

Formation of flocculation or separation of asphaltenes, precipitating sludge, blocked filters and separators.

On the engines increased wear and tear, higher black carbon emissions and even

Fires in engines were observed.

All those reported problems were caused by the fact that the blended VLSFOs are of inhomogeneous structure. To solve these problems it is necessary to homogenize the VLSFO.

“The mechanism of the blending process itself is equally important. The components must be completely homogenized, and this is extremely difficult to achieve without efficient blending equipment.” Shell brochure “Bunker Quality”

By using the LR and BV approved S.I.T CD92 Homogenizer, the inhomogeneous, instable and incompatible VLSFOs easily can be converted into homogeneous, stable and compatible structure, so that reported problems will not any longer occur.

If you are interested to hear how it works, please feel free to contact us and we can send information material or do a Skype Technical Presentation.

Brgds, Heino Stache[Skype: Heinzicd92

IMO Survey Report Regarding VLSFO experiences published

28.08.2020

Experiences with the use of compliant ( VLSFO) fuel oil.

IMO recently published a survey in which they have asked several ship operators about their experience by using VLSFO respective compliant fuel.

The results have shown that the fears about risks of using incompatible VLSFO which were raised last Year, were justified and are confirmed now.

Sulphur, sediment the main issues in IMO 2020 transition, survey finds:

“The transition to IMO 2020 compliant fuel oil (0.5% sulphur) has not been without problems, with sulphur content, sediment, and aluminium plus silicon being the main issues experienced, a recent survey found.”

Main findings

More specifically, 62% of the respondents have to some extent experienced increased sludge deposits in the fuel oil system including increased sludge discharge from the ship’s separators.

32% of the respondents answered that they had experienced wax appearance in the fuel oil system e.g. in fuel oil tanks, filters etc.

31% of the respondents answered that they had experienced operational issues caused by increased wear and tear of cylinder liners, piston rings or other components, assessed to be due to increased amounts of catalytic fines (cat fines) in the fuel oil.

22% of the respondents answered that fuel oil had been de-bunkered as a consequence of fuel oil properties.

21% of the respondents answered that they had experienced problems with fuel injection, poor ignition or incomplete combustion of the fuel.

18% of the respondents answered that they had experienced fuel oil pumps seizures.

10% of the respondents answered that they had experienced loss of propulsion and/or black out as a consequence of fuel oil properties.

The answers and comments provided by respondents suggest that the transition to IMO 2020 compliant fuel oil (0.5% sulphur) has not been without problems. As fuel oil properties are fluctuating, quality and safety problems will continue to be a challenge for the global shipping industry.

All above mentioned problems are caused by incompatibility of the VLSFO mixture and can be eliminated when VLSFO will be homogenized.

In order to learn how it works, please contact us:

e.mail: service@sit-hamburg.de ; skype: heinzicd92

History

Since early 1993 S.I.T GmbH is engaged with the development and marketing of the meanwhile worldwide famous CD92™ Fuel ConditioningDevices for the extensive fuel treatment in navigation and industry. Based on own patents, these units have been continuously improved over the years, also because of the close cooperation with the operating entities. The great variety of models developed thereby offers suitable units for every kind of application. But the basic idea for the development goes back even further into the past. Already in the beginning of the eighties the founders of S.I.T GmbH had engaged themselves with the problem of fuel treatment. An area which even today is regarded as fairly complicated, cost-intensive, and above all, from the ecopolitical point of view, as not harmless. The fundamental necessity for the treatment of fuel, especially with today's customary heavy oils, already exists for a long time, and will continue to exist. But with the first practical employments of the CD92™ technology, it quickly turned out that the usual expenditure could now be considerably reduced, which not only helps saving running costs, but makes the entire engine operation more safe and ecologically more convenient.

Meanwhile the CD-WiDE™ method for the development of stable water-in-diesel oil emulsions is regarded as a unique feature. With this method it is now and in future possible for every shipowner to operate his engines according to the latest limiting values for emissions like IMO MARPOL Annex VI - NOx-technical code, without having to carry out significant and expensive modifications to the ship engines, or even to exchange them. The respective IAPP/EIAPP certification can be issued by classification societies like Lloyd´s Register or ABS. The CD-WiDE™ method can be retrofitted quickly and without problems to every diesel engine and stationary power plant. An innovation which creates new opportunities, and which can enable the owners of older vessels to profit from the all-inclusive environmental charges planned in many countries, and which already have been partly established (Sweden, Norway etc.).