Alfa Laval has said it is taking steps to improve engine protection and increase energy efficiency ahead of the 2020 global sulphur cap to minimise the complexities of on-board fuel handling as a wider variety of fuel blends become available.
“There will be many options for compliance and every vessel will have to choose the route that makes most sense for their operation. No matter what customers choose, it will have dramatic implications for the fuel line”, explained Serdar Sengun, global sales manager marine separation, Alfa Laval.
As evidenced in Singapore and the US Gulf recently, fuel contamination is a serious threat to vessel performance. 2020 will increase the types of fuel blends available and no port will offer the exact same 0.5 per cent sulphur fuel blend. If not managed properly, the risk of engine component damage from bunkering fuels across different ports is extreme.
“As refineries recalibrate for lower sulphur content, we also anticipate a continued increase in the proportion of cat fines in marine fuel oils,” said Mr Sengun. “Already, we have seen a huge rise in cat fines, which cause major problems if not separated from the fuel before it reaches the engine.”
Meeting the challenges of more varied fuels will affect the fuel line as a whole. According to Alfa Laval, centrifugal separators, which are the primary defence against cat fines, will need to perform at different capacities and with new levels of efficiency.
Fuel conditioning systems will also be required to handle fuels with more widely differing properties, using embedded automation to avoid handling mistakes and perform safe changeover within the required engine parameters. Overall, the existing synergies between fuel line equipment and the engine itself will need to be strengthened.
Mr Sengun believes that it is vital to match the separator feed to engine load to achieve the highest efficiency and engine protection. “After separation, matching the fuel to the maker’s specifications is critical for the engine, its injection systems and the safety of the vessel. All of these processes have to occur smoothly and safely, no matter what fuel is used.”
Alfa Laval has confirmed that it will introduce a range of technologies to help shipowners and operators meet the challenges of operating in 2020. The company has said it will optimise and update key equipment, including the introduction of improved touchscreen control and offer Alfa Laval FlowSync, which automatically adjusts the separator feed. Alfa Laval’s FCM One Oil, which was launched in 2014 to assist with advanced fuel changeover processes, will be upgraded this year to provide a technology that can manage up to four different fuel blends. The new version will be available by the end of 2018.
