Manual Alfa Laval

DNVPS / Alfa Laval
Fuel Oil Treatment

Printed
Book No.
Mar 2010
EPS002-E-1 V 3
Alfa Laval reserves the right to make changes at any time without
prior notice.
Any comments regarding possible errors and omissions or
suggestions for improvement of this publication would be
gratefully appreciated.
Copies of this publication can be ordered from your local
Alfa Laval company.
Published by: Alfa Laval Tumba AB
Competance Development
SE - 147 80 Tumba
Sweden
Copyright Alfa Laval Tumba AB 2010.
Original instructions
Contents
1 Installation....................................................................... .5
1.1 Settling Tanks............................................................ 5
1.1.1 Settling tank design......................................................... 6
1.1.2 Recommendations .......................................................... 7
1.2 Pumping system. ....................................................... 8
1.2.1 Built-on feed pumps. ....................................................... 9
1.2.2 Separate feed pumps...................................................... 9
1.2.3 Lubricity and viscosity................................................... 10
1.2.4 Strainer .......................................................................... 11
1.2.5 Recommendations ........................................................ 11
1.3 Flow control .............................................................. 12
1.3.1 The flow control system................................................. 13
1.4 Heating System....................................................... 15
1.4.1 Electric heaters.............................................................. 17
1.4.2 HEATPAC system .......................................................... 18
1.4.3 Steam installation .......................................................... 19
1.5 Service Tanks........................................................... 20
1.5.1 Service tank design....................................................... 21
1.6 Separation system.................................................. 23
1.6.1 Double fuel tanks........................................................... 24
1.6.2 ULSMDO/GO................................................................. 25
1.6.3 Primary steps................................................................. 27
1.6.4 Further steps ................................................................. 28
1.6.5 Conclusions................................................................... 29
2 Separation..................................................................... .31
2.1 Introduction .............................................................. 31
2.1.1 Separation by gravity .................................................... 31
2.2 Continuous separation .......................................... 32
2.2.1 How a disc stack centrifuge works ............................... 35
2.2.2 Disc stack centrifuge sections. ..................................... 36
2.3 Fuel and lubricating oils ....................................... 40
2.4 Running the separator........................................... 45
2.4.1 Conventional separators, Purifier/Clarifier. .................... 45
2.4.2 Separation results with purifiers .................................... 46
2.4.3 Cleaning intervals.......................................................... 49
2.5 Basic operation........................................................ 51
2.5.1 Purifier/ Clarifier limitations ............................................ 53
2.5.2 How to find the right Gravity disc.................................. 55
2.6 Operation on off-spec fuel. .................................. 56
2.6.1 Normal operation........................................................... 56
2.6.2 High density oil .............................................................. 57
2.6.3 High catfines oil ............................................................. 58
2.7 Alcap technology .................................................... 59
2.7.1 ALCAP separators ......................................................... 59
2.7.2 Operating principle........................................................ 60
2.7.3 Application..................................................................... 61
2.7.4 Design ........................................................................... 61
2.7.5 Working Principle........................................................... 62
2.7.6 Transducer WT 200 operating principle in EPC 400..... 63
2.7.7 Transducer MT 50 operating principle in EPC 50 ......... 73
2.7.8 Self adapting system. .................................................... 78
3 Booster system.......................................................... .79
3.1 Purpose of the system........................................... 79
3.2 Applications .............................................................. 79
3.3 Atmospheric and pressurized ............................. 80
3.3.1 Introduction.................................................................... 80
3.4 An atmospheric system........................................ 81
3.5 A pressurized booster system............................ 86
3.5.1 A standard booster module : ......................................... 90
3.6 Viscosity of heavy fuel oil .................................... 93
3.6.1 Viscosity and its effects on diesel engines.................... 94
5
DNVPS / ALFA LAVAL FUEL OIL TREATMENT 1 INSTALLATION
1 Installation
1.1 Settling Tanks
Fig 1.1 Settling tank
Suction to separator
Oil return from separator
Overflow from service tank
High Level alarm switch
Low level alarm switch
Steam heating with P type controller
Drain
Venting from tank
Start/ Stop transfer pump
Transfer pump
From bunker tanks
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1 INSTALLATION DNVPS / ALFA LAVAL FUEL OIL TREATMENT
6
1.1.1 Settling tank design
The main purpose of the settling tank is:
To act as buffer tank
To provide a constant temperature to the
separator plant
To settle and drain high-level water and
solids contamination
Heavy fuel oil heating is usually provided by
steam, hot water or oil, or by electric coils
running through the tanks.The heavy fuel oil
temperature must be regulated by a temperature
controller to minimize temperature fluctuations
in the settling tank. This is important in order to
maintain a constant separation temperature in
the settling tank. The temperature should not be
below 40-50C, otherwise, the oil may not be
pumpable. However, it must not be higher than
10 C below the flash point, which is normally
around 60 C for HFO. Too high a temperature
may lead to ageing (thickening during long term
storage), carbon deposition on the heating
surfaces, and excessive energy consumption.
The settling tank should have a sloping bottom
for the collection of water and heavy sludge.
The fuel should be in a still condition and
therefore the effect of turbulence in the supply
and return pipes should be minimized by
directing them against the upper part of the
tank wall. Thermal insulation of the settling
tanks is useful to avoid thermal losses and will
contribute to the stillness by eliminating
convection currents.
A sensor may be fitted to give a signal when high
water level is reached to secure proper draining
of the settling tank.
The separator suction duct should be located
close to the bottom of the tank. However, when
the ship starts to roll and sludge is stirred up
from the bottom of the tank, the separator and
the strainer installed in front of the pump can be
overloaded. If the tank is well drained, there is
less risk of overloading the separator and
strainer.
7
Often the separator is connected to the fuel
suction pipe for the main engine just adjacent to
the tank. This pipe has two suction levels, a high
and a low. The fuel feed pipe to the main engine
from the settling tank is not used except in an
emergency. The low suction valve should,
however, be open so that the separator can keep
the tank bottom clean.
1.1.2 Recommendations
Install level switches in the settling tank
connected to bunker feed pump to avoid
extensive temperature fluctuations.
Install a P and I temperature controller to
minimize temperature fluctuations in the
settling tank.
Install a sensor which gives an alarm when
high water level is reached in the settling
tank.
Clean the settling tank at least once a year.
There is continuous separation in the
settling tank and the heavy particles, such
as cat-fines fall to the bottom. In bad
weather these particles can be suspended in
the oil again and overload the separator.
Have a sloping bottom in the tank. If there is
no sloping bottom heavy particles can
accumulate in the tank bottom furthest
away from the drain and get mixed into the
oil in bad weather.
If there has been an incident with high cat-
fines on board we recommend cleaning the
tank as soon as possible after the incident.
8
1.2 Pumping system.
A strainer should be incorporated in the suction
line of the feed pump to remove coarse particles
(0.5 to 0.8 mm mesh size).
The drawing above has a separate positive
displacement feed pump operating at a constant
flow rate.
The pumps should be installed close to the
settling tanks. This is to avoid long suction pipes,
which are often the cause of fluctuating flow.
An important factor influencing the cleaning
efficiency of a centrifugal separator is the feed
pump arrangement which, in turn, is directly
related to the need for a correct interface
position in the purifier.
The interface position in a conventional purifier
is dependent on the following external factors:
constant flow rate
constant temperature
correct gravity disc.
The pump arrangement has a direct influence on
the first requirement - a constant flow rate.
Fig 1.2 Pumping system
PI PI
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1.2.1 Built-on feed pumps.
In some of the older fuel cleaning systems, the
feed pump is mounted on the separator.
The separator and its pump are often located far
away from the settling tank with the obvious
risk of pump cavitation and flow rate
fluctuations.
A common fault is the built-on pumps usually
have far too high capacity. The nominal size may
in some cases be three times greater than the
flow rate actually needed.The capacity of the
pump should not significantly exceed the
required flow rate of the cleaning plant. The
pump capacity can normally be reduced by
changing pump wheels. In some cases the pump
itself must be changed. Built-on inlet pumps are
always gear type.
1.2.2 Separate feed pumps
In modern systems, the built-on pumps are
replaced by separate positive displacement type
pumps operating at a constant flow rate. Modern
separate screw and gear pumps treat the oil
gently, max pump speed 1800 rpm.
The feed pump, which must always be placed as
close to the oil tank as possible, should be fitted
with a built-on relief valve, set for an opening
pressure of 600 kPa (6 bar).
The recommended flow to a separator varies
with viscosity and temperature. As a rule, the
flow should be as small as possible to allow the
oil being treated to stay as long as possible in the
separator bowl, so that maximum cleaning effect
is achieved.
Controlling the oil flow by throttling the valve
before or after the pump is a poor technical
solution. This method is unfortunately very
common and results in a partly emulsified oil
entering the separator and also cavitation
problems in the pump.
10
1.2.3 Lubricity and viscosity
If we look at the built on pump it has a
minimum viscosity limit of 3 cSt when new. Old
worn pumps will have a higher viscosity, which
means problems handling the new ULS oil.
Another big issue is the lubricity. All the
pressure in the pump is taken up by the sleeve
bearings. The total bearing surface is small and
the low lubricity issue will increase the veer on
the sleeve bearings resulting in siezing and non
functioning pump.
The solution for this is to increase the number
of services and change the sleeve bearings more
often, or replace the built-on gear pump with a
stand alone screw pump, thus rebuilding the
separator system.
This will not apply to smaller separators with
double gear pumps, pumping in to the separator
and out from the separator, for example the
MAB separator.
The screw pump does not have the same
problems with viscosity. The min. viscosity for
the IMO pump is 1.4 cSt, which is well under
the average viscosity of ULSMDO/GO oil.
The lubricity issue will of course have an effect
on the IMO screw pumps. IMO say that there
can be some heightened veer in the pump and
especially at the shaft seal that can result in
leaking. This is of course not a situation we
wish for with the circulation pumps in the
booster system.
One solution is to increase the frequency and
change the shaft seal more often. Another
solution is to change to the new OptiLine,
magnetically coupled pumps. These operate
without shaft seals and thus do not leak.
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1.2.4 Strainer
To protect the pump from coarse particles,
there must be a strainer in front of the
pump. The diameter of the holes in the
screen should be 0.5-0.8 mm. The strainer
free-flow area must be at least 35% of the
total filter area. It is a good idea to check
that a screen is actually installed.
1.2.5 Recommendations
Fit a correctly-sized pump.
Built-on pumps should be replaced by
separate feed pumps installed close to the
settling tank, if possible below the suction
connection on the tank.
Use a positive displacement type for the
separate feed pump. If there is a problem in
keeping a constant level in the service tank,
suspect leakage in the three-way valve in
front of the separator instead of malfunction
of the pump.
All the pumps should be able to deliver to all
the separators in the system and a flow
control system should be installed. in all fuel
oil systems, see chapter 1.3 for more info.
N
O
T
E
The return pipe from the three-way valve in front of
the separator should lead back to the settling tank,
and not to the suction side of the pump. The latter
case will lead to operational problems.
12
1.3 Flow control
Conventional separators;
For optimum separation results, it is very
important that the feed flow to the separator is
kept constant.
Controlling the flow is very important when
treating bad fuel with lots of contamination
such as cat-fines. To maintain the highest
possible separation efficiency, the flow through
the separator then has to be reduced and we
also have to make sure the separator bowl is
clean.
The interface between separated oil and water in
the bowl must be kept in the correct position. It
should be well outside the disc stack, but inside
the edge of the top disc to preserve the water seal
and prevent oil escaping through the water
outlet.
The correct interface position is obtained by
fitting the correct size gravity disc matching the
density, viscosity and flow rate of the oil under
treatment. Pump capacity varies constantly
depending on temperature, viscosity and pump
net suction height. Maintaining a constant flow
rate is the key to consistent optimum separation
efficiency and the prevention of oil losses.
Fig 1.3 Constant flow system
PI
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ALCAP separators;
The same principle applies for the ALCAP
separators as for the conventional separators i.e.
the more time the oil has in the separator, the
higher the separation efficiency. With HFO
containing high cat fines, or unstable oil, the
recommendation is to lower the flow to increase
the efficiency.
1.3.1 The flow control system
Alfa Laval has developed the constant flow
regulation system as a complement to the feed
pump to ensure a constant feed to mineral oil
separators. This equipment ensures the desired
constant flow rate by maintaining a constant
pressure in the oil feed line. The desired flow
rate is set manually by means of a flow
regulating valve. Besides helping to maintain
the correct interface position, the constant flow
regulation system also enables the feed pump
capacity to be matched to the desired separator
throughput
In principle, there are four ways to control the
flow:
Adjustment of the built-in safety valve on
the pump. This method is NOT
recommended since the built-on valve is
nothing but a safety valve. The opening
pressure is often too high and its
characteristic far from linear. In addition,
circulation in the pump may result in oil
emulsions and cavitation in the pump.
In our S separator systems we have
developed a flow control with a regulating
valve and a spring loaded valve set at 2 bars.
When the regulating valve is throttled and
the pressure overcomes 2 bar the valve
opens and oil is then sent back to the
settling tank. This is a very cheap and easy
way to make a good flow control system.
14
A flow control valve arrangement on the
pressure side of the pump, such as the Alfa
Laval MCFR system. In an alarm condition,
the oil should be recirculated back to the
settling tank and not fed directly back to the
suction side of the pump.
Speed control of the motor with a frequency
converter. This is a relatively cheap solution
today and can be a good alternative for flow
control.
1.4 Heating System
A large proportion of the smaller tonnage does
however use electric heaters. It is essential to
keep the incoming oil temperature to the
separator steady with only a small variation in
temperature allowed (maximum 2 C). The
position of the interface between oil and water in
the separator bowl is a result of the density and
the viscosity of the oil which in turn depends on
the temperature.
A control circuit including a temperature
transmitter, and a PI-type controller with
accuracy of 2 C should be installed.
The heating system could preferably be
controlled from the EPC.
One of the most common sources of problems
with fuel or lube oil cleaning systems is
undersized heaters or heaters that have very
poor temperature control.
If steam heated, a correctly-sized steam valve
should be fitted with the right KvS value. The
steam trap should be a mechanical float type.
The most common heaters on board are steam
heaters. This is due to the fact that steam in most
cases is available at low cost. Most ships are
equipped with an exhaust boiler utilizing the
exhaust gases to generate steam.
Fig 1.4 Heating system
PI PI
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When the optimum gravity disc has been
selected corresponding to a given oil,
temperature, and flow, any change in the flow
and temperature parameters will move the
interface. A temperature increase will move the
interface into the disc stack resulting in a very
poor cleaning efficiency.
The bowl discs will be contaminated and clogged
and will have to be cleaned very often. On the
other hand, a decrease in temperature will cause
a broken water seal. The latter is most common,
and to avoid broken water seals the operator
often changes to a gravity disc that is too small.
This affects the cleaning efficiency of the
separator and it will act more as a pump than a
separator. There are several reasons why the
temperature does not remain steady after being
set correctly:
With the 3-way valve between the heater
and separator circulating the oil back to the
pump suction side instead of back to the
tank, the temperature will fluctuate often
more than 10 degrees, thus requiring a
smaller gravity disc than the optimum
choice. This will happen at each discharge
(except separators with feed on during
discharge). At each start-up, however, the
problem will remain.
A temperature controller with only (P)
proportional function cannot cope with
temperature changes in the incoming oil.
Changes can occur when filling up the
settling tank with oil which has a lower
temperature or stopping a diesel engine in
port.
An undersized or dirty heater is also a
problem as the temperature cannot be
maintained under all conditions thus
requiring frequent changes of gravity discs.
The following requirements must be considered
for all types of heaters and are especially
important for heaters with high surface loads
such as electric heaters.
16
A turbulent oil flow is required for optimum
thermal efficiency and to avoid coking.
No dead zones present where hot spots can
occur.
The heater should be designed to prevent
short circuiting of the oil flow.
Short retention time in the heater.
To prevent blockages caused by coking, the
heater must always be started after the feed
pump, and switched off prior to the pump
being stopped.
The heating media which can be used in the
different basic types of heaters are:

Electric power; HEATPAC EHM
Steam; HEATPAC SHM, CBM
Hot water; Thermal oil; CBM
17
1.4.1 Electric heaters
Conventional electric heaters for separator
preheating are mostly of the same basic design:
a tube stack of heating elements in a
pressure vessel together with
an electro-mechanical stepwise on-off
regulation, often with manual control.
Pressure vessels are normally quite bulky
resulting in a large oil volume in the vessel. A
large volume in combination with stepwise
regulation of heating power results in either too
much or too little power. Outlet oil temperature
variations of up to 10 C are not unusual.
Another factor that limits the suitability of
conventional electric heaters is the uncontrolled
laminar flow distribution of oil inside the heater.
This results in dead pockets and the
consequent obvious risk of fouling and coking of
oil on the elements.
The above mentioned temperature fluctuation of
10 C means that operators may have to
decrease the temperature setpoint to
approximately 90 C in order to avoid the boiling
of water in the untreated oil before separation.
As the optimum separation temperature is
98 C (2 C), this lower setpoint has a direct
negative effect on separation efficiency. It was to
overcome and eliminate these weak points that
Alfa Laval developed the HEATPAC heating
system.
18
1.4.2 HEATPAC system
.
The HEATPAC EHS 62 system is developed to
work with Alfa Laval separation systems. The
HEATPAC EHS 62 system consists of a heater
vessel, and a heater cabinet controlled by the
EPC control system. The heater regulation is
stepless working with Triacks controlling two of
the three phases in the system. This secures a
very exact temperature control and is perfect for
separation systems.
The HEATPC system offers the following
advantages:
Compact and robust heater with minimal
hold-up volume, with few and reliable seals
Specially designed heating elements and
shell for high heat transfer
Infinitely variable electronic temperature
control
Temperature accuracy 1C
Fully automatic operation
Easy to retrofit in existing systems
Resistance to pressure pulsation
The HEATPAC electric heater comprises a
heating element bundle inserted in a pressure
vessel. Mineral oil is fed continuously to the
heater. A baffle plate inside the vessel divides the
flow into two passes.
Fig 1.6 EHM electric heater oil flow
A
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HEATER
SEPARATION
STOP
DISCHARGE
OPACTIVE
ALARM
EPC-50
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1.4.3 Steam installation
The steam installation plays a large part in
securing trouble-free operation of the steam
heater. Operation of the steam heater can be
very difficult if the installation is wrong.
Steam trap
Installation
One of the most important parts of the steam
installation is the steam trap. We recommend a
mechanical steam trap due to the fact that this
opens when there is condensate present. Other
solutions such as thermo-dynamic steam traps
react to temperature and are not suitable for
marine installation.
The steam trap should be mounted underneath
the heater to make sure there is no condensate
accumulation in the heater.
Another important aspect is the height from the
steam trap to the collecting tank. If this height
is over 10m, it can have an effect on the
transportation of the condensate. After the
heater the pressure on the condensate can be as
low as 0,1 bar and if the lifting height is too
high, the heater can be filled with
condensate.This can result in thermal cracking
and internal leakage in the area inside the
heater where there is condensate and hot
steam.The solution is to mount a condensate
pump in the system after the last steam trap.
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SEPARATION
STOP
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OP ACTIVE
ALARM
EPC-50
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1.5 Service Tanks
Fig 1.8 Service tank
Oil from separator
Overflow to settling tank
High Level alarm switch
Low level alarm switch
Steam controller with P type controller
Suction for Booster pumps
Suction for Boliler
Drain
Venting from tank
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1.5.1 Service tank design
An overflow pipe should be installed from the
service tank to the settling tank. The overflow
pipe should be connected to the lower part of the
service tank to recirculate any water that may
find its way into the oil after the separators, due
to condensation, coil leakage, etc. It will also
remove any heavy particles collecting in the
lower part of the tank. If the overflow is mounted
in the top of the tank, all the benevolent lighter
fractions in the oil, will return to the settling
tank and not the heavy fractions that might need
more separation.This feature also helps fulfil the
design requirement to have constant flow
through the cleaning system at all times. It is
not necessary to reduce the flow because of high
level in the clean oil tank.
Heating of heavy fuel is usually provided by
steam, hot water or thermal oil running through
the tanks. The heavy fuel oil temperature must
be regulated by a temperature controller to
minimize temperature fluctuations in the day
tank. Too high a temperature may lead to ageing
(thickening during long term storage), carbon
deposits on the heating surfaces, and excessive
energy consumption.
The fuel should be in a static condition in the
service tank and therefore the effect of the
supply pipe should be minimized by directing the
flow against the upper part of the tank wall.
Thermal insulation of the day tank is useful to
avoid thermal losses and can contribute to a
static condition by eliminating convection
currents.The day tank should have a sloping
bottom to collect the water and sludge.
A sensor should be installed to give a signal
when a high water level is reached, to secure
proper drainage of the day tank. It is
recommended that the clean oil day tank should
also be equipped with a draining arrangement at
the lowest point.
In a modern ship, regular manual draining of the
day tank is considered to be a burden. It is also
difficult to judge how much to drain off.
22
Some operators use a system where the oil in the
service tank is separated when the ship is at
birth, to make sure the service tank is clean.
This is not what Alfa Laval recommends as this
will only clean the service tank.
For all installations with settling and service
tanks this can be solved by the overflow pipe to
the settling tank leading from the bottom of the
service tank. This makes sure that the most
contaminated products are sent back to the
settling tank and once more through the
separator. A system like this secures that the oil
is cleaner in the service tank and in the settling
tank, increasing the efficiency of the whole
separation system.
N
O
T
E
Our recommendation is to clean the service tank at
least once a year, or every time the ship docks. It is
also important to clean the tanks if they have
contained oil with a high cat fines content.
23
1.6 Separation system
The low grade of todays HFO makes it necessary
to have a pre-treatment system and a separation
system in good working in order to obtain an
optimum separation result. It also sets high
demands on the operators of the separation
system. They have to know how to set up the
separators according to the fuel quality.
The complexity of a system with multiple fuel
grades increases the possibility of contamination
of high grade fuel with low grade fuel. Strict
guidelines for how to handle the different grades
of fuel must be made. Mixing a high sulphur fuel
with low sulphur fuel can have devastating
consequences.
This is a schematic drawing of a common
separation system, one settling tank, the
separators with the ancillaries and two service
tanks. A straightforward system that is fairly
easy to operate and in which not much can go
wrong.
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1.6.1 Double fuel tanks
This is a schematic drawing of a more complex
separation system mainly used for operating on
multiple fuel grades.There are two settling
tanks, the separator with the ancillarys and two
service tanks. When operating on fuels with
different sulphur content, it is imperative that
the fuels are not mixed. Low sulphur fuel mixed
into the high sulphur fuel results in higher cost
since the low sulphur fuel is more expensive.
High sulphur oil mixed into low sulphur oil is
more serious. Very little high sulphur oil is
needed to contaminate low sulphur oil since the
low sulphur oil is already on the limit from the
supplier and the oil is then off spec.
Off spec. oil can have severe consequences for the
operators, with different penalties in the
different ports. Some involve jail for the Chief
engineer and captain, others involve high fines
(millions of euro). Some even involve both. Make
sure to give strict and rigorous instructions on
the operation of the system and make sure the
operators are educated and able to understand
the system and instructions.
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1.6.2 ULSMDO/GO
We now have to handle another type of fuel,
ULSMDO/GO and the low sulphur cap and
implications if the fuel becomes off spec.
demands this is done carefully. Since this type of
fuel has to be used for the main engine entering
California and at birth in ECA, to date, the small
separators usually handling the MGO and MDO
fuel are too small and we have to use separators
with higher capacities.
We can use one of the existing HFO separators
for cleaning the ULSMDO. This creates some
handling problems! When changing from HFO,
even LSHFO the piping, pumps and heaters are
filled with the higher sulphur fuel. Getting this
higher sulphur fuel into the ULSMDO, even in
small quantities can make the fuel off spec. and
cause a lot of problems. This means we have to
clean the system by running the ULSMDO into
the HFO tank until the system is clean of any
higher sulphur oil.
The ULSMDO is more unstable and can create
compability problems in the HFO! We also
introduce more valves and consequently have a
more complex system, increasing the possibility
for all kinds of handling problems.
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If we going to use an existing separator for
ULSMDO separation we recommend to use the
standby separator for this purpose. This
separator must then be dedicated to the
ULSMDO treatment only so as not to cause any
problems with the ULSMDO spec.
Make sure to give strict and rigorous
instructions on the operation of the system and
make sure the operators are educated and able
to understand the system and instructions.
Recommendation
Invest in a higher capacity separator to handle
the ULSMDO. This will remove all the problems
associated with using one of the HFO separators
for cleaning. There will be no danger of mixing
fuels and ending up with an off spec. fuel. The
separator used for MDO/MGO can be a purifier
type separator since the density is more stable
and we do not need to change the gravity disc
that often.
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H
27
1.6.3 Primary steps
Settling tank:
Install level switches.
Install temperature control.
Install a sensor for high water level
Pumps:
Install a suitable flow control device (see
chapter 1.2.5).
Check that the return pipe from the three-
way valve is led back to the settling tank
and is not in front of the pump. If it is in the
front of the pump, change it.
Remove the built-on feed pump and install
separate feed pump(s).
Never use the internal safety valve on the
pump for flow control - it will create lots of
problems.
Steam heating system:
Install a P/I temperature control for the
steam heater. Preferably use the built in P/I
controller in the Alfa Laval EPC control
equipment in the separator system.
Check that the steam valve is neither over
dimensioned or under dimensioned.
Check that a mechanical float-type steam
trap is fitted and in the right position.
Set the temperature set point at 98 C and
check that this temperature is reached and
remains constant.
Electric heating system:
Install a stepless electronic temperature
control system, Preferably the Alfa Laval
EPC system.
Establish the temperature set point at 98 C
and check that this temperature is reached.
Separator inlet temperature should not
deviate by more than 2 C.
28
Separators
Use self-cleaning type separators only.
Use the stand-by separator for parallel
operation. Install a separate small separator
for DO.
Preferably use ALCAP separators in parallel
for best results and lower maintenance time.
Operating water system:
Check the operating water system. If it does not
meet the recommendations for the separator, it
is strongly suggested that action be taken to
meet these recommendations. This is one of the
major causes of malfunction of self-cleaning
separators. Be aware of growth in old pipes.
After a number of years all water pipes have
mineral growth inside reducing the pipe
diameter and thereby the flow of water. Always
check the piping during upgrading to new
equipment.
1.6.4 Further steps
Replace the regular electric or steam heater
with a complete HEATPAC System.
Set the discharge frequency according to the
recommendations and fuel quality.
Check that sludge pipes are vertical, or max.
30 from the vertical without sharp bends,
etc.
Check that the sludge tank ventilation is
correctly dimensioned and installed, see
installation instructions in the service
manual for the specific separator.
Be aware that the proper equipment,
wrongly installed, not will do the required
job!
29
1.6.5 Conclusions
Experience and future trends indicate that there
is an increasing need for efficient and reliable
fuel and lube oil treatment on board ships -
whether existing operational ships or projected
new buildings.
There are numerous factors that must be
considered and various actions that can be taken
to upgrade existing installations or designs.
Our basic recommendations can be summarized
as follows:
Install the best equipment to ensure
reliable, efficient operation.
Consider life-cycle costs when specifying
new equipment and modifications.
Apply a systems approach to the selection
and installation of the equipment. Alfa
Laval Separation, with its worldwide
marketing and service organization, is at the
customers disposal to assist with any level
of upgrading of an existing separator
installation.
30
31
DNVPS / ALFA LAVAL FUEL OIL TREATMENT 2 SEPARATION
2 Separation
2.1 Introduction
The purpose of separation can be:
To free a liquid from solid particles, e.g.
sludge in lube oil.
To separate two mutually insoluble liquids
with different densities while removing any
solids present at the same time, e.g. bunker
oil.
To separate and concentrate solid particles
from a liquid, e.g. the content in a sludge
tank.
In Marine installations, water and solids are
removed from fuel oil and lube oil.
In fuel oil, the percentage of water and solids can
vary from batch to batch. Whenever you change
to another bunker tank, the physical character of
the oil may differ. It may be necessary to make
some changes to reach optimum separation
depending on the separator installation.
2.1.1 Separation by gravity
A liquid mixture in a stationary tank will clear
slowly as the heavy particles in the liquid
mixture sink to the bottom under the influence
of gravity, 1 g.
A lighter liquid (e.g. oil) rises while a heavier
liquid (e.g. water) sinks.
Continuous separation of sludge can be achieved
in a settling tank with outlets arranged
according to the difference in density of the
liquids.
Heavier particles in the liquid mixture will settle
and form a layer on the tank bottom.To increase
the efficiency in the tank we add buffer plates to
reduce the distance for the particles to travel and
thereby increasing the efficiency.
2 SEPARATION DNVPS / ALFA LAVAL FUEL OIL TREATMENT
32
2.2 Continuous separation
Accelerating the process
Virtually all branches of industry need to
separate different liquids and solids at some
point in their manufacturing processes.
Alfa Laval has well over a century of experience
in meeting these requirements using different
kinds of centrifuge technology.
The basic centrifuge idea is based on what
happens in a settling tank, in which particles,
sediment and solids gradually fall to the
bottom, and the liquid phases of different
density separate due to the force of gravity.
However, such clarification is an extremely slow
process and is unable to meet industry's needs
for rapid, controllable results. The general idea
behind centrifuges is therefore to ensure that
the mechanical separation of different liquid
phases and solids can be carried out on a rapid,
continuous basis in order to meet the demands
associated with modern industrial processes.
Fig 2.1 Tank with oil, water and solids
In essence, a centrifuge is a settling tank whose
base is wrapped around a centre line. Rotating
this entire unit rapidly means that the effect of
gravity is replaced by a controllable centrifugal
force that can have an effect up to 10,000 times
greater.
This force is then used to separate liquids from
other liquids and solids efficiently and with
great accuracy, and in a manner that is easy to
control
Fig 2.2 Tank with buffer plates
I
0
0
1
0
6
8
A
I
0
0
1
0
6
8
B
33
Centrifugal separation
In fuel oil, the percentage of water and solids can
vary from batch to batch. Whenever you change
to another bunker tank the physical character of
the oil may differ. It may be necessary to make
some changes to reach optimum separation
depending on the separator installation.
See chapter 2.4 Running the separator.
The discs must be kept clean. If the small
distances between the discs are reduced due to
dirt, the flow speed between the discs will
increase and the separation effect will be
reduced.
Types of centrifuge
There are several different basic types of
centrifuge normally used in industrial
separation.
Disc stack centrifuges are ideal for a wide range
of separation tasks that involve lower
concentrations of solids and smaller particle and
droplet sizes. This applies to both liquid-liquid
and liquid-solid separation.
The most difficult separation tasks can often
involve three phases, where there is hardly any
difference in the densities of the separate liquid
phases and where the particles to be separated
are very small in size. In such applications, no
other technology can compete with disc stack
centrifuge technology.
In a rapidly rotating bowl, the force of gravity is
replaced by centrifugal force, which can be
thousands of times greater. Separation of
sludge is continuous and fast. The centrifugal
force in the separator bowl can in a few seconds
achieve what takes many hours in a tank under
the influence of gravity.
In the new S-type separators with up to 13000
rpm, the G-force in the bowl can reach up to
7000 G.
In the marine installations water and solids are
removed from fuel oil and lube oil.
Fig 2.3 Rotating bowl
0
6
8
C
34
Typical marine separators are;
MAPX; Older type of conventional separator
with an MRC (Maximum rated capacity)
varying from 900 to 7300 l/h depending on
the installation and application. Water
outlet is open. Can be used for both lube oil
and fuel oil.
MOPX; same as the MAPX with an MRC
from 6900 to 21500 l/h.
WHPX: Same as the two earlier mentioned
with an MRC from 4700 to 29400 l/h. The
WHPX separator can also be rebuilt to an
ALCAP machine with a conversion kit.
MMPX; Conventional separator with an
MRC varying from 1700 to 2900 l/h
depending on the installation and
application. Water outlet is open.
FOPX and MFPX ALCAP HFO separators
with the water outlet closed. The capacity
varies from 850 to 15200 l/h. These
separators are only for fuel oil and cannot be
used in a lube oil system.
LOPX: ALCAP separators with no water
outlet. This means that the water handling
capacity is very low and can thereby only be
utilised in lube oil systems. The capacity
varies from 1800 to 9600 l/h.
MAB; small size separator ideal for diesel oil
and smaller fishing vessels
S separators, the newest ALCAP separators
in Alfa Laval portfolio. Ideal for HFO, Lube
oil and diesel oil cleaning. Applicable for all
flow requirements.
35
2.2.1 How a disc stack centrifuge
works
A disc stack centrifuge separates solids and one
or two liquid phases from each other in one
single continuous process, using extremely high
centrifugal forces.
When the denser solids are subjected to such
forces, they are forced outwards against the
rotating bowl wall, while the less dense liquid
phases form concentric inner layers.
The area where these two different liquid phases
meet is called the interface position. This can be
easily varied in order to ensure that the
separation takes place with maximum efficiency.
Inserting special plates (the "disc stack")
provides additional surface settling area, which
contributes to speeding up the separation
process dramatically.
It is the particular configuration, shape and
design of these plates that make it possible for a
disc stack centrifuge to undertake the
continuous separation of a wide range of
different solids from either one or two liquids.
The concentrated solids phase formed by the
particles can be removed continuously,
intermittently or manually, depending on
centrifuge type and the amount of solids
involved in the specific application.
The clarified liquid phases overflow close to the
rotating axis, in the outlet area on top of the
bowl. The liquids then flow into separate
chambers. Each separated liquid phase then
leaves the bowl due to the force of gravity or by
means of a paring disc, which is a special
pumping device. The chambers can be sealed off
from each other to prevent any risk of cross-
contamination.
36
2.2.2 Disc stack centrifuge sections.
Inlet zone
The inlet zone accelerates the process liquid up
to the speed of the rotating bowl. A properly
designed inlet zone makes sure that the feed
solids and liquids are not degraded or affected in
any other way. Good inlet design also prevents
foaming, reduces the sheer forces in the product,
minimizes temperature increases and avoids
disturbance of the separation processes taking
place in the bowl.
A number of different inlet configurations are
available for Alfa Laval disc stack centrifuges,
each designed to ensure maximum performance
in conjunction with a specific process.
Disc stack area
The key to good separation performance lies in
the efficiency of the disc stack, which is the heart
of the centrifuge. The design of the disc is
therefore crucial.
Alfa Laval has the expertise needed to match the
demands associated with specific industrial
processes by providing particular disc stack
configurations that ensure a flow evenly spread
among the discs, along with an optimized flow
pattern in the disc stack itself. The layout and
design of the distribution holes also have a
crucial influence on good performance. These
ensure that the process flow is evenly spread
among all the discs, for the most efficient results.
Inside the disc stack.
Inside the disc stack there is two forces working
on the particle, flow and G force. The flow is
decided by the size of the pump. In a HFO
system there can also be a constant flow system;
see chapter 1.3. The other force working is G
force. The G force inside the bowl is decided by
the bowl size and RPM and can reach forces up
to 7000 G.
37
.
It is important that all separator installations
are designed for to the oil type used. An
installation running on IF 60 needs a different
installation than an installation on HFO 380.
If we look inside the disc stack, between the
discs, there is a distance of between 0.5 and 0.8
mm, and it is here forces come into play.
In this area between the discs we have a flow
that creates a parabolic velocity profile i.e. the
forces of the flow are higher in the middle
between the discs than on the disc surface.
If we compare this with a river, you often see
the rapid flow in the middle whereas near the
banks the water is almost standing still.
We utilize this in the separation process. We try
to move the particles we need to remove into the
area where the flow is at its lowest in the
shortest distance possible.
Fig 2.4 Flow between discs
This means that the faster we can move the
particles up underneath the disc the easier it is
to remove them.
When a particle is moved underneath the disc,
the G-force vector is higher than the flow vector
and the particle will move outwards to the
periphery of the bowl (see drawing), collecting
in the sludge area.
If you have ever cleaned a disc stack, you will
have noticed that there is more dirt under the
discs than on top of the discs. This is the reason.
If the flow is too high, however, the particles
will travel further inside the disc stack and
possibly through the disc stack. The oil is then
not cleaned properly
Fig 2.5 Particle movement
0,5 - 0,8 mm
I
0
0
1
0
5
9
I
0
0
1
0
6
7
38
Liquid discharge section
Once separated, the liquid must often be
conveyed out of the centrifuge as delicately as
possible. In some applications, it is important
that oxygen pick-up is kept to a minimum, and
that temperature increases in the liquid must be
avoided in order to prevent problems later in the
process. Alfa Laval has designed solutions to
these and many other detailed requirements, in
order to provide our customers with the best
possible process conditions for their operations.
The most straightforward way of discharging the
liquid phases is the use of open outlets.
In most applications, however, a positive
pressure is needed. This is created by a
stationary paring disc with specially designed
channels. This disc decelerates the rotating
liquid and transforms the kinetic energy into
pressure, thus pushing the liquid out of the
centrifuge via the channels in the disc. The
pressure needed for the particular process is
normally regulated by a valve on the outlet.
Solids discharge section
There are three basic ways of removing the
solids from disc stack centrifuges
continuous solids discharge, in which solids
and liquids exit via nozzles in the periphery
intermittent solids discharge, in which a
carefully designed system opens ports in the
bowl periphery at controlled intervals in
order to remove the collected solids
manual removal, in which the machine is
stopped and the bowl is opened so that the
collected solids can be removed manually.
The solution most appropriate for a particular
application depends on a combination of factors.
The most important of these are the amount of
solids in the liquid, the nature of the particular
application, and the consistency of the solids
once they have been separated.
39
Separator system
Naturally, the overall efficiency of a disc stack
centrifuge as part of a production set-up is
heavily dependent on many other ancillary
systems and equipment.
Unparalleled experience means that Alfa Laval
has a unique capability for providing all the
necessary equipment to achieve maximum
efficiency in the continuous separation of
different liquid phases and solids in countless
industrial processes.
This can be done on the basis of highly efficient,
standardised equipment packages and fully
tested modular units, or specially customized
disc stack centrifuge installations to meet
individual liquid-liquid and liquid-solid
separation requirements.
40
2.3 Fuel and lubricating
oils
To understand the challenges of cleaning fuel
and lubricating oil, one must put into context the
different types of oil, their characteristics and
contaminants that must be separated from the
oils to ensure high performance and long service
intervals of marine and diesel engines.
The quality of the fuel and lubricating oils varies
widely, depending on the grade and processing of
fuel and lubricating oils. Some may contain
higher levels of contaminants, such as water and
abrasive solids, while others contain lower
levels.
Efficient cleaning of all fuel and lubricating oils
is essential to achieve reliable and economical
operation of diesel engines and other equipment.
Fuel oil
Diesel engines generally burn residual, or heavy
fuel oils. For marine installations, fuel is
purchased in different locations as the ship sails
from port to port. Mixing heavy fuels with highly
diverse compositions can lead to incompatibility
problems, causing instability.
Such instability problems are particularly severe
for heavy fuel oil because of the diverse refining
processes used to produce it.
Heavy fuel oil is essentially a refinery by-
product. After the most valuable fractions of
crude oil have been extracted, the remains are
processed further to recover what is known as
heavy fuel oil, a cheap source of energy - and one
that is not manufactured according to
specifications.
The ISO 8217 2005 Fuel Standard specifies a
number of physical and chemical limitations for
marine fuels, but does not define several critical
characteristics that are essential for separation.
Density, or more specifically the difference in
density between the water and oil to be
separated, is a critical parameter for effective
cleaning of fuel oil.
41
Because it is a residue, heavy fuel oil typically is
a high density fraction that contains the heaviest
components. In the heaviest types of residual oil,
the difference in density is so great that it is
impossible to clean the oil using a gravity disc
type purifier. This was one of the driving forces
behind the development of the ALCAP system.
Catalytic fines;
Catalytic fines are the most harmful of all
substances in heavy fuel oil. These are
fragments of a catalyst added to the oil to
optimize the refining process. Composed of solid
particles of aluminium and silicon compounds,
catalytic fines are almost as hard as diamonds
and vary in size from sub-micron to
approximately 50 . If allowed to enter the
engine, catalytic fines wear down engine
components - sometimes causing considerable
damage within a few hours. For more
information about catalytic fines and how to
separate them from fuel oil, ask your Alfa Laval
representative for a copy of "Marine diesel
engines, catalytic fines and a new standard to
ensure safe operation," (Ref. No. EMD00078EN)
written by Alfa Laval, BP Marine and MAN
B&W Diesel. There is also a copy of this in the
thumb drive presented on this course.
Low sulphur fuel
Environmental considerations have led to the
increased use of fuels with low sulphur content.
In certain regions known as sulphur emission
control areas or SECA the maximum allowable
content of sulphur in the fuel is 1.5 percent in
HFO. Few heavy fuel oils satisfy this stringent
limit without further mixing or processing to
remove sulphur, which causes the oil
characteristics to change. This processing of oil
increases the risk of making the heavy fuel oil
incompatible with the heavy fuel oil that has not
been de-sulphurize and, for economical reasons,
may be burned outside SECA. In addition, low
sulphur fuel tends to contain more catalytic fines
than ordinary heavy fuel oil, even though low
sulphur fuel may have a lower viscosity. See
DNVPS presentation for more information
42
Distillate and marine diesel oil
Distillate and marine diesel oils generally are
more uniform in nature than heavy fuel oil. The
main differences can be attributed to the origin
of the oils. Refining processes have less of an
impact on the characteristics of marine diesel oil
and distillates than on those of heavy fuel oils.
In addition, marine diesel oils and distillates
typically do not contain any emulsifying
compounds, which can make the separation of
heavy fuel oil difficult. Thanks to lower and more
consistent densities, distillate and marine diesel
oils are considered to be far easier to clean using
centrifugal separation than heavy fuel oils.
Lubricating oil
Lubricating oils for diesel engines in ships and
power plants are essential for operation.
Keeping lubricating oil clean by means of
separation helps prevent the accumulation of
substances that increase viscosity as well as any
solid particles that can cause engine wear and
pose the risk of very expensive replacement
costs.
In general, there are two basic types of diesel
engines that require lubricating oil: the trunk
engine and the cross-head engine.
Trunk engines
There are two types of trunk engines, which are
also called four-stroke engines:
1. The medium speed engine that runs at
between roughly 300 and 600 rpm.
2. The high speed engine that operates at
between 600 and 2000 rpm or higher.
The lubricating oil used in trunk engines is
prone to contamination from blow-by, which is a
leaking gas stream from the combustion
chamber to the oil sump that contains
remainders of burned fuel and lubricating oil.
43
Contaminants that result from blow-by, such as
particles of soot and other partly burned
hydrocarbons, must therefore be removed from
lubricating oil. In addition, calcium sulphate or
gypsum forms as a result of the reaction between
sulphur in the fuel and the neutralizing calcium-
based base number (BN) additives in the
lubricating oil, and comprises a major portion of
the resulting sludge. The BN additives are
important for preventing the formation of
sulphuric acid and thus protect against acidic, or
cold corrosion.
Cross-head engines
Called long-stroke or two-stroke engines,
crosshead engines operate at lower speeds than
trunk engines, generally between 90 and 200
rpm. Larger than trunk engines, crosshead
engines burn more fuel per stroke, and are
capable of producing more power.
System oils in crosshead engines are, however,
less susceptible to contamination than those in
trunk engines due to the crosshead engine's
stuffing box. The stuffing box is a seal that
surrounds the piston rod and protects the oil
sump from contamination due to leaks from the
combustion chamber.
Contaminants in the lubricating oil of crosshead
engines are therefore less advanced in
composition than those found in the lubricating
oil of trunk engines.
Box oil is highly contaminated oil, which is
emptied through the drain in the stuffing box.
This ensures that box oil does not mix with
system oil. Highly alkaline lubricants used
between the cylinders and cylinder liners, called
cylinder oil, are added separately.
Any leaking oil together with remainders of oil
burned during the combustion process is drained
as box oil. Water is another contaminant found
in engine lubricants.
Water may result from condensate that forms
when the engine is not in operation or originate
from accidental leaks.
44
Because lubricating oil contains dispersants and
detergents, it easily emulsifies water. More
importantly, some BN additives may deteriorate
in the presence of water. It is therefore
important to keep the water content in the
lubricating oil system at the lowest possible
level.
An essential application
Separating lubricating oil is a relatively
straightforward but essential application,
thanks to defined oil density and constant
system conditions. Separation is recommended
during engine operation. It is also recommended
for short periods while the engine is not in
operation in order to prevent condensate build-
up and the formation of water, which can
compromise operation when the engine is put
into service.
45
2.4 Running the separator.
2.4.1 Conventional separators,
Purifier/Clarifier.
Conventional cleaning plants are based on
purifier/clarifier type separators. Practical
operation has confirmed that the maximum
density limit for fuel oil is 991 kg/m3 at 15 C.
If this limit is exceeded at bunkering,
operational difficulties with the cleaning plant
will arise along with the obvious risks for
unreliable engine operation or excessive engine
wear.
Consequently, the density of available fuel oils
can restrict the use of purifier type separators.
However, for lighter marine diesel oils and
lubricating oils, conventional purifiers are
suitable.
The use of conventional purifiers is limited using
the gravity disc:
It restricts the use of diesel engine fuels to
those with a maximum density of 991 kg/m3 at
15 C.
Optimum separation depends on selecting
the correct gravity disc, which corresponds to
the prevailing density, viscosity, feed flow rate
and temperature.
To ensure satisfactory cleaning a second
separator may be required in series.
This means a separation system consisting of
a purifier followed by a clarifier.
46
2.4.2 Separation results with
purifiers
To achieve optimum separation results using
conventional purifiers/clarifiers, the interface
between the oil and water in the bowl must be
located outside the disc stack but inside the top
disc. The position of the interface is adjusted by
means of a gravity disc. To get the correct
interface position the purifier must be fitted
with a correctly sized gravity disc.
With higher fuel densities, maintaining
optimum separation results by means of gravity
discs becomes increasingly difficult. Factors
that affect the interface position are - changes
in oil density, viscosity, feed flow rate, and
temperature. With increasing fuel density, the
interface position becomes progressively more
sensitive to these factors. This easily leads to a
situation where the interface is not in the
correct position:
Fig 2.6 Interface in normal position
I
0
0
1
0
6
3
A
47
If the interface moves too far away from the
centre, the result is a broken water seal. This
means that oil escapes via the water outlet and
is lost. This scenario gives a low pressure in oil
outlet alarm.
This is caused by one or several of the following:
Gravity disc is too large
Density of the oil increases
Viscosity of the oil increases
Flow rate increases
Temperature of the oil decreases
Dirty disc stack
This scenario is not dangerous since there is an
alarm indication that something is wrong in the
bowl. The only way to avoid this is to always
have the right gravity disc in the bowl. This
means a lot of work for the operator, and that he
must have good knowledge of the separator
system.
Fig 2.7 Interface outside the top disc
I
0
0
1
0
6
3
C
48
If the oil density is changed and there are no
alarms, or if there are no alarms at all, this is a
certain indication that something is wrong.
If you suspect that there is something wrong,
carry out the test in chapter 2.5 Basic
operation. This is not accurate, but will give an
indication.
We strongly recommend that the disc size is
checked to make sure you have the right gravity
disc, follow the description in chapter 2.5.2 How
to find the right gravity disc.
If the interface moves too close to the centre,
water blocks the upper part of the disc stack,
and the lower part of the disc stack become
overloaded. This results in poor separation
efficiency.
This is caused by one or several of the following:
Gravity disc is too small
Density of the oil decreases
Viscosity of the oil decreases
Flow rate decreases
Temperature of the oil increase
This scenario is the most dangerous since there
is no alarm to indicate that something is wrong
in the bowl. The separator will keep on going
but the oil will not be cleaned.
The only way to avoid this is to always have the
right gravity disc in the bowl. This means a lot
of work for the operator, and that he must have
good knowledge of the separator system.
Fig 2.8 Interface into the disc stack
I
0
0
1
0
6
3
B
49
2.4.3 Cleaning intervals
Cleaning the separator at certain intervals is
imperative for the high efficiency of the
separator. Cleaning intervals are NOT the same
as service intervals. Cleaning intervals in the
separator depend on the oil passing through the
separator. If separating light HFO or gas/diesel
oil less cleaning is needed than for HFO.
Determining the right cleaning interval is done
by experience; know the system and the
contamination in the oil you are separating. We
recommend using the CIP unit for the cleaning.
This will reduce the veer on the bowl parts and
seal rings. It will also reduce the down time on
the separator and work force needed so that they
can do other work. See the manual for correct
procedure to find right cleaning intervals.
50
Limitations common to conventional
clarifiers.
Oil losses and limited water handling capability
are the basic problems encountered when
treating fuel oil of any density in a clarifier.
Clarifiers are not to be installed for single stage
operation but should always be preceded by a
purifier.
Oil losses
When operating a separator in clarifier mode, no
displacement water is added prior to sludge
discharge. Therefore, not only sludge and
separated water are discharged, but a certain
volume of oil is also discharged.
Limited water handling capability
For optimum separation efficiency, separated
water must not enter the disc stack. The
separated water can only be discharged with the
sludge through the sludge ports at the bowl
periphery since the water outlet is closed in a
conventional clarifier.
51
2.5 Basic operation
The conventional purifier is much more labour
intense than an ALCAP separator. It is
important that the gravity disc on a purifier is
the right size all the time. When bunker tanks
are changed, the gravity disc has to be
controlled. The gravity disc decides the interface
between water and oil and has to be in a certain
position, see chapter 2.4.2 for more information.
One of the most common mistakes made is to fit
the clarifier disc in the separator because then
there are no alarms for broken water seal. This
will only change the separator into a pump with
no separation effect on the oil, and the operator
will have no control over the process.
To check if the interface is in the right position
on a purifier, slowly close the counter pressure
valve until water and eventually oil come out of
the water outlet. If the oil is coming out very fast
in the water outlet the interface is most likely in
the right position. If the oil comes after a high
pressure increase or not at all, the gravity disc is
most likely too small. This is not an exact test
method. The only way to be sure if the gravity
disc is correct is to increase the size until the
water seal breaks, and then reduce size by one,
see chapter 2.5.2 for more information.
The most important issue is to keep the bowl
clean at all times, especially the disc stack. The
intervals between cleaning can vary from fuel
batch to fuel batch. There is great variation in
the oil and some fuels can be almost impossible
to treat. See DNVPS documentation for further
information.
In a purifier system the temperature of the oil is
very important. If the temperature changes the
interface will also change, and if the interface is
moved too much, the water seal will break or be
moved into the disc stack. The temperature is
also important for the efficiency, so securing a
stable temperature is one of the most important
parameters in the separation process. Make sure
that the heater system is in perfect operating
order and use a P/ I control type, preferably the
EPC controller in the separator system, to
prevent alarms from temperature variations.
52
If the separator is in clarifier mode, operated in
series with a purifier, the same rules for
cleanliness apply. However there is no water seal
and temperature is not that important since
there is no interface to consider. It is still
important that conditioning water is added after
a discharge to keep the sludge in a liquid state.
53
2.5.1 Purifier/ Clarifier limitations
All conventional separators after 1985 have a
density limit at 991 kg/m.
In lubricating oil cleaning systems a clarifier
type separator may not be used for the following
reason:
Calcium sulphate is a product of neutralizing
sulphuric acid when it forms in the engine. The
acid, of course, arises through the burning of fuel
that contains sulphur. Some of the sulphur is
converted to sulphuric acid. Most marine engine
lubricants are over-based, meaning that they
contain calcium carbonate, which is a base. The
reaction of calcium carbonate with sulphuric
acid results in calcium sulphate, water and
carbon dioxide. Gypsum is a hydrated form of
calcium sulphate, CaSO4*2H2O, and there is
usually a fair amount of water in the oil.
This gypsum will dry out due to the lack of water
in a clarifier (no water seal, therefore no water is
added into the bowl at start-up) and will
subsequently create a risk of only partial
removal of sludge during a sludge discharge
sequence.
If only a part of the sludge cake is discharged,
the remainder of the sludge in the bowl may be
distributed unevenly and the result will be a
severe unbalance of the bowl - a heavy side
unbalance.
This can lead to severe damage to the separator
and to injury of personnel operating the
separator.
As for the LOPX or S type separators, which are
basically clarifiers, this risk is eliminated by the
introduction of conditioning water into the bowl.
N
O
T
E
Separators from before 1985 have a density
limit at 985 kg/m. This is important to
know when you order fuel as otherwise the
separator might not be able to handle the
oil.
54
Conditioning water is fed into the bowl prior to
the opening of the oil feed valves. This water will
create a thin layer in the bowl periphery and all
the sludge removed from the oil will have to pass
through this water layer, where it will absorb a
little water and thus obtain a soft consistency.
It will not dry out and there will be no risk of
gypsum formation and heavy side unbalance.
55
2.5.2 How to find the right Gravity
disc
As an aid, use the nomogram to find the correct
gravity disc. It can be used when the density of
the oil at a temperature of 15 C is known.
However, note that the nomogram is purely
theoretical. In practical operation, practice the
following general rule:
Fit a gravity disc one size larger than the
recommended in the nomogram.
Run the separator.
Observe if oil flows through the water outlet.
If Yes, stop the separator and fit the gravity
disc next size down.
If No, stop the separator and fit the gravity
disc next size up.
Repeat steps above until you find the gravity
disc with the largest hole diameter without
breaking the water seal. Now you have the right
gravity disc for this oil.
Fig 2.9 Nomogram

0,75
0,80
0,85

0,90

0,95

1,00

0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Max. 45,8
48,7
47,3
50,1
51,5
53,3
55,5
58,2
61,6
65,8
70,9
77
60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 212
C
o
o
F
800
850
900
950
991
1000
I
II
kg/m
3
20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Q m
3
/h
O (mm)
T
D
I
0
0
1
0
6
5
56
2.6 Operation on off-spec
fuel.
2.6.1 Normal operation
The illustration shows the normal way to run
conventional separators.
If we follow the oil flow in this system (in blue)
we can see that the oil first enters the purifier,
then the clarifier, then is led to the service tank.
Operating in this way means the same oil is
going through two separators before going to the
service tank. Both separators are discharging
meaning we have higher sludge production per
litre oil cleaned through separators working in
series than working in parallel.
We will also consume more electricity and
thereby more fuel via aux engines hence more
expensive operation. It also means more labour
and more down time on the system, since you
cannot run one of the separators and stop the
other.
57
2.6.2 High density oil
If we have to treat oil with higher density than
the separator limit, we can use the separators as
clarifiers in parallel. This means changing the
gravity disc to clarifier disc and splitting the flow
through two separators.
This can only be done if the water level in the oil
is very low, since the clarifier has low water
handling capacity and only removes water
through discharge. The discharge time has to be
set to 10 min to make sure that any water in the
bowl is removed.
CLARIFIER CLARIFIER
58
2.6.3 High catfines oil
If we have HFO with high contamination of cat
fines we can set up the separators to maximise
the efficiency of the separation. We split the flow
through two separators to reduce the flow and
increase the time for the oil in the separators. We
should reduce the flow to consumption and if the
oil is heavily contaminated maybe less. The first
thing we should do is to make sure that the
separator bowl is clean so that the separating
conditions are as good as possible. Make sure
that the gravity disc installed is the correct one
for the oil so that the interface is as far away
from the disc stack as possible.
PURIFIER PURIFIER
59
2.7 Alcap technology
2.7.1 ALCAP separators
The ALCAP separator is much less labour
intense than the conventional separators. There
is no gravity disc and thereby no water seal to
consider. This makes the separator much less
dependent on oil and temperature changes.
There is no need to check the separator after
changing bunker tanks in regards to oil density.
The temperature is still important due to the
impact on the separation efficiency.
In an ALCAP system one of the benefits is the
continuous monitoring of the cleaned oil. This
means that changes in the oil/water content are
detected in the system, and when the alarm is
given there is most likely something wrong in
the system. We have found many times that the
alarms are reset without any action from the
operator and the same alarm repeats itself.
When there is an alarm, make sure to check
what the alarm means and act accordingly. It is
important that the operators are educated to a
level where they are familiar with the separator
and system functions and limitations.
The most important issue is still to keep the bowl
clean at all times, especially the disc stack. The
intervals between cleaning can vary from fuel
batch to fuel batch and will vary from
installation to installation, see recommendations
in the service manual. There is great variation in
the oil and some fuels can be almost impossible
to treat, see DNVPS documentation.
On the LOPX and FOPX separators we have
what is known as partial discharge. We only
discharge a small part of the bowl content - the
sludge area, with the flow on. On the S-type
separators we discharge the whole bowl content
with the flow off, after replacing the oil with
water. This keeps the disc stack cleaner.
There are many advantages with the ALCAP
system and our recommendation is to upgrade to
the ALCAP system to secure the best possible oil
quality and the lowest possible labour.
60
2.7.2 Operating principle
In 1983, Alfa Laval introduced the ALCAP
technology in response to the need for a reliable
method to separate impurities from the heaviest
fuel oils with densities above the maximum
density limit for fuel oil handled by conventional
purifiers.
Conventional purifiers handle fuel oil densities
of up to 991 kg/m
3
at 15 C and require manual
adjustment of the gravity disc to achieve
optimum separation results.
Computer-driven Alcap separators handle fuel
oil densities of up to 1010 kg/m3 at 15 C,
automatically adjusting operation to the nature
of the oil.
This section describes the fuel and lubricating oil
cleaning process using ALCAP separators.
Dirty, pre-heated oil is continuously fed to the
ALCAP separator, which essentially operates as
a clarifier, with the ability to remove water.
Clean oil is continuously discharged from the
clean oil outlet. Separated sludge and water
accumulate at the periphery of the bowl. When
separated water approaches the disc stack,
traces of water start to escape with the cleaned
oil. This minor increase in water content of the
cleaned oil is detected by the transducer WT 200,
which is installed in the clean oil outlet.
Increased water content in the cleaned oil is a
sign of reduced separation efficiency not only of
water, but of solid particles too.
The transducer continuously measures changes
in water content. No absolute values of water
content or volume are involved. The transducer
measures the deviation from a non-calibrated
reference value and transmits a signal to the
EPC process controller for interpretation.
Measurements that fall within the permissible
deviation values are known as the trigger range.
The EPC process controller stores a new
reference value after the transducer stabilizing
time that follows every sludge discharge
sequence has elapsed.
61
During the reference time the best possible
separation result is obtained. This gives the
separator time to establish the interface between
oil and water.
At the trigger point, which is when the water
content in cleaned oil reaches its maximum
allowable deviation of approximately 0.2 percent
in water content, the EPC process controller
initiates an automatic discharge of the water
that has accumulated in the separator bowl.
Depending on the amount of water in the oil,
water is discharged either through the water
drain valve, or with the sludge through the
sludge ports at the periphery of the bowl.
2.7.3 Application
The WT 200/MT 50 water transducer is used to
monitor the water content in the processed oil
leaving a separator. The signal from the water
transducer is processed in the EPC program
unit, and appropriate action is initiated,
depending on the status in the separation
system.
2.7.4 Design
The water transducer consists of a housing (2),
a concentric electrode (4), and an electrical
connection box fitted to the housing. The box
contains a test circuit board (1) and
connections. The electrode is insulated (3) from
the housing and forms a circular capacitor. The
transducer is mounted in the oil pipe by flanges
on the outer pipe, and the full oil flow passes
through the capacitor.
Fig 2.10 Water transducer
1 Test circuit board
2 Transducer housing
3 Insulators
4 Electrode
I
0
0
1
0
5
0
D
1
4
3
3
2
62
2.7.5 Working Principle
The EPC supplies direct current (DC) to the
transducer. The oscillator converts the DC to a
high frequency alternating current (AC) which is
fed to the capacitor. Changes of capacitance are
detected and continuously transmitted to and
interpreted by the EPC.
The capacitance varies with the dielectric
constant of the liquid flowing through it. As the
water content in the oil increases, so does the
dielectric constant, and consequently its
capacitance.
There is a large difference between the dielectric
constant of water and oil. Hence fluctuations in
dielectric constant is a very sensitive measure of
changes in water content. Both free and
emulsified water contamination are measured.
Dielectric constant
(Approximate values)
Mineral oil: 2 6
Water: 90 95
63
2.7.6 Transducer WT 200 operating
principle in EPC 400
Fuel oil system.
Dirty oil is continuously fed to the FOPX/MFPX
separator. The flow of oil is not interrupted when
sludge and/or water is discharged.
The FOPX/MFPX separator basically operates as
a clarifier. Clean oil is continuously discharged
from the clean oil outlet. Separated sludge and
water accumulate at the periphery of the bowl.
When separated water approaches the disc
stack, some droplets of water start to escape with
the cleaned oil. The small increase of the water
content in the cleaned oil is then immediately
sensed by the water transducer, installed in the
clean oil outlet. Increased water content in the
cleaned oil is the significant sign of reduced
separation efficiency of not only water but solid
particles too.
The signal from the water transducer is
continuously transmitted to and interpreted by
the EPC-400 control unit. Note that only
changes in water content are measured, no
absolute values of water content are involved. It
is the deviation of the water transducer signal
from a non-calibrated reference value that is
measured. The allowed deviation range is the
trigger range.
A new reference value is stored by the EPC-400
control unit during the reference time that
follows every sludge discharge sequence, see Fig.
2.11.
64
During the reference time the best possible
separation result is obtained. The trigger point is
reached when the water transducer signal has
reached its maximum allowable deviation. This
is when the water content deviation equals about
0.2%.
When the water content in the cleaned oil
reaches the trigger point, 100% on the Trigger
range, the EPC-400 unit will initiate an
automatic discharge of the water that has
accumulated in the FOPX/MFPX bowl. The
water is discharged in one of two ways:
with the sludge through the sludge ports at the
periphery of the bowl
or through the water drain valve
When the separated water approaches the disc
stack within a preset minimum time between
sludge discharges set to 10 minutes, the water
transducer signal triggers the EPC-400 unit to
open the water drain valve, V5, to drain
accumulated water from the FOPX/MFPX bowl,
see Fig.2.12.
Fig 2.11 EPC 400 trigger range
100%
Separation period Ref. time Ref. Time
D
i
s
c
h
a
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g
e

s
e
q
u
e
n
c
e
.

F
e
e
d

O
n
Transducer value
0,2% increace
in dialectic value
Trigger range
M
i
n

S
e
p
a
r
a
t
i
o
n

p
e
r
i
o
d
.
M
i
n

S
e
p
a
r
a
t
i
o
n

p
e
r
i
o
d
.
Separation period
I
0
0
1
0
6
1
65
This may occur several times within the
minimum time between sludge discharges, see
Fig. 2.3
When the separated water reaches the disc stack
after this minimum time has elapsed, the water
transducer signal triggers the EPC-400 unit to
initiate a sludge discharge sequence, thus
discharging the accumulated water together
with the sludge and solid particles. See Fig. 2.14.
Fig 2.12 Trigger during pre-set separation period
Fig 2.13 Several triggering during pre-set separation period
V5 closing
100%
Ref. time Separation period Min Sep. period
Stored reference
Trigger point
V5 opening
P
0
0
1
0
6
0
A
V5 closing
100%
Ref. time Separation period Min Sep. period
Trigger point
V5 opening
Stored reference
I
0
0
1
0
6
0
B
66
If the water content of the dirty oil is extremely
low, the separated water will not reach the disc
stack within the preset maximum time between
sludge discharges. A sludge discharge sequence
will therefore be initiated by a timer in the EPC-
400 unit to prevent excessive sludge build-up in
the FOPX/MFPX bowl, see Fig. 2.11.
In the case of very low free water content in the
dirty oil, water addition to the FOPX/MFPX bowl
takes place automatically.
Bunkered oils normally contain sufficient free
water to displace the oil prior to sludge
discharge. Water addition is therefore only
necessary when treating dry oils to minimize oil
losses and benefit sludge condition.
The EPC-400 software decides whether or not
the oil feed contains sufficient separable water to
fill the sludge space in the separator bowl. When
insufficient separable water is present, water
addition is performed.
In the case of Fig. 2.11, the trigger point is never
reached within the preset maximum time
between sludge discharges. This tells the
EPC-400 that the oil does not contain any
separable water.
Fig 2.14 Trigger in adjustable period
100%
Ref. time
Trigger point
Separation period Min Separation
Sludge
discharge
P
0
0
1
0
6
0
C
67
At the time when the sludge discharge sequence
starts, some displacement water is therefore
added to bring the transducer value up to the
trigger point, thus triggering a sludge discharge.
Conditioning water is then added to condition
the sludge that will accumulate.
With oils containing more water, as in Figs. 2.12
and 2.13, the fact that the water drain valve has
operated at least once within the minimum time
between sludge discharges is stored in the
EPC-400 memory. Therefore no conditioning
water need be added after the next sludge
discharge as there is enough water in the oil for
the purpose. Also, when a sludge discharge
occurs initiated by the water transducer value
reaching the trigger point, no displacement
water is needed.
The dielectric constant of oil contaminated with
water increases when the water content of the oil
increases and vice versa. Thus, change in
dielectric constant of the cleaned oil is a very
sensitive and convenient measure of change in
water content of the oil.
68
Lube oil system.
Dirty oil is continuously fed to the LOPX
separator. The flow of oil is not interrupted when
sludge and/or water is discharged. Clean oil is
continuously discharged from the clean oil
outlet. Separated sludge and water accumulate
at the periphery of the bowl.
When the separated water approaches the disc
stack, some droplets of water start to escape with
the cleaned oil. This small increase of water
content in the cleaned oil is immediately sensed
by the water transducer, installed in the clean oil
outlet.
Increased water content in the cleaned oil is the
most significant sign of reduced separation
efficiency and that insufficiently cleaned oil
leaves the separator.
The signal from the water transducer is
continuously transmitted to the EPC-400 control
unit and interpreted as an amount of water in
the lube oil sludge. A reference value from this
signal is stored in the EPC-400 after each
discharge.
Normal condition, low water content in the
oil
A new reference value is stored by the EPC-400
control unit during the reference time that
follows every sludge discharge sequence, see fig.
2.11. During this time the best possible
separation result is obtained, because the
interface is correctly placed outside the disc
stack. The signal condition from the water
transducer illustrated below reflects a normal
condition, i.e. no water contamination is present
in the oil. The max. time between sludge
discharges is set in the EPC-400 control unit as a
timer function.
69
Once conditioning water is added to the
separator bowl the reference value is stored.
Conditioning/ displacement water is added in a
number of pulses. There will always be water in
the bowl to soften the sludge in order to
accomplish a good discharge. When the max.
time between sludge discharges has elapsed,
displacement water is added to the separator
bowl prior to the sludge discharge. Initially,
water is continuously admitted. Then, a number
of short pulses add a minor amount of water, to
eliminate the risk of water escaping with the
cleaned oil. The interface is pushed towards but
never into the disc stack. This means that there
is no risk that water contaminated oil is leaving
the separator. The sludge discharge is initiated
after a predetermined number of pulses have
elapsed. After the sludge discharge a new cycle
starts with addition of conditioning water and
storing of a new reference value.
Fig 2.15 Displacement water
100%
Separation period Ref. time Ref. time Min separation period
Transducer value
0,2% increace
in dialectic
Trigger range
M
i
n

S
e
p
a
r
a
t
i
o
n

p
e
r
i
o
d
.
Discharge
30% increace
in trigger range
D
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F
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O
n
I
0
0
1
0
6
4
A
70
High water content in the oil
When a certain amount of water is present in the
lube oil (~0.5%) the separated water will fill out
the sludge space of the bowl before the max
time has elapsed, see fig. 2.16. Water escaping
with the cleaned oil is immediately detected by
the water transducer, and a sludge discharge is
initiated. No displacement water is added in this
case.
After the sludge discharge a new cycle starts
with addition of conditioning water and storing
of a new reference value.
Should five (5) consecutive sludge discharges be
initiated before the max. time has elapsed, the
alarm function in the EPC-400 for high water
content is activated. The alarm indicates that a
leakage has occurred somewhere in the lube oil
system.
Fig 2.16 Conditioning water
100%
Ref. time
Trigger point
Separation period Min Sep Period
Cond.
Water
Ref. time
D
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O
n
Cond.
Water
I
0
0
1
0
6
4
B
71
Setting for separation of high water content
in oil
When the water content is high, the separator
system must be set for maximum water
separation. It is possible to change a parameter
to set the separator in emergency mode. There
will be an indication on the control unit showing
that the system is set for separation of high
water content in the oil without the water
transducer operating. Sludge discharges are
then set to 10 or 15 min, depending on EPC
version. No displacement water is added which
can result in oil losses. Emergency mode is only
recommended if really necessary and the system
should be turned back to normal operation as
soon as possible. Adaptive addition of
displacement water
The LOPX separation system continuously
monitors the separator efficiency, the cleaned
lube oil, and the oil system with respect to water
content. The objectives are no oil losses and no
water in the cleaned oil.
An optimum separation efficiency is achieved by
positioning the interface outside the disc stack.
To avoid oil losses, the interface should be
pushed close to but never into the disc stack by
the displacement water before a sludge
discharge is initiated. If the interface is pushed
into the disc stack, water will escape with the
cleaned oil.
The adaptive function makes it possible for the
system to adapt itself to changing working
conditions, such as increased content of water in
the system, scaling in the displacement water
line etc.
72
Decreasing the amount of displacement
water
Water to the bowl is added in pulses
intermittently. The time between pulses
corresponds to the response time of the system.
Displacement water is added to the bowl in one
continuous long pulse and then followed by a few
shorter pulses. The amount of water added is
stored in the memory of the EPC-400. Should a
sludge discharge be triggered by the transducer
value during addition of displacement water, too
much water has been added. The amount of
displacement water will then be reduced at the
next discharge.
Increasing the amount of displacement water
Every fourth (4th) discharge the amount of
displacement water is checked to ensure that an
accurate amount of water is added. A minor
amount of additional water is then added with
the displacement water.
If the transducer responds by increasing the
transducer value it is confirmed that the amount
of displacement water is sufficient. Should the
transducer not respond to the additional amount
of water the displacement water is insufficient
and increased at the following discharge.
This procedure is repeated a number of times
and if no response is obtained the alarm function
for insufficient displacement water is activated.
This alarm is an indication of blocked or stopped
water supply, blocked bowl etc.
Reduced sludge production/water
consumption
In the LOPX separation system only the exact
amount of displacement water is added. In a
traditional purifier an excess must be used
because there is no way of controlling the exact
interface position. This means that a certain
safety margin has to be used.
The water consumption for the LOPX separator
is therefore 20 30% less than for a traditional
purifier.
73
2.7.7 Transducer MT 50 operating
principle in EPC 50
The operating principle for the newer MT 50
water transducer is the same as for the WT 200.
We get the same function and signals from the
transducer, see chapter 2.6.6. The EPC 50 will
react in a different way to the signals from the
transducer and that is what we will look into in
this chapter.
There are some major changes in the programme
for the EPC 50. There is now only one separation
period, (not a min. separation, 10 minutes, and
an adjustable separation period as we had on the
old type), see fig 2.17.
We can also see that the feed to the separator is
off during discharge on the new S separator. See
separator manual for more info regarding
discharge sequence.
The trigger value is the increase of the stored
transducer value that is needed for the EPC to
initiate an action - draining or discharge. This
increase is measured in % from 0 to 100.
Fig 2.17 EPC 50 separation period
70%
100%
Separation period Reference time Reference time
D
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F
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o
f
f
Separation period
Transducer value
3pF increase in HFO mode
0,6 pF increase in LO mode
Trigger range
I
0
0
1
0
6
6
H
74
The EPC stores a transducer value after the
reference time. The reference time allows the oil
and water to settle down and establish an
interface after a discharge.
If the oil contains very little water there will be
little or no change in the trigger value during the
separation period, and no action initiated from
the EPC 50 until the end of the separation
period, when it will initiate a discharge.
75
Medium free water content in feed
When the interface between oil and water
approaches the disc stack, some small drops of
water will escape with the clean oil, (see
illustration Fig 2.19), and the trigger value will
increase.
Fig 2.18 Draining under 70%
When the trigger value has reached the 100%
limit, the EPC 50 signals the drain valve V5 in
the water outlet to open. In the EPC 50 system
we have two limits controlling the V5. The
100% limit that triggers the action, and a 70%
limit that is used during draining. If the trigger
value decreases from 100% to under 70% the
valve closes again and the process continues as
normal, see fig 2.18. When the trigger value is
under 70% after a drain the process will
continue and there will be no alarm from the
control unit.
Fig 2.19 water drops in clean oil
V5 closing
100%
70%
Separation period Ref. time
D
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F
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V5 opening
Reference value
76
High free water content in feed
When excessive amounts of water are present in
the feed and if the water drain valve activation
does not provide sufficient drainage, the EPC 50
process controller automatically initiates a
sludge discharge.
If there is much water in the oil, the draining
action may not bring the value down under 70%.
In this case the valve will stay open for a preset
time. If there are 5 consecutive drainings
without reaching the 70% limit, the EPC will
initiate a discharge. If there are 2 x 5 drainings
without reaching under the 70% limit, the EPC
will initiate a discharge and give an alarm
"Water drain insufficient".
If the separator is part of a lubricating oil
system, the alarm "LO draining frequently" will
arise after only two drainings without reaching
the 70% limit. This is to prevent oil losses and to
inform there is water in the oil.
When the alarm Water drain insufficient"
shows, some additional steps have to be made in
order to reduce the amount of water.
Fig 2.20 Five consecutive drains
100%
70%
Separation period Ref. time
D
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V5 opening
Reference value
77
If the separator is part of a fuel system, the
settling tank should be checked to see if there is
accumulated free water in the tank. If not check
if there is emulation in the tank. Check if there
is a leaking valve on the water valve block, on
the separator, or if there is a leaking heater in
the steam system.
If the separator is a part of a LO system it is
important to find the leak. It could be a leaking
valve on the water valve block, on the separator,
a leaking heater in the steam system, or a leak
in the engine.
If there is much water in the fuel oil it is possible
to run the separator in emergency mode, but
then the ALCAP system is by-passed. This
means that the discharge time is reduced to 15
min. and there will be an alarm every 24 hours
signalling that the ALCAP system is disabled.
This is intended for Emergency operation only
and water is not added before discharge. This
means that the risk of oil losses is increased.
See separator manual for further information.
78
2.7.8 Self adapting system.
The EPC 50 is continuously monitoring the
transducer value and compares it to the stored
reference value. If the amount of water is
reduced during the separation period and
becomes lower than the stored value, the EPC
stores the new lower value and uses that as the
reference value, see fig 2.21. It is only lower
values that will be stored, not higher values than
the stored value. This means that the system
operates with the most favourable value at all
times and secures a high quality final product.
Fig 2.21 Self adapting reference value
70%
100%
Separation period
Ref. time
D
i
s
c
h
a
r
g
e

s
e
q
u
e
n
c
e
.

F
e
e
d

Reference value
New lower ref. value
79
DNVPS / ALFA LAVAL FUEL OIL TREATMENT 3 BOOSTER SYSTEM
3 Booster system
3.1 Purpose of the system
To provide the diesel engine with fuel with the
correct viscosity and flow stipulated by the
engine manufacturer.
All low speed engines and most modern medium
speed engines operate today on heavy fuel oil. To
ensure proper treatment and a good combustion,
a booster system is needed. The principal
purpose of these systems is to ensure proper
conditioning of the heavy fuel oil fed from the
daily service tank to the diesel engines.
The system ensures that the correct flow,
pressure and viscosity of the heavy fuel oil is
maintained.
The booster system is situated between the daily
service tanks and the diesel engines
3.2 Applications
Booster systems are primarily suitable for ships
or power stations using HFO diesel engines.
There are generally two separate conditioning
systems for shipboard applications where HFO
engines are in use, as today, heavy fuel is
commonly used for the auxiliaries (Unifuel
system) as well as for the main engines. For
safety reasons, there is usually one independent
booster system for the main engines and one for
the auxiliaries.
3 BOOSTER SYSTEM DNVPS / ALFA LAVAL FUEL OIL TREATMENT
80
3.3 Atmospheric and
pressurized
3.3.1 Introduction
Most of the booster systems built before 1984 are
atmospheric fuel systems.
An atmospheric fuel system is a system where
the hot excess fuel flow from the engine is led
back to a mixing pipe (stand-pipe) which has an
atmospheric pressure.
This system can in some cases cause operating
problems in situations where the engines can
accept high injection temperatures, i.e. high
viscosity fuels.
The system is not recommended for fuels above
120 cSt/50 C (injection temperatures above
+110 C).
The reason for this is that in the atmospheric
system, the pressure drop over the pressure
regulating valve will be too high. The pressure
and temperature needed for HFO over 120 cSt
can be up to 150 C and the pressure in the
circulating side will be over 4 bar, while the
pressure after the regulating valve will be
atmospheric. The result is that all the water and
light products in the HFO will instantly boil and
turn to gas. This could make the oil start to foam
and the mixing pipe and the vent pipe can fill up
with this foam. The danger is that the pumps
start cavitating and increase the danger of
emulsified oil. The foam could also escape
through the venting pipe and cause
contamination of the vessel and water.
All ships designed to operate on HFO above
120 cSt/50 C should have pressurized systems
(a fuel system specified by all engine builders).
Modern high viscosity fuels require high
injection temperatures. To prevent excessive and
harmful vaporization of the light fractions and
possible remaining water in the fuel, sufficient
pressure has to be maintained. This is done by
installing a pressurized booster system.
81
3.4 An atmospheric system
System description with possible problems
and solutions.
The atmospheric booster system is usually not
built in a compact unit like the cleaning system.
The components are spread around the engine
room. In many cases, it can be difficult to get a
good overall understanding of the complete
system.
Service tank
The clean heavy fuel oil is pumped into the daily
service tank. The temperature in the tank is
between 70 - 90 C. The daily service tank is
usually situated high up in the engine room.
From the daily service tank the oil flows by
gravity into the mixing pipe. See chapter 1.4 for
more info.
Fig. 3.1 Atmospheric booster system
I
0
0
1
0
0
5
8
B
82
Mixing pipe
The purpose of the mixing pipe (called deaerator
in a pressurized system) is to mix the cold fuel
from the daily service tank with the excess hot
fuel which comes from the diesel engines. The
pipe is manufactured and installed by the
shipyard.
The mixing pipe is made of steel, insulated and
often heat traced with a diameter of 300 - 400
mm and a height of 10 - 15 meter.
The mixing pipe should be installed as high up
as possible near the daily service tank to ensure
a static positive suction head for the circulating
pumps (booster pumps) to prevent cavitation and
vibration.
In certain vessels such as ferries, supply boats
etc. the mixing pipe cannot be installed in a high
position in the engine room. This is to prevent
vaporizing and foaming of the hot fuel.
Flow meter
A flow meter is installed in the system to
measure the fuel consumption of the engines.
The flow meter is normally installed between the
daily service tank and the mixing pipe. Low
mixing pipe height can cause functional
problems of the flow meter.
Circulating pumps (booster pumps)
Circulating pumps feed the engine with HFO at
the required flow rate and pressure. Pump
capacities are always multiples of the
recommended maximum fuel consumption rates
to ensure ample filling of the injection pumps.
The pressure required in the circulating system
is specified by the engine builders.
This pressure is controlled by a regulating valve
mounted on the engine, or directly after the
engine in the return line to the mixing pipe.
In atmospheric booster systems, the pumps are
located on the first level in the engine room to
ensure a high static pressure.
83
Prior to injection into the diesel engine, the
temperature is increased to reach the correct
injection viscosity. The recommended injection
viscosity is 14 cSt for trunk piston engines and
18 cSt for crosshead engines. For heavy fuel oil,
700 cSt/50 C, this viscosity corresponds to a
temperature of about 140 to 155 C. The limit of
FO viscosity to be used in an atmospheric system
is max 120 cSt/50C.
Since booster heating is recognized as an
essential service, a 100-percent stand-by heater
is normally installed. The two heaters could be
steam heaters, electric heaters, or a combination
of both. The steam heater, most common in
larger vessels, used to be a shell and tube type
heater. A new type of steam heater, Alfa Laval
HEATPAC system is now available for booster
heating.
If the heater does not have the right capacity, the
following can be the cause:
Some of the pipes inside the heater are
plugged (tube heaters).
The steam has a lower pressure/temperature
than calculated (7 bar saturated +164 C is a
common value).
One solution is to operate both heaters in series
to reach the correct injection temperature.
For smaller vessels that cannot produce
sufficient steam, one possible solution is to
operate in series a steam heater which takes the
basic load and an electric heater which can be
used during peak loads.
In ships with rapid load variations on the
engines, with subsequent fluctuations of the
injection temperature, it is very important to
have heaters with a sensitive and fast control
system, e.g. the Alfa Laval HEATPAC system.
84
Viscosity sensor
One of the important components in the
temperature control system is the viscosity
sensor which measures and controls the injection
viscosity of the fuel oil. The viscosity must be
held at a specific level by means of the steam
and/or electrical heaters.
There are many different viscosity sensor
suppliers on the market. One of the most
common measuring principles of the various
sensor types is to measure the differential
pressure across a capillary tube.
Others are of shear force measurement type or
have different vibrating sensors in the fuel. The
most modern systems are electronic with few
mechanical parts.
An example of such a system is the Alfa Laval
designed advanced viscosity control system
under the name VISCOCHIEF. The system is
designed to ensure accurate automatic
monitoring and control of the injection viscosity
of fuel oils.
To check if a viscosity sensor is working properly,
read the actual temperature and compare the
value with the bunker specification to get the
right injection viscosity.
85
Automatic filter
An automatic filter and a manual by-pass filter
are positioned at the end of the system to protect
the engines injection equipment from possible
harmful particles.
The filter screen mesh size is determined by the
requirements of the diesel engine builders. Some
also recommend installing an automatic filter on
the cold side of the booster system, i.e. before
the mixing pipe.
Possible problems with conventional types of
automatic filters are:
Pressure drop in the fuel supply when the
filter is flushed.
Broken candles (particles pass into the fuel
injection equipment).
Manual cleaning due to particles sticking on
the screen (intervals between flushing too
long).
Problems with the filter ancillary
equipment. (Air pipes, electric motor etc.).
A good way of preventing the above problems is
to install an Alfa Laval Protector filter, Moatti.
86
3.5 A pressurized booster
system
Introduction
As described earlier in this chapter, a
pressurized booster system is essential if the
injection temperature is above approx. 110 C.
The difference between an atmospheric and a
pressurized system is that the mixing pipe
(normally called a deaerator in a pressurized
system), is much smaller (approx. 65 litres) and
it is kept under a pressure of about 4 bar by two
supply pumps.
A pressurized system is required to eliminate
gasification and vibration problems caused by
high injection temperatures (110 - 160 C).
The booster module is normally a complete
module for supplying HFO to the engine. The
module consists of the main components in fig.
6.3.11 plus pipes, valves, electric cabling and
accessories, all mounted on a common frame. All
oil pipes are insulated and heat traced.
Fig. 3.2 Pressurized booster module
I
0
0
1
0
0
5
8
A
87
Alfa Laval standard booster modules are
identified by their pump capacities. IMO pumps
are used, and where size ACE 038K pumps are
used as circulating pumps and ACE 032N as
supply pumps the denomination will be SBM
38K-32N SS where SS stands for steam heaters.
To size a new booster module, the following data
must be available:
- Main engine type
- MCR
- Maximum viscosity of fuel oil
- Required injection viscosity
- Fuel consumption
- Fuel flow at engine
- Fuel pressure at engine
- Filter finess absolute required
- Electrical power
- Steam supply pressure and temperature
If you are going to upgrade part of the system,
the following points must be taken into account:
Filter upgrading
With a given circulation pump capacity, the flow
to the engine will be reduced with the filter back-
flush, normally 15% of the nominal flow. Alfa
Laval Protector automatic filters are delivered
with electric motor. An electric motor is
recommended at temperatures above 120 C. A
duplex filter is used, type auto/manual but also
auto/auto is sometimes preferred. To design the
filter you must know the pump flow and
pressure, minimum flow to engine required,
pressure in return line from engine or in
deaerator tank (filter back-flush connection) and
required filter mesh.
The filter can be installed in different places.
Hot side: after the heaters and viscosity control
system.
Cold side: after the supply pumps but before the
flow meter and deaerator tank
88
Heater
The capacity of the heater shall normally have a
margin of 15%. The end heaters must be
calculated on the average temperature in the
deaerator pipe which normally will be around
100 - 115 C and at an end temperature of 140
C. A system that allows both parallel and series
operation of the heaters is recommended.
We always recommend a steam trap of float type
for best results.
Viscosity control
A modern diesel engine is designed for efficient
combustion and optimum power output when
burning fuels ranging from 30 cSt/50 C to
700 cSt/50 C, provided that the fuel is properly
treated and conditioned. The fuel injected into
the engine must meet specific pressure,
temperature, flow and viscosity requirements.
Efficient fuel combustion can only be achieved if
fuel temperature and viscosity can be controlled
within recommended limits
Injection of fuel into a diesel engine at the
incorrect viscosity can have a number of adverse
effects on the engine and its performance. A high
injection viscosity fuel, in excess of 20 cSt, can
cause poor combustion in the cylinder of the
engine, contributing to a build up of deposits on
exhaust valves and piston heads and an increase
in lube-oil contamination.
Another problem that can have very serious
consequences is the effect of large and rapid
changes in fuel oil temperature on the injection
pumps. Without accurate viscosity measurement
linked to temperature control, the heaters may
fail to react properly to changes in fuel
properties and engine load. This could result in a
seizure of the pump cylinder liner and the
plunger due to the varying thermal expansion
properties of the liner and the plunger.
Engine manufacturers have improved engine
designs to cope with this problem by, for
example, developing new fuel injection pumps
and nozzles to compensate for viscosity
fluctuations.
However, accurate viscosity control is the
recommended solution.
89
Viscosity sensor
On a modern FCM system the EPC will control
the viscosity with an EVT-20 system consisting
of a viscosity censor, 2 x Pt 100 temperature
sensor and a heater board to control the
temperature. This compact, lightweight sensor
accurately measures actual fuel oil viscosity
within 0.5 cSt to ensure that the correct
injection viscosity is obtained.
The sensor does not have any moving parts. This
provides maintenance-free operation, which
guarantees long life, maximum up-time,
minimal, if any, servicing costs and efficient
engine operation.
Using the torsion vibration measuring principal,
this factory calibrated sensor is not affected by
variations in flow or pressure. A vibrating
pendulum with rotational movement collects
data and the sensor sends the data to the process
controller.
If required, the process controller then raises or
lowers fuel oil temperature in the heaters to
obtain the required viscosity. This ensures
efficient fuel combustion and optimum power
output.
Controlling viscosity is critical to engine
performance. Automation ensures that the
actual fuel oil viscosity meets the set point
specified by the engine manufacturer.
Deviations are corrected by the process
controller, which automatically raises or lowers
temperature in the heater. This ensures efficient
fuel combustion and optimum power output.
Operation in diesel oil mode or heavy fuel oil
mode.
The process controller has two modes of
operation, DO mode or HFO mode, with two sets
of parameter settings, alarm limits, and other
values that are suitable for each mode. The
process controller handles the transition
between the two modes via temperature ramps
to control the change in temperature and to
prevent temperature shock from damaging the
engines fuel injection pumps.
90
Automation
The new, fully automated Alfa Laval Fuel
Conditioning Module (FCM) brings modern
state-of-the-art information technology to the
fuel conditioning process. Computer-based
automation helps monitor and control FCM
functions with high precision, reliability and
performance.
3.5.1 A standard booster module :
3-way change-over valve DO/HFO with
electric actuator and limit switches for
remote operation.
Two supply pumps with shut off valves and
non return valves at each pump.
500 micron suction strainer.
A pressure switch connected for stand-by
pump control.
A pressure control valve for adjusting supply
pump pressure.
Positive displacement van flow meter
equipped with totalizer for local monitoring
of fuel oil consumption. For automatic by-
passing of the flow meter, there is a spring
loaded non return valve which opens
automatically should the differential
pressure across the flow meter be too high.
A deaerator arrangement including a pipe of
approx. 65 litres with level switch, safety
valve, automatic deaeration system and a
manual dearation valve.
Two circulation pumps with shut off valves
and non return valves at each pump. Pump
flow is normally 3 - 4 times the maximum
fuel consumption and the pressure could be
up to 10 - 12 bar. This is to make sure that
no air and water vapour are present in the
fuel and to guarantee that the fuel injection
pumps are supplied with enough fuel.
91
A pressure switch is connected for stand-by
pump control.
Two heaters, steam or electric. Steam
heaters come with safety valves, steam trap
and drain valve.
One steam control valve type SRV with
electric actuator connected to the viscosity
control panel if steam/ thermal oil is
requested.
Viscosity control system type Viscochief on
old systems and EPC monitor.
One automatic/manual duplex filter type.
Continuous backflushing and included
differential pressure alarm. Control panel if
equipped with electric motor.
Filter finess must be decided.
A pneumatic operated fuel supply pump may
be required for emergency use, by-passing
the whole system.
Alarm panel with one or two outgoing
common alarms available for ECR central
alarm panel.
92
The following alarms are included:
Process alarms:
High temperature
Low temperature
High viscosity
Low viscosity
System alarms:
power alarm
communication failure
input signal failure
temperature/flow switch
computer failure
steam valve failure
Following alarms are given to the alarm panel:
Low pump pressure, stand-by pump started
Low dearator tank level
High difference in pressure over automatic
filter
Starter alarm for all pumps (and filter if
applicable). Each pump has an
independent starter activated by low fuel oil
pressure.
All modules are supplied insulated and heat
traced as well as tested and certified to required
class.
93
3.6 Viscosity of heavy fuel
oil
A modern diesel engine is designed for efficient
combustion and optimum power output when
burning fuels ranging from 30 cSt/50 C to 700
cSt/ 50 C, provided that the fuel is properly
treated and conditioned. The fuel injected into
the engine must meet specific pressure,
temperature, flow and viscosity requirements.
Efficient fuel combustion can only be achieved if
fuel temperature and viscosity can be controlled
within recommended limits.
Fig.3.3 Viscosity chart
94
3.6.1 Viscosity and its effects on
diesel engines
Injection of fuel into a diesel engine at the
incorrect viscosity can have a number of adverse
effects on the engine and its performance. A high
injection viscosity fuel, in excess of 20 cSt, can
cause poor combustion in the cylinder of the
engine, contributing to a build up of deposits on
exhaust valves and piston heads and an increase
in lube-oil contamination. If the viscosity gets too
high it can cause serious damage to the cam
shaft. Another problem that can have very
serious consequences on the injection pumps is
the effect of large and rapid changes in fuel oil
temperature.
If the viscosity gets too low it can cause coke
build-up on fuel injectors and bad lubrication of
the injectors, with risk for clogging of the
injectors.
Without accurate viscosity measurement linked
to temperature control, the heaters may fail to
react properly to changes in fuel properties and
engine load. This could result in a seizure of the
pump cylinder liner and the plunger due to the
varying thermal expansion properties of the
liner and the plunger. Engine manufacturers
have improved engine designs to cope with this
problem by, for example, developing new fuel
injection pumps and nozzles to compensate for
viscosity fluctuations.
Accurate viscosity control is however the
recommended solution.The only way to be sure
to achieve this is to always use viscosity control
and not temperature control.
95

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Fuel Oil Treatment

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