Fuel Changeover System
Due to increasing fuel prices and new environmental emission regulations, innovative technologies are needed to operate vessels efficiently. The Fuel Changeover System operates through an intelligent control system which automatically performs the mix between both high and lower sulphur content fuels according to the desired sulphur content (<1%). The Fuel Changeover System saves you money and helps you to fulfill environmental regulations!
The Need for a Fuel Blending System
Fuel consumption represents one of the main vessel operation costs, and it is expected that these costs may continue to rise in the near future due to increasing fuel prices on one hand and new environmental emission regulations on the other.
The IMO environmental regulations state that sulphur oxide emissions (SOx) must be controlled inside IMO designated Emission Control Areas (ECAs) through the utilization of low sulphur fuel, therefore more expensive.
To ensure environmental compliance, Marine Gas Oil (MGO) is normally used inside ECAs instead of Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) due to its lower sulphur content therefore increasing the total fuel costs due to MGO higher prices.
As fuel costs continue to rise, so does the need to pursue higher fuel savings. Designed to respond to this situation, the Fuel Changeover System (FCS) delivers optimum fuel savings whilst responding to IMO sulphur emission thresholds by intelligently performing the appropriate mix of HFO and MGO in the fuel supply system to maintain sulphur levels below the legal threshold limits.
The HFO-MDO/MGO fuel blend thus becomes a cheaper and environmental friendly alternative for utilization inside the current and future designated ECAs.
Fuel Changeover System
The Technology
The FCS includes an ultrasound homogenizer to reduce larger particles like asphaltenes to an appropriate size preventing damage to fuel system components, and ensuring even better combustion. A fuel compatibility analysis is conducted prior to the in-line blending operation to verify that undesired incompatibility problems and consequent sludge formation do not occur during the in-line blending process.
Ultrasonic Blending & Tarqatish
Hielscher industrial sonicators perform with outstanding mixing performance and reduce particles to nano size. This means that the ultrasonic homogenizer integrated in the Fuel Changeover System breaks particles such as asphaltenes down to nano-size and disperse them homogeneously. Thereby, the fuel is significantly upgraded resulting in better and cleaner combustion! (See the microscopic pictures of ultrasonically dispersed asphaltene particles below.)
After sonication, the asphaltene particles are reduced to nano-size and uniformly distributed
The Savings
The savings potential can be calculated for the utilization of a blend of 20% HFO (3.5% sulphur content) and 80% MGO in such a way that the blend sulphur content is always less than 1%:
Assuming a vessel which the HFO consumption is 3 ton/h and a fuel price for HFO 380 cSt@50°C and MDO of 630$/MT and 1020$/MT respectively, the savings will amount to 230$ per hour.
With a 24 hour utilization the savings will amount to 5600$ a day!
The Advantages
- Reduced Payback Period for both small and large vessels. Assurance of environmental compliance inside ECAs waters.
- Comprehensive set of deliverables, Fuel & Oil Lab, Ultrasonic Blender and Official Logging system.
- Fast and simple installation.
- Small, slim and compact design.
- Easy and safe operation.
- User friendly touchscreen provides full system control. Compatibility check between fuel oils prior to any operation.
