Dealing with VLSFO

Low lubricity directly translates to more stress on engine components. This in turn leads engine life expectancy and performance to drastically diminish. Adding to the fact, many of the new blends’ combustion properties can be gravely lower, which is a direct equivalent to unpumpable fuel waste within the fuel network. If those issues are not dealt with it can mean massive costs for the vessel in both resources and time. Vecom Marine has designed FOT LI 4100 specifically to cope with low sulphur middle distillates. With excellent lubricity improving characteristics by both HFRR and SLBOCLE bench test procedures, this product offers very good solubility and therefore does not negatively affect filterability characteristics of the doped middle distillate. If lubricity is lower than 460µ on the wear scale HFRR, it is essential to add this treatment soonest possible. Additionally, Vecom Marine highly recommends Test Kit Iron Check E to keep a constant, accurate monitoring of the engines’ wear. The test will analyse how much iron content has ended up in the scavenge drain’s lube oil as a direct result of the constant wear and stress the engine is undergoing from the fuel oil. Low lubrication from the fuel oil wears out the metal in the engine and by scraping down lube oil in the lube oil cylinder we can determine how much metal has been worn off. The more the iron concentration, the more stress the engine is taking (or showing corrosion signs) and the more in need of lubrication it is. This corrosion indicator is most often tied to lubricity, but will as well act as a general red flag in the engines’ operations.

With each bunkering accompanied by a lab test, it is the reality that compatibility, density and stability of the new and existing fuels are to be known at the soonest possible time of the bunkering. Test Kit Compa Dens Check, a proven technology, can withstand even the most severe marine conditions and provide accurate feedback on the spot. Instant knowledge of the compatibility will help determine the treatment dosage of Vecom Marine’s renowned FOT Sludge Dispersant, which will provide assistance in the fuels becoming homogenous. Vecom Marine advises a thorough fuel tank clean prior to the use of the treatment as to avoid sludge overflow. After starting the treatment, fuel tank cleaning will no longer be a problem as tanks are kept clean in motion.

While the different VSLFO fuel blends are being experimented with, it is unfortunately a fact that catalyst fines are being detected in higher rates than ever. Quantity larger than 80 mg/kg in the received fuel oil, is almost impossible to be reduced by the treatment plant and abrasive engine wear will take place. It is vital to monitor their accumulation in the tank, since if not reduced by suitable fuel cleaning, the abrasive nature of the fines will cause damage to the engine, fuel pumps, injectors, piston rings and liners. Designed for easy and convenient use, as well as endurance in time, Test Kit Cat Fines Check can fast and accurately inform of the cat fines level and save the ship from severe engine damages.

This past year, many of our clients have chosen FOT Sludge Dispersant to transition smoothly into IMO 2020 with great success. And one of the main reasons is the product’s innate ability to help with compatibility and homogeny of the fuels while making sure fuel use is maximised, with no sediments left behind to accumulate in unpumpable wasted layers. Fuel performance is additionally improved as combustion efficiency increases. Many of the VLSFO blends are in even greater need of combustion improvement. VLSFOs not treated correctly, will accumulate sludge layers even faster, with cases of clogging the fuel lines, immobilising the ship.

During these first months of operation of VLSFO, separator/purifier disks clogging has been a huge problem to many vessels. It can stop operations and cause big delays until the purifier is cleaned. Separator Disc Cleaner is especially developed to combat this in the fastest and most efficient way and save significant time in the crews’ operations. Using FOT Sludge Dispersant will also combat this problem by drastically diminishing the sludge ending up in the purifier disk.

Immobilised, waxed fuel due to cold flow can become very troublesome to handle. The wax remnants will require intensive manual labour to remove with the storage tanks unusable until that point. FOT Flow Improver significantly improves the cold flow properties of middle distillates and reduces wax accumulation. According to the characteristics of the particular middle distillate, 25 – 500 ppm is usually sufficient to considerably reduce both the CFPP (Cold Filter Plugging Point) and the Pour Point of diesels and heavy fuel oils.