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Guidelines for Fuels and Lubes Purchasing - MAN Diesel & Turbo

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<strong>Guidelines</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Fuels</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />

<strong>Lubes</strong> <strong>Purchasing</strong><br />

Operation on Heavy Residual <strong>Fuels</strong><br />

<strong>MAN</strong> <strong>Diesel</strong>


Contents<br />

<strong>MAN</strong> B&W <strong>Diesel</strong><br />

Fuel Oil Quality ............................................................................................5<br />

Analysis Data ...............................................................................................6<br />

Fuel Oil Stability ...........................................................................................8<br />

Fuel Oil Treatment ........................................................................................8<br />

Centrifuging Recommendations ....................................................................9<br />

High Density <strong>Fuels</strong> ..................................................................................... 10<br />

Fuel Sampling ............................................................................................ 11<br />

Supplementary Fuel Oil Treatment .............................................................. 11<br />

Fuel Oil System .......................................................................................... 13<br />

Operational Aspects ................................................................................... 14<br />

Low-sulphur Fuel Operation ....................................................................... 15<br />

Off-spec. <strong>Fuels</strong>........................................................................................... 15<br />

Lubricating Oil Qualities .............................................................................. 16<br />

Lube Oil Blending on Board ........................................................................ 17<br />

Cylinder Oil, Low Speed <strong>Diesel</strong>s ................................................................. 18<br />

Per<strong>for</strong>mance Verification of Cylinder Oils ..................................................... 19<br />

<strong>Fuels</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Lubes</strong> <strong>for</strong> Stationary Two-stroke <strong>MAN</strong> B&W Engines .................. 19<br />

List of References ...................................................................................... 20<br />

<strong>Guidelines</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Fuels</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Lubes</strong> <strong>Purchasing</strong> Operation on Heavy Residual <strong>Fuels</strong><br />

3


4 <strong>Guidelines</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Fuels</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Lubes</strong> <strong>Purchasing</strong> Operation on Heavy Residual <strong>Fuels</strong>


<strong>Guidelines</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Fuels</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Lubes</strong> <strong>Purchasing</strong><br />

Operation on Heavy Residual <strong>Fuels</strong><br />

<strong>MAN</strong> B&W Two-stroke Engines<br />

Fuel Oil Quality<br />

<strong>MAN</strong> <strong>Diesel</strong>’s engines are designed to<br />

operate in accordance with the unifuel<br />

principle. For specific guidelines <strong>for</strong> fuel<br />

<strong>and</strong> lube oils <strong>for</strong> gensets, contact <strong>MAN</strong><br />

<strong>Diesel</strong> in Augsburg, Germany.<br />

For guidance on purchase, reference<br />

is made to ISO 8217, BS6843 <strong>and</strong> to<br />

Residual marine fuel st<strong>and</strong>ards<br />

Characteristic<br />

Density at 15 ºC<br />

Kinematic viscosity<br />

at 50 ºC<br />

Flash point<br />

Pour point (upper)<br />

b<br />

- winter quality<br />

- summer quality<br />

Unit<br />

kg/m 3<br />

mm 2 /s a<br />

ºC<br />

ºC<br />

<strong>MAN</strong> B&W <strong>Diesel</strong><br />

Limit<br />

max.<br />

max.<br />

min.<br />

max.<br />

max.<br />

CIMAC recommendations regarding<br />

requirements <strong>for</strong> heavy fuel <strong>for</strong> diesel<br />

engines, edition 2003. According to<br />

these, the maximum accepted grades<br />

are RMH 55 <strong>and</strong> K55. The mentioned<br />

ISO <strong>and</strong> BS st<strong>and</strong>ards supersede BS<br />

MA 100, in which the limit is M9.<br />

Category ISO-8217 (Class F)<br />

RMA<br />

30<br />

960,0<br />

0<br />

6<br />

30,0<br />

60<br />

RMB<br />

30<br />

975,0<br />

24<br />

24<br />

RMD<br />

80<br />

980<br />

80.0<br />

60<br />

30<br />

30<br />

RME<br />

180<br />

991.0<br />

180.0<br />

60<br />

30<br />

30<br />

RMF<br />

180<br />

RMG<br />

380<br />

991.0<br />

RMH<br />

380<br />

380.0<br />

60<br />

30<br />

30<br />

For reference purposes, an extract from<br />

the relevant st<strong>and</strong>ards <strong>and</strong> specifica-<br />

tions is shown in Table I.<br />

Based on our general service experi-<br />

ence, <strong>and</strong> as a supplement to the above-<br />

mentioned st<strong>and</strong>ards, <strong>MAN</strong> <strong>Diesel</strong> issues<br />

a guiding fuel oil specification, shown<br />

in Table I.<br />

RMK<br />

380<br />

1010.0<br />

RMH<br />

700<br />

991.0<br />

700.0<br />

RMK<br />

700<br />

1010.0<br />

Test method<br />

reference<br />

ISO 3675 or ISO<br />

12185 (see also<br />

7.1)<br />

ISO 3104<br />

<strong>Guidelines</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Fuels</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Lubes</strong> <strong>Purchasing</strong> Operation on Heavy Residual <strong>Fuels</strong><br />

60<br />

30<br />

30<br />

ISO 2719<br />

(see also 7.2)<br />

ISO 3016<br />

ISO 3016<br />

Carbon residue %(m/m) max. 10 14 15 20 18 22 22 ISO 10370<br />

Ash %(m/m) max. 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.15 0.15 0.15 ISO 6245<br />

Water %(v/v) max. 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 ISO 3733<br />

Sulphur c<br />

Vanadium<br />

Total sediment<br />

potential<br />

Aluminium +<br />

Silicon<br />

Used lubricating<br />

oil (ULO)<br />

- Zinc<br />

- Phosphorus<br />

- Calcium<br />

%(m/m)<br />

mg/kg<br />

%(m/m)<br />

mg/kg<br />

mg/kg<br />

max.<br />

max.<br />

max.<br />

max.<br />

max.<br />

max.<br />

max.<br />

3.50<br />

150<br />

0.10<br />

80<br />

4.00<br />

350<br />

0.10<br />

80<br />

4.50<br />

200<br />

The fuel shall be free of ULO d<br />

15<br />

15<br />

30<br />

0.10<br />

80<br />

500<br />

300<br />

4.50<br />

0.10<br />

80<br />

600<br />

4.50<br />

600<br />

0.10<br />

80<br />

ISO 8754 or ISO<br />

14596<br />

(see also 7.3)<br />

ISO 14597 or IP<br />

501 or IP 470<br />

(see also 7.8<br />

ISO 10307-2<br />

(see also 7.6)<br />

ISO 10478 or IP<br />

501 or IP 470<br />

(see also 7.9)<br />

IP 501 or IP 470<br />

(see 7.7)<br />

IP 501 or IP 500<br />

(see 7.7)<br />

IP 501 or IP 470<br />

(see 7.7)<br />

a Annex C gives a brief viscosity/temperature table <strong>for</strong> in<strong>for</strong>mation purposes only. (1 mm 2 /s = 1 cSt)<br />

b Purchasers should ensure that this pour point is suitable <strong>for</strong> the equipment on board, especially if the vessel operates in both the northern <strong>and</strong> southern hemispheres.<br />

c A sulphur limit of 1.5 % (m/m) will apply in SO x emission control areas designated by the International Maritime Organization, when its relevant protocol comes into <strong>for</strong>ce.<br />

There may be local variations.<br />

d A fuel must be considered to be free of ULO if one or more of the elements zinc, phosphorus <strong>and</strong> calcium are below or at the specified limits. All three elements must exceed the<br />

same limits be<strong>for</strong>e a fuel shall be deemed to contain ULO.<br />

Table II<br />

5


In both tables the data refers to fuel<br />

oils as delivered to the ship, i.e. be<strong>for</strong>e<br />

onboard cleaning. Fuel oils within the<br />

limits of this specification have, to the<br />

extent of their commercial availability,<br />

been used with satisfactory results in<br />

<strong>MAN</strong> B&W two-stroke low speed diesel<br />

engines.<br />

It should be noted that current analysis<br />

results do not fully suffice <strong>for</strong> estimating<br />

the combustion properties of fuel oils.<br />

This means that service results could<br />

depend on oil properties which are not<br />

known be<strong>for</strong>eh<strong>and</strong>. This applies espe-<br />

cially to the tendency of the fuel oil to<br />

<strong>for</strong>m deposits in combustion cham-<br />

bers, gas passages <strong>and</strong> turbochargers.<br />

As mentioned, the data refers to the fuel as<br />

supplied, i.e. be<strong>for</strong>e the treatment.<br />

If a fuel oil exceeding the data in Table I is<br />

to be used, the engine builder or <strong>MAN</strong><br />

<strong>Diesel</strong> should be contacted <strong>for</strong> advice.<br />

Analysis Data<br />

Viscosity<br />

Viscosity cannot be considered a qual-<br />

ity criterion in its own right <strong>for</strong> fuel oils,<br />

<strong>and</strong> is stated only <strong>for</strong> h<strong>and</strong>ling reasons<br />

(pumps, preheaters <strong>and</strong> centrifuges).<br />

Density<br />

Density is related to the fuel quality be-<br />

cause fuels derived from extensive re-<br />

finery processing are left with a higher<br />

carbon content, are more aromatic<br />

<strong>and</strong> thus heavier. There<strong>for</strong>e, fuels with<br />

a high density are also high in carbon<br />

residue <strong>and</strong> asphaltenes.<br />

The water separation ability of the fuel<br />

oil is ensured by limiting the density <strong>for</strong><br />

reasons of centrifuging, as stated in the<br />

specification.<br />

Density is normally measured at higher<br />

temperatures, <strong>and</strong> the density at 15°C<br />

is calculated on the basis of tables<br />

which, depending on their origin, date<br />

of issue, <strong>and</strong> the data on which they are<br />

based, could give slightly differing den-<br />

sities at 15°C.<br />

Whereas the limit of 991 kg/m 3 must<br />

be observed when traditional centrifuges<br />

(be<strong>for</strong>e 1985, purifier – clarifier) are used,<br />

1010 kg/m 3 is accepted provided that<br />

modern centrifuges capable of h<strong>and</strong>-<br />

ling fuels of such density are installed.<br />

Flash point<br />

The flash point limit is set as a safeguard<br />

against fire only.<br />

Pour point<br />

The pour point indicates the minimum<br />

temperature at which the fuel should<br />

be stored <strong>and</strong> pumped. Temperatures<br />

below the pour point results in wax <strong>for</strong>-<br />

mation.<br />

Sulphur<br />

The corrosive effect of sulphuric acid<br />

during combustion is counteracted by<br />

adequate lube oils <strong>and</strong> temperature<br />

control of the combustion chamber<br />

walls.<br />

The cylinder lube oil feed rate must be<br />

according to the <strong>MAN</strong> <strong>Diesel</strong> recom-<br />

mendation. The sulphur content has a<br />

negligible effect on the combustion proc-<br />

ess.<br />

Carbon residue<br />

The carbon residue is measured as<br />

Conradson Carbon or Microcarbon.<br />

6 <strong>Guidelines</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Fuels</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Lubes</strong> <strong>Purchasing</strong> Operation on Heavy Residual <strong>Fuels</strong><br />

<strong>Fuels</strong> with a high carbon residue con-<br />

tent could cause increased fouling of<br />

the gasways, necessitating more fre-<br />

quent cleaning, especially of the turbo-<br />

charger <strong>and</strong> exhaust gas boiler.<br />

Some changes in combustion, requir-<br />

ing adjustment of maximum pressures<br />

<strong>for</strong> reasons of economy, could also be<br />

attributed to a high carbon residue con-<br />

tent. Part of the carbon residues repre-<br />

sents asphaltenes.<br />

The effect of asphaltenes on the com-<br />

bustion process is similar to that of the<br />

carbon residue. Asphaltenes also af-<br />

fects the fuel oil lubrication properties.<br />

<strong>Fuels</strong> with a high content of asphaltenes<br />

may tend to emulsify with water.<br />

Water<br />

Water in the fuel should be removed by<br />

centrifuging the fuel be<strong>for</strong>e use. This<br />

applies especially to salt water, the<br />

sodium content of which can result in<br />

deposits on valves <strong>and</strong> turbochargers.<br />

If the water cannot be removed online,<br />

homogenising after centrifuging is recom-<br />

mended.<br />

Ash<br />

Ash represents solid contaminants as<br />

well as metals bound in the fuel (e.g.<br />

vanadium <strong>and</strong> nickel). Part of the ash<br />

could be catalyst particles from the refin-<br />

ing process.<br />

Catalyst particles are highly abrasive.<br />

Solid ash should be removed to the<br />

widest possible extent by centrifug-<br />

ing, <strong>and</strong> cleaning can be improved by<br />

installing a fine filter after the centrifuge<br />

(e.g. 50 μm).


Vanadium, magnesium <strong>and</strong> sodium<br />

Vanadium is bound in chemical com-<br />

plexes in the fuel <strong>and</strong>, consequently,<br />

cannot be removed.<br />

Vanadium deposits can be very hard,<br />

<strong>and</strong> may cause extensive damage to<br />

the turbocharger nozzle ring <strong>and</strong> tur-<br />

bine wheel. The only way to remove<br />

vanadium deposits is to disassemble the<br />

components <strong>and</strong> erase the deposits me-<br />

chanically.<br />

Sodium is normally present in the fuel<br />

as a salt water contamination <strong>and</strong> may,<br />

as such, be removed by centrifuging.<br />

Sodium can also reach the engine in<br />

the <strong>for</strong>m of airborne sea water mist.<br />

Vanadium, in combination with sodium,<br />

may lead to exhaust valve corrosion<br />

<strong>and</strong> turbocharger deposits. This can<br />

occur especially if the weight ratio of<br />

sodium to vanadium exceeds 1:3, <strong>and</strong><br />

especially in the case of a high vana-<br />

dium content.<br />

<strong>MAN</strong> <strong>Diesel</strong> has limited data to show<br />

that the level of sodium <strong>and</strong> vanadium<br />

in combination, <strong>and</strong> in this ratio, has led<br />

to the above-mentioned complications<br />

on <strong>MAN</strong> B&W engines.<br />

For lower contents of sodium <strong>and</strong> va-<br />

nadium, the weight ratio is considered<br />

of less importance (<strong>for</strong> a vanadium con-<br />

tent less than 150 mg/kg).<br />

Magnesium, either present in the fuel,<br />

in salt water contamination or intro-<br />

duced via additives can, to some ex-<br />

tent, increase the melting point of the<br />

vanadium, thus preventing the <strong>for</strong>ma-<br />

tion of deposits.<br />

<strong>MAN</strong> B&W <strong>Diesel</strong><br />

Aluminium <strong>and</strong> silicon<br />

The limit to aluminium <strong>and</strong> silicon has<br />

been introduced in order to restrict the<br />

content of catalytic fines, mainly Al 2 O 3<br />

<strong>and</strong> SiO 2 , in the oil. 80 mg Al <strong>and</strong> Si<br />

corresponds to up to 170 mg Al 2 O 2 <strong>and</strong><br />

SiO 2 .<br />

Catalytic fines give rise to abrasive<br />

wear, <strong>and</strong> their content should, there-<br />

<strong>for</strong>e, be reduced as much as possible<br />

by centrifuging the fuel oil be<strong>for</strong>e it<br />

reaches the engine.<br />

<strong>MAN</strong> <strong>Diesel</strong> recommends that 80 ppm<br />

of catalytic fines be<strong>for</strong>e the centrifuge<br />

is reduced as much as possible by the<br />

fuel centrifuge <strong>and</strong>, as a guideline, the<br />

level should in any case not exceed 15<br />

ppm after the centrifuge, see Ref. [1]<br />

<strong>and</strong> Ref [2].<br />

Ignition quality<br />

Normally applied analytical data <strong>for</strong> fuel<br />

oil contain no direct indication of igni-<br />

tion quality, neither do current specifi-<br />

cations <strong>and</strong> st<strong>and</strong>ards. However, this is<br />

not an important parameter <strong>for</strong> engines<br />

with high compression ratios.<br />

In a few cases (less than five), we have<br />

observed that the fuel had such poor<br />

ignition quality that the engines could<br />

not operate properly. Analysis of the<br />

fuel in question revealed that these<br />

fuels had all been contaminated by<br />

chemical waste.<br />

Tests per<strong>for</strong>med together with fuel ana-<br />

lysing institutes give indications of the<br />

ignition <strong>and</strong> combustion qualities of the<br />

different fuels. Test instruments utilising<br />

a constant volume combustion technol-<br />

ogy have been developed <strong>and</strong> are cur-<br />

rently being used <strong>for</strong> marine fuel testing<br />

at a number of fuel laboratories <strong>and</strong> build-<br />

ers of marine diesel engines worldwide.<br />

The test presents the Rate of Heat Re-<br />

lease, reflecting the actual heat release<br />

process <strong>and</strong>, thus, the combustion<br />

quality of the fuel tested. By the use of<br />

calibration fuels, a recorded ignition de-<br />

lay in combination with the combustion<br />

quality can be converted into an instru-<br />

ment-related Cetane number.<br />

The test results reflect the differences<br />

in ignition <strong>and</strong> combustion properties of<br />

diesel engine fuels resulting from varia-<br />

tions in the chemical composition of the<br />

fuels being tested.<br />

However, these test results do not re-<br />

flect the functions of the actual com-<br />

bustion in the diesel engine, because<br />

the tests are conducted at different<br />

conditions/mechanisms than exist in<br />

the engine.<br />

With the modern high compression ra-<br />

tio engines, the denoted differences in<br />

the fuel, both good <strong>and</strong> bad, are not at<br />

the level indicated by the test results.<br />

The cetane number in an ignition qual-<br />

ity test might, as such, only provide an<br />

indication of the difference in the fuels,<br />

but not whether this will have an influ-<br />

ence on the engine per<strong>for</strong>mance.<br />

<strong>Guidelines</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Fuels</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Lubes</strong> <strong>Purchasing</strong> Operation on Heavy Residual <strong>Fuels</strong><br />

7


Fuel Oil Stability<br />

Fuel oils are produced on the basis of<br />

widely varying crude oils <strong>and</strong> refinery<br />

processes. Due to incompatibility, such<br />

fuels can occasionally tend to be unsta-<br />

ble when mixed, <strong>for</strong> which reason mix-<br />

ing on board should be avoided to the<br />

widest possible extent.<br />

A mixture of incompatible fuels in the<br />

tanks can result in rather large amounts<br />

of sludge being taken out by the centri-<br />

fuges or even lead to centrifuge blocking.<br />

Inhomogeneity in the service tank can<br />

be counteracted by recirculating the<br />

contents of the tank through the cen-<br />

trifuge. This will have to be carried out<br />

<strong>Diesel</strong> oil<br />

service<br />

tank<br />

From centrifuges<br />

Booster<br />

pump<br />

- - - - - - - - - - <strong>Diesel</strong> oil<br />

Heavy fuel oil<br />

Heated pipe with insulation<br />

at the expense of the benefits derived<br />

from a low centrifuge flow rate as de-<br />

scribed below.<br />

With the introduction of new IMO emis-<br />

sion regulations <strong>and</strong> the fuel sulphur<br />

limit in SECAs (sulphur emission control<br />

areas), more blending of fuels to com-<br />

ply with the regulations is taking place.<br />

For this reason, the risk of incompat-<br />

ibility of fuels is also higher.<br />

Fuel Oil Treatment<br />

<strong>Fuels</strong> supplied to a ship must be treat-<br />

ed on board be<strong>for</strong>e use. Detailed in<strong>for</strong>-<br />

mation on fuel oil system layout can be<br />

found in the CIMAC Recommendations<br />

issued in 2005, Volume 9, concerning the<br />

Deck<br />

Heavy fuel oil<br />

service tank<br />

Overflow valve<br />

adjusted to 4 bar<br />

Supply pumps Circulating<br />

pumps<br />

Auxiliary<br />

engines<br />

Fig. 1: Pressurised uni-fuel oil system <strong>for</strong> both main engine <strong>and</strong> gensets<br />

8 <strong>Guidelines</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Fuels</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Lubes</strong> <strong>Purchasing</strong> Operation on Heavy Residual <strong>Fuels</strong><br />

Automatic de-aerating valve<br />

Venting box<br />

Common fuel oil supply unit<br />

Full flow filter<br />

Heater<br />

Auxiliary<br />

engines<br />

To fresh water cooling<br />

pump suction<br />

design of heavy fuel treatment plants <strong>for</strong><br />

diesel engines. Practically all fuel speci-<br />

fications refer to fuel as supplied <strong>and</strong>,<br />

as such, serve primarily as purchasing<br />

specifications. Furthermore, the data in<br />

a st<strong>and</strong>ard fuel analysis serves to ad-<br />

just the onboard treatment <strong>and</strong> is ac-<br />

tually of little use to the operator when<br />

referring to the engine operational data.<br />

Hence the basic design criterion is that<br />

engines must be capable of accepting<br />

all commercially available fuel oils, pro-<br />

vided that they are adequately treated<br />

on board.<br />

For this purpose, a well-designed fuel<br />

oil treatment system is a must. General<br />

Fuel oil<br />

drain tank<br />

Main engine<br />

Auxiliary<br />

engines


minimum recommendations <strong>for</strong> the lay-<br />

out of such a system have been speci-<br />

fied <strong>and</strong> should be complied with in<br />

order to ensure proper treatment of the<br />

fuel permitted by the guiding specifica-<br />

tion. The operation of the fuel prepara-<br />

tion system is the responsibility of the<br />

operator. Good results require both the<br />

correct system <strong>and</strong> the correct opera-<br />

tion of the system.<br />

The fuel oil system consists of a clean-<br />

ing plant (comprising centrifuging) <strong>and</strong><br />

a pressurised fuel oil system.<br />

Fig. 1 shows the pressurised fuel oil<br />

system common <strong>for</strong> <strong>MAN</strong> B&W main<br />

<strong>and</strong> GenSet engines.<br />

Centrifuging Recommendations<br />

Fuel oils, whether HFO or DO, should<br />

always be considered as contaminated<br />

upon delivery <strong>and</strong> should there<strong>for</strong>e be<br />

thoroughly cleaned to remove solid as<br />

well as liquid contaminants be<strong>for</strong>e use.<br />

The solid contaminants in the fuel are<br />

mainly rust, s<strong>and</strong>, dust <strong>and</strong> refinery cat-<br />

alysts. Liquid contaminants are mainly<br />

water, i.e. either fresh water or salt wa-<br />

ter.<br />

Impurities in the fuel can cause damage<br />

to fuel pumps <strong>and</strong> fuel valves, <strong>and</strong> can<br />

result in increased cylinder liner wear<br />

<strong>and</strong> deterioration of the exhaust valve<br />

seats. Also increased fouling of gas-<br />

ways <strong>and</strong> turbocharger blades could<br />

result from the use of inadequately<br />

cleaned fuel oil.<br />

Effective cleaning can only be ensured<br />

by using a centrifuge. We recommend<br />

that the capacity of the installed centri-<br />

<strong>MAN</strong> B&W <strong>Diesel</strong><br />

fuges should, at least, be according to<br />

the centrifuge maker’s specifications.<br />

To obtain optimum cleaning, it is of the<br />

utmost importance that the centrifuge<br />

is operated with as low a fuel oil viscos-<br />

ity as possible, <strong>and</strong> that the fuel oil is al-<br />

lowed to remain in the centrifuge bowl<br />

<strong>for</strong> as long as possible.<br />

Temperature of HFO be<strong>for</strong>e centri-<br />

fuges<br />

It is often seen that the HFO preheat-<br />

ers are too small, or the steam supply<br />

of the preheater is limited, or that they<br />

have too low a set point in tempera-<br />

ture. Often the heater surface is partly<br />

clogged by deposits. These factors all<br />

lead to reducing the separation tem-<br />

perature <strong>and</strong> hence the efficiency of the<br />

centrifuge.<br />

In some cases, the temperature of the<br />

HFO from the preheater is unstable <strong>and</strong><br />

fluctuates, which again results in im-<br />

proper cleaning of the fuel.<br />

In order to ensure that the centrifugal<br />

<strong>for</strong>ces separate the heavy contaminants in<br />

Capacity <strong>for</strong> same separation (%)<br />

100<br />

90<br />

80<br />

70<br />

180 cSt<br />

300 cSt<br />

700 cSt<br />

the relatively limited time that they are<br />

present in the centrifuge, the centrifuge<br />

should always be operated with an inlet<br />

temperature of 98°C.<br />

A temperature decrease has to be fol-<br />

lowed by a reduced throughput to en-<br />

sure the same cleaning efficiency, see<br />

Fig. 2.<br />

The fuel is kept in the centrifuge as long<br />

as possible by adjusting the flow rate<br />

through the centrifuge so that it corre-<br />

sponds to the amount of fuel required<br />

by the engine without excessive recir-<br />

culation. Consequently, the centrifuge<br />

should operate <strong>for</strong> 24 hours a day ex-<br />

cept during necessary cleaning.<br />

Centrifuges with separate feed pumps<br />

with a capacity matched to the engine<br />

output are to be preferred.<br />

Taking today’s fuel qualities into con-<br />

sideration, the need <strong>for</strong> maintenance of<br />

the centrifuges should not be underes-<br />

timated.<br />

77 90 92 94 96 98 100<br />

o<br />

cSt at 50 C<br />

Fig. 2: Relationship of throughput <strong>and</strong> temperature<br />

<strong>Guidelines</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Fuels</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Lubes</strong> <strong>Purchasing</strong> Operation on Heavy Residual <strong>Fuels</strong><br />

9


On centrifuges equipped with adjusting<br />

screws <strong>and</strong>/or gravity disks, their cor-<br />

rect choice <strong>and</strong> adjustment is of special<br />

importance <strong>for</strong> the efficient removal of<br />

water.<br />

The centrifuge manual states which<br />

disk or screw adjustment should be<br />

chosen on the basis of the density of<br />

the fuel.<br />

The normal practice is to have at least<br />

two centrifuges available <strong>for</strong> fuel clean-<br />

ing purposes, operating in serial or par-<br />

allel mode.<br />

For old type centrifuges, results from<br />

experimental work on the centrifuge<br />

treatment of today’s residual fuel quali-<br />

ties have shown that the best cleaning<br />

effect, particularly in regard to removal<br />

of catalytic fines, is achieved when the<br />

centrifuges are operated in series, i.e.<br />

in purifier/clarifier mode.<br />

For the automatically operating centri-<br />

fuges delivered from the mid-1980s,<br />

suitable <strong>for</strong> treating fuels with densi-<br />

ties higher than 991 kg/m 3 at 15°C, it<br />

is recommended to operate the centri-<br />

% Rate of flow, related to rated capacity of centrifuge<br />

80<br />

60<br />

40<br />

20<br />

fuges in parallel, as this results in reduced<br />

throughput, i.e. longer retention time in the<br />

centrifuge. However, the maker’s specific<br />

instructions should be followed.<br />

In this context, see section on high<br />

density fuels. If the centrifuge capacity<br />

installed is on the low side, in relation<br />

to the specific viscosity of the fuel oil<br />

used, <strong>and</strong> if more than one centrifuge is<br />

available, parallel operation should be<br />

considered as a means of obtaining an<br />

even lower flow rate. However, in view<br />

of the above results <strong>and</strong> recommenda-<br />

tions, serious consideration should be<br />

given to installing new equipment in<br />

compliance with today’s fuel qualities<br />

<strong>and</strong> flow recommendations.<br />

For determination of the centrifuging<br />

capacity, we generally advise that the<br />

recommendations of the centrifuge<br />

maker be followed, but the curves in<br />

Fig. 3 can be used as a guide.<br />

It is recommended that new centrifuges<br />

have gone through a separation per<strong>for</strong>-<br />

mance st<strong>and</strong>ard test according to the in-<br />

dustry st<strong>and</strong>ard CWA 15375.<br />

200 400 600 1500 3500 7000 sec RI/100 F<br />

o<br />

Fig. 3: Centrifuge makers´ capacity specification<br />

10 <strong>Guidelines</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Fuels</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Lubes</strong> <strong>Purchasing</strong> Operation on Heavy Residual <strong>Fuels</strong><br />

In order to check the per<strong>for</strong>mance of<br />

the centrifuge, fuel samples taken reg-<br />

ularly be<strong>for</strong>e <strong>and</strong> after the centrifuge<br />

should be analysed.<br />

High Density <strong>Fuels</strong><br />

In view of the fact that some fuel oil<br />

st<strong>and</strong>ards incorporate fuel grades with-<br />

out a density limit, <strong>and</strong> also the fact<br />

that the traditional limit of 991 kg/m 3<br />

at 15°C is occasionally exceeded on<br />

actual deliveries, some improvements<br />

in the centrifuging treatment have been<br />

introduced to enable treatment of fuels<br />

with higher density.<br />

Since the density limit used so far is, as<br />

in<strong>for</strong>med by centrifuge makers, given<br />

mainly to ensure interface control of the<br />

purifier, new improved clarifiers, with<br />

automatic desludging, have been in-<br />

troduced, which means that the purifier<br />

can be dispensed with.<br />

With such equipment, adequate sepa-<br />

ration of water <strong>and</strong> fuel can be carried<br />

out in the centrifuge, <strong>for</strong> fuels up to a<br />

density of 1010 kg/m 3 at 15°C.<br />

There<strong>for</strong>e, this has been selected as<br />

the density limit <strong>for</strong> new high density<br />

fuel grades.<br />

Thus we have no objections to the use of<br />

such high density fuels in our engines,<br />

provided that these types of centrifuges<br />

are installed. They should be operated<br />

in parallel or according to the centri-<br />

fuge maker’s instructions.


Fuel Sampling<br />

Sampling<br />

To be able to check whether the speci-<br />

fication indicated <strong>and</strong>/or the stipulated<br />

delivery conditions have been complied<br />

with, we recommend that a minimum<br />

of one sample of each bunker fuel lot<br />

be retained. In order to ensure that<br />

the sample is representative <strong>for</strong> the oil<br />

bunkered, the sample should be con-<br />

tinuously taken at the ship manifold<br />

throughout the bunkering period. This<br />

is done by a continuous collection of<br />

drip sample during the bunker delivery,<br />

see Ref. [3].<br />

This is without including the BDN (bun-<br />

ker delivery note) <strong>for</strong> compliance with<br />

IMO Annex VI.<br />

Analysis of samples<br />

The samples received from the bunker-<br />

ing company are frequently not identi-<br />

cal with the heavy fuel oil actually bun-<br />

kered. It is also appropriate to verify the<br />

heavy fuel oil properties stated in the<br />

bunker documents, such as density,<br />

viscosity <strong>and</strong> pour point. If these values<br />

deviate from those of the heavy fuel oil<br />

bunkered, there is a risk that the heavy<br />

fuel oil separator <strong>and</strong> the preheating<br />

temperature are not set correctly <strong>for</strong> the<br />

given injection viscosity.<br />

Sampling equipment<br />

Several suppliers of sampling <strong>and</strong> fuel<br />

test equipment are available on the<br />

market, but <strong>for</strong> more detailed <strong>and</strong> ac-<br />

curate analyses, a fuel analysing insti-<br />

tute should be contacted.<br />

<strong>MAN</strong> B&W <strong>Diesel</strong><br />

Supplementary Fuel Oil Treatment<br />

In a traditional system, the presence of<br />

large amounts of water <strong>and</strong> sludge will<br />

hamper the functioning of a clarifier, <strong>for</strong><br />

which reason a purifier has been used<br />

as the first step in the cleaning process.<br />

With the new automatic desludging<br />

clarifiers, the purifier can, as mentioned,<br />

be dispensed with. We consider the re-<br />

moval of solids to be the main purpose<br />

of fuel treatment.<br />

Although not necessarily harmful in its<br />

own right, the presence of an uncon-<br />

trolled amount of water <strong>and</strong> sludge in<br />

the fuel makes it difficult to remove the<br />

solid particles by centrifuging.<br />

There<strong>for</strong>e, the following additional equip-<br />

ment has been developed:<br />

Homogenisers<br />

Homogenisers are used to disperse<br />

any sludge <strong>and</strong> water remaining in the<br />

fuel after centrifuging. A homogeniser<br />

placed after the centrifuge will render<br />

fresh water (not removed by centrifug-<br />

ing) harmless to the engine.<br />

Homogenising may also be a means<br />

to cope with the more <strong>and</strong> more fre-<br />

quently occurring incompatibility prob-<br />

lems, which are not really safeguarded<br />

against in any fuel specification. Both<br />

ultrasonic <strong>and</strong> mechanical homogenis-<br />

ers are available.<br />

Homogenisers can also be used <strong>for</strong><br />

moderate emission control in conjunc-<br />

tion with emulsification of freshwater<br />

into the fuel.<br />

Homogenisers installed be<strong>for</strong>e the fuel<br />

centrifuge can, when considering the<br />

full range of the ISO 8217 fuel speci-<br />

fi-cation, reduce the efficiency of the<br />

centrifuge <strong>and</strong>, thus, the cleanliness of<br />

the fuel delivered to the engine. The so-<br />

dium will not be removed from the fuel<br />

in the <strong>for</strong>m of salt water. The cat fines<br />

<strong>and</strong> other abrasive material might be<br />

split up into very small particles, which<br />

are difficult <strong>for</strong> the centrifuge to sepa-<br />

rate <strong>and</strong> which will still have a harmful<br />

wear effect on the engine components.<br />

<strong>Guidelines</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Fuels</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Lubes</strong> <strong>Purchasing</strong> Operation on Heavy Residual <strong>Fuels</strong><br />

11


To drain tank<br />

F.O. drain<br />

tank<br />

Main<br />

engine<br />

TSA<br />

TE 8005<br />

304<br />

Automatic de�aerating valve<br />

To F.W. cooling<br />

pump suction Full flow filter<br />

<strong>Diesel</strong> oil<br />

Heavy fuel oil<br />

Heated pipe with insulation<br />

Fig. 4: Pressurised fuel oil system, with homogeniser<br />

Installation of homogenisers be<strong>for</strong>e the<br />

centrifuge, see Fig. 4, is there<strong>for</strong>e not<br />

advisable.<br />

In order to reduce the NOx level in the<br />

engine exhaust gas, water can be added<br />

to the fuel oil to create an emulsion.<br />

Clean freshwater should be used, <strong>and</strong><br />

this is homogenised into the fuel oil at<br />

PI PI<br />

PT<br />

PSA<br />

8002<br />

307<br />

TI TI<br />

Venting tank<br />

Circulating pumps<br />

12 <strong>Guidelines</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Fuels</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Lubes</strong> <strong>Purchasing</strong> Operation on Heavy Residual <strong>Fuels</strong><br />

VSA<br />

303<br />

Pre�<br />

heater<br />

VT 8004<br />

Heavy fuel oil<br />

service tank<br />

Deck<br />

Supply pumps<br />

Acceptable location<br />

of homogeniser<br />

a maximum ratio of approx. one part of<br />

water to two parts of fuel oil. The water<br />

emulsion can be stable with HFO but<br />

with lighter fuels, such as gas oil <strong>and</strong><br />

diesel oil, it may be necessary to add<br />

an emulsifier to the fuel oil be<strong>for</strong>e homogenising<br />

the fuel <strong>and</strong> water. The homogeniser<br />

is located between the HFO<br />

service tank <strong>and</strong> the engine, i.e. after<br />

the fuel oil purifiers.<br />

Suggested location of homogeniser<br />

by some suppliers.<br />

Not acceptable<br />

<strong>for</strong> engine per<strong>for</strong>mance<br />

<strong>Diesel</strong><br />

oil<br />

service<br />

tank<br />

Fine filters<br />

Centrifuges<br />

From diesel centrifuges<br />

Fuel<br />

storage<br />

tank<br />

Fine filters are placed directly after the<br />

centrifuge, or in the supply line to the<br />

engine, in order to remove any solid<br />

particles not taken by centrifuging. The<br />

mesh is very fine, i.e. down to 5 μm.<br />

Homogenising be<strong>for</strong>e a fine filter can<br />

reduce the risk of fine filter blocking by<br />

the agglomeration of asphaltenes.


Temperature after heater<br />

o<br />

C<br />

170<br />

160<br />

150<br />

140<br />

130<br />

120<br />

110<br />

100<br />

90<br />

80<br />

70<br />

60<br />

50<br />

40<br />

Fuel Oil System<br />

A pressurised fuel oil system, as shown<br />

in Fig. 1, is necessary when operating<br />

on high viscosity fuels. When using high<br />

viscosity fuels requiring high preheating<br />

temperatures, the oil from the engine<br />

fuel oil system to the return line will also<br />

have a relatively high temperature.<br />

The fuel oil pressure measured on the<br />

engine (at fuel pump level) should be<br />

about 8 bar, which is equivalent to a cir-<br />

culating pump delivery pressure of up<br />

to 10 bar. This maintains a pressure mar-<br />

<strong>MAN</strong> B&W <strong>Diesel</strong><br />

Normal heating limit<br />

Approximate pumping limit<br />

cSt Sec<br />

RW<br />

7 43<br />

10 52<br />

12 59<br />

15 69<br />

20 87<br />

30 125<br />

10 15 25 35 45 55 cSt/100 C<br />

o<br />

30 60 100 180 380 600 cSt/50 C<br />

o<br />

200 400 800 1500 3500 6000 sec. RW/100 F<br />

o<br />

30<br />

Viscosity of fuel<br />

Fig. 5: Heating chart <strong>for</strong> heavy fuel oil<br />

Approximate viscosity<br />

after heater<br />

gin against gasification <strong>and</strong> cavitation in<br />

the fuel system, even at 150°C preheat.<br />

In order to ensure correct atomisation,<br />

the fuel oil temperature must be ad-<br />

justed according to the specific fuel oil<br />

viscosity used.<br />

An inadequate temperature can influ-<br />

ence the combustion <strong>and</strong> could cause<br />

increased wear on cylinder liners <strong>and</strong><br />

piston rings, as well as deterioration<br />

of the exhaust valve seats. Too low a<br />

heating temperature, i.e. too high vis-<br />

cosity, could also result in a too high<br />

injection pressure, leading to excessive<br />

mechanical stresses in the fuel oil sys-<br />

tem.<br />

In most installations, heating is carried<br />

out by means of steam, <strong>and</strong> the viscosity<br />

is kept at the specified level by a viscosity<br />

regulator controlling the steam supply.<br />

Depending on the viscosity/tempera-<br />

ture relationship of the fuel oil (the vis-<br />

cosity index), an outlet temperature of<br />

up to 150°C might be necessary, as in-<br />

dicated on the guidance curves shown<br />

in Fig. 5, which illustrate the expected<br />

heating temperature as a function of the<br />

specific fuel oil viscosity in cSt/50°C.<br />

The recommended viscosity meter set-<br />

ting is 10-15 cSt. However, service ex-<br />

perience has shown that the viscosity<br />

of the fuel be<strong>for</strong>e the fuel pump is not<br />

a too critical parameter, <strong>for</strong> which rea-<br />

son we allow a viscosity of up to 20 cSt<br />

after the heater. In order to avoid too<br />

rapid fouling of the heater, the temper-<br />

ature should not exceed 150°C.<br />

<strong>Guidelines</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Fuels</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Lubes</strong> <strong>Purchasing</strong> Operation on Heavy Residual <strong>Fuels</strong><br />

13


Operational Aspects<br />

All low speed engines from <strong>and</strong> in-<br />

cluding the K-GF types (from around<br />

1973) are equipped with uncooled, all-<br />

symmetrical lightweight fuel injection<br />

valves.<br />

These allow constant operation on<br />

heavy fuel, due to the built-in possibility<br />

of circulating heated heavy fuel through<br />

the high-pressure fuel pipes, <strong>and</strong> fuel<br />

valves during engine st<strong>and</strong>still.<br />

In view of the emission regulations <strong>and</strong><br />

the increased use of low-sulphur fuels,<br />

a special procedure is made to protect<br />

the engine when changing between fu-<br />

els (see the chapter: ‘‘Low-sulphur Fuel<br />

Operation’’).<br />

If a change to diesel oil is necessary as<br />

a result of, <strong>for</strong> instance, the need <strong>for</strong><br />

a major repair of the fuel oil system, a<br />

prolonged stop, or the use of very low-<br />

sulphur fuels, as required by environ-<br />

mental legislation, the heavy fuel in the<br />

system can be changed with diesel oil<br />

at any time, provided the change-over<br />

procedure is followed, even when the<br />

engine is not running. See also the en-<br />

gine instruction book.<br />

During engine st<strong>and</strong>still, the heated fuel<br />

oil circulating through the fuel system<br />

does not require the same low viscosity<br />

as recommended <strong>for</strong> injection.<br />

Thus, in order to save steam, the heat-<br />

ing temperature may be lowered by<br />

some 20°C, giving the circulating oil a<br />

viscosity of up to 30 cSt.<br />

The temperature should be raised to<br />

the recommended service value, as il-<br />

lustrated in Fig. 5, about 30 minutes<br />

be<strong>for</strong>e starting-up is expected.<br />

As previously mentioned, the heating<br />

temperature must not exceed 150°C,<br />

<strong>and</strong> during operation it is not necessary<br />

to apply pipe heating by means of heat<br />

Compatibility<br />

of mixed fuels!<br />

Tank system<br />

considerations!<br />

High S%<br />

14 <strong>Guidelines</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Fuels</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Lubes</strong> <strong>Purchasing</strong> Operation on Heavy Residual <strong>Fuels</strong><br />

Fuel change-over unit<br />

Engine<br />

Low S%<br />

tracing. When running on diesel oil, the<br />

heat tracing system must not be used<br />

at all.<br />

However, it should be noted that the<br />

pipe heating system on drain pipes<br />

should remain in operation when run-<br />

ning on heavy fuel.<br />

Fig. 6: Considerations to be made to be<strong>for</strong>e changing between high/low sulphur fuels<br />

Fig. 7: Recommended cylinder oil feed rates depending on the fuel sulphur level<br />

Oil<br />

Viscosity!<br />

BN<br />

10-40-70!


Low-sulphur Fuel Operation<br />

Today, there are ECAs (emission control<br />

area, based on EU <strong>and</strong> IMO regulations)<br />

in the Baltic Sea, the North Sea <strong>and</strong> the<br />

English Channel. And more such areas<br />

are expected to come. In the USA, the<br />

EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)<br />

is considering to designate Long Beach<br />

an ECA very soon.<br />

The sulphur content has an impact on<br />

the sulphur acid emission to the air, sea<br />

<strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong>, as well as a major impact on<br />

the particle level in the exhaust gas.<br />

Even though <strong>MAN</strong> B&W two-stroke en-<br />

gines are largely insensitive to the fuel<br />

quality, changing between fuels with<br />

different levels of viscosity is an impor-<br />

tant consideration to make.<br />

The cylinder lube oil base number must<br />

be considered. Operating on normal<br />

BN70 cylinder oil <strong>for</strong> too long when<br />

burning low-sulphur fuel will prevent<br />

controlled corrosion on the cylinder lin-<br />

ers.<br />

The mechanism is a creation of an ex-<br />

cess of deposits originating from the<br />

cylinder oil’s additives. Low-BN oil is<br />

available from the major oil companies,<br />

<strong>and</strong> recommendations on the use of<br />

low <strong>and</strong> high-BN oils are also available.<br />

The fuel change-over process must fol-<br />

low the thermal expansion of both the<br />

fuel pump plunger <strong>and</strong> the barrel, <strong>and</strong><br />

a procedure has been created to avoid<br />

causing damage to the fuel pumps.<br />

An automatic change-over unit will be<br />

available in 2009.<br />

In order to ensure the creation of a hy-<br />

drodynamic oil film between the fuel<br />

pump plunger <strong>and</strong> barrel, a viscosity<br />

<strong>MAN</strong> B&W <strong>Diesel</strong><br />

of 2 cSt is required at the engine in-<br />

let. This may be difficult to achieve <strong>for</strong><br />

some DO <strong>and</strong> GOs, <strong>and</strong> some opera-<br />

tors may have to introduce a cooler in<br />

the fuel oil system to ensure a satisfac-<br />

tory viscosity level.<br />

The ignition quality of a fuel oil is not<br />

an issue <strong>for</strong> <strong>MAN</strong> B&W two-stroke en-<br />

gines. <strong>MAN</strong> <strong>Diesel</strong> has conducted a<br />

number of research tests showing that<br />

the <strong>MAN</strong> B&W two-stroke engine is in-<br />

sensitive to the poor ignition combus-<br />

tion quality fuels on the market today.<br />

A separate booklet called ‘‘Low-sulphur<br />

fuel operation’’ is available from <strong>MAN</strong><br />

<strong>Diesel</strong>, Ref. [4].<br />

Off-spec. <strong>Fuels</strong><br />

Several selected off-spec. fuels (i.e.<br />

beyond ISO 8217) have been tested<br />

on <strong>MAN</strong> B&W’s two-stroke research<br />

engine:<br />

Natural gas<br />

Bitumen<br />

Orimulsion<br />

Tallow<br />

Our research facility in Copenhagen is<br />

available <strong>for</strong> such testing. In the event<br />

that off-spec. fuels are considered <strong>for</strong><br />

use on <strong>MAN</strong> B&W engines, it is recom-<br />

mended that <strong>MAN</strong> <strong>Diesel</strong> is contacted<br />

<strong>for</strong> further in<strong>for</strong>mation regarding opera-<br />

tional experience <strong>and</strong> any necessary<br />

precautions.<br />

Table II shows the guiding biofuel spec-<br />

ification <strong>for</strong> <strong>MAN</strong> B&W two-stroke low<br />

speed diesel engines.<br />

<strong>MAN</strong> <strong>Diesel</strong> can be contacted <strong>for</strong> fur-<br />

ther recommendations on the use of<br />

biofuels.<br />

Guiding Biofuel Specification <strong>for</strong> <strong>MAN</strong> B&W<br />

Two-stroke Low Speed <strong>Diesel</strong> Engines 1)<br />

Designation<br />

Density at 15 o C kg/m 3 1010<br />

Kinematic viscosity at 10 o C 2)<br />

cSt 55<br />

Flash point o C >60<br />

Carbon residue % (m/m) 22<br />

Ash % (m/m) 0.15<br />

Water % (m/m) 1.0<br />

Sulphur 3) % (m/m) 5.0<br />

Vanadium ppm (m/m) 600<br />

Aluminium + Silicon mg/kg 80<br />

Sodium plus potassium ppm (m/m) 200<br />

Calcium ppm (m/m) 200<br />

Lead ppm (m/m) 10<br />

TAN (Total Acid Number) mg KOH/g 4)


Lubricating Oil Qualities<br />

Low speed diesel rust <strong>and</strong> oxidation in-<br />

hibited alkaline engine oils of the SAE<br />

30 viscosity grade should be chosen<br />

<strong>for</strong> circulating oil. The oils should have<br />

adequate dispersancy/detergency to<br />

keep the crankcase <strong>and</strong> the piston<br />

cooling spaces free from deposits.<br />

For engines with an integrated gear<br />

driven Power Take Off (PTO), a mini-<br />

mum FZG load level (Foursquare gear<br />

oil test) of 8 should be observed. For<br />

electronically controlled engines, a min-<br />

imum FZG load level of 10 is required.<br />

Contamination of system lube oil<br />

Increase of BN (Base Number) <strong>and</strong> vis-<br />

cosity of the system lube oil during op-<br />

eration is unavoidable.<br />

The piston rod stuffing box separates<br />

the combustion <strong>and</strong> scavenge air<br />

spaces from the crankcase. There<strong>for</strong>e,<br />

Table III<br />

lube oil will not be severely contami-<br />

nated with combustion products <strong>and</strong><br />

used cylinder lube oil. However, some<br />

cylinder lube oil leaks through the stuff-<br />

ing box, down into the system lube oil<br />

sump. This is revealed by increasing<br />

BN <strong>and</strong> viscosity levels of the system<br />

lube oil.<br />

Normally, the increase will stop after<br />

some time <strong>and</strong> remain at a stable level<br />

where topping up with new system lube<br />

oil, to make up <strong>for</strong> normal consump-<br />

tion, will balance the degree of contam-<br />

ination of the system oil with cylinder<br />

lube oil.<br />

Water may also contaminate system oil.<br />

Excess water levels may harm tin-alu-<br />

minum bearings, <strong>for</strong> which reason <strong>MAN</strong><br />

<strong>Diesel</strong> recommends that the water level<br />

does not exceed 0.2% (0.5% water al-<br />

lowed <strong>for</strong> shorter periods of time), Ref.<br />

16 <strong>Guidelines</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Fuels</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Lubes</strong> <strong>Purchasing</strong> Operation on Heavy Residual <strong>Fuels</strong><br />

[5].<br />

In some cases, fuel has been seen<br />

leaking through the fuel pump umbrel-<br />

la sealings into the system oil. Fuel is<br />

known to <strong>for</strong>m deposits on hot spots,<br />

i.e. in the piston undercrown space. It<br />

is there<strong>for</strong>e important to keep the rec-<br />

ommended overhaul intervals on fuel<br />

pumps to secure that the pump pack-<br />

ings/sealings are replaced.<br />

BN level consideration<br />

The increase in BN can influence the<br />

ability of the oil to reject water by the<br />

usual centrifuging. Water together with<br />

calcium compounds from oil additives<br />

may <strong>for</strong>m calcium hydroxide recom-<br />

mended to ensure calcium carbonate<br />

<strong>and</strong> build up a deposit of lacquer on<br />

the bearings. Another risk is the in-<br />

creased sludge <strong>for</strong>mation when water<br />

is present.<br />

Experience shows, however, that many<br />

engines are operating with up to 30 BN<br />

International br<strong>and</strong>s of lubricating oils which have been applied with satisfactory results on <strong>MAN</strong> B&W engines,<br />

on a large number of vessels<br />

Lubricating oils - Low speed main engines<br />

Type Circulating oil Cylinder oil<br />

Requirement SAE 30, BN 5-10 SAE 50, BN 60-80 SAE 50, BN 40-50<br />

Oil company<br />

BP Energol OE-HT 30 Energol CLO-50M/CL 605 Energol CL 505/CL-DX 405<br />

Castrol CDX 30 Cyltech 70/80 AW Cyltech 40 SX/50 S<br />

Chevron<br />

(Chevron, Texaco, Caltex)<br />

Veritas 800 Marine 30<br />

Taro Special HT 70<br />

Taro Special HT LS 40<br />

Total Atlanta Marine D 3005 Talusia HR 70/Talusia Universal Talusia LS 40<br />

Exxon Mobil Mobilgard 300 Mobilgard 570 Mobilgard L540<br />

Shell Melina 30/30S Alexia 50 Alexia LS<br />

* depending on load profile <strong>and</strong> sulphur content, see MD recommendation <strong>for</strong> cylinder feed rate


(starting from approx. 6 BN) without<br />

any operational problems, <strong>and</strong> without<br />

any changes in the lube oil per<strong>for</strong>mance<br />

that give reason <strong>for</strong> renewing the oil.<br />

An increase in BN to an equilibrium<br />

value of up to 25 in BN <strong>and</strong> in viscosity<br />

from SAE 30 to SAE 40 is considered<br />

normal, <strong>and</strong> no action is called <strong>for</strong>. An<br />

increase beyond that is not really harm-<br />

ful <strong>and</strong> can, in most cases, be counter-<br />

acted by new low-BN topping oil.<br />

The circulation oil consumption on the<br />

MC/ME/ME-B/C/S engines is very low<br />

because the engines are designed to<br />

have fewer leaks <strong>and</strong> because of the<br />

much reduced stuffing box oil drain,<br />

compared to previous engine types,<br />

causing a higher increase in BN <strong>and</strong><br />

viscosity. There<strong>for</strong>e, it may be neces-<br />

sary to add some new oil to the lube oil<br />

sump at times to ensure a proper qual-<br />

ity <strong>and</strong> BN level of the lube oil. This is<br />

done by exchanging part of the circula-<br />

tion oil in the sump based on an analysis<br />

of the oil.<br />

<strong>MAN</strong> B&W <strong>Diesel</strong><br />

Lube Oil Blending on Board<br />

A new blending-on-board (BoB) con-<br />

cept makes it possible to add addi-<br />

tives to the engine system oil <strong>and</strong> then<br />

utilise it as cylinder lube oil. By top-<br />

ping up the thereby used system oil,<br />

a steady renewal of the oil is ensured<br />

as well as improved viscosity control<br />

<strong>and</strong> cleanliness. The oil suppliers get<br />

the advantage of supplying only one oil<br />

<strong>and</strong> a limited amount of additives. The<br />

traditionally consumed cylinder oil is re-<br />

placed with the blended lube oil.<br />

Furthermore, the idea with the BoB<br />

concept is that the operator will ulti-<br />

mately be able to adjust the cylinder oil<br />

BN to the current fuel sulphur level by<br />

changing the blending ratio. In 2007,<br />

<strong>MAN</strong> <strong>Diesel</strong> issued a No Objection Let-<br />

ter (NOL) on a BN70 blend. The NOL<br />

applies to a specific additive in a spe-<br />

cific system oil.<br />

Testing of a BN60 blend on is ongoing,<br />

on an engine in service, <strong>and</strong> the condi-<br />

tion is so far found to be satisfactory.<br />

Technically, it is currently being investi-<br />

gated how the blending-on-board con-<br />

cept could cover all BN levels on just<br />

the same additive package.<br />

Some considerations must be made in<br />

this respect:<br />

System oil condition prior to blending<br />

must be acceptable<br />

Quality control of the additives must<br />

be ensured<br />

Technical per<strong>for</strong>mance of additive<br />

package in different concentrations<br />

(BN40, BN50, BN60…) must be<br />

clarified<br />

<strong>MAN</strong> <strong>Diesel</strong> shares a common inter-<br />

est with the oil companies – to keep<br />

the lube oil expenses predictable <strong>and</strong><br />

optimal. There<strong>for</strong>e, also in this field it<br />

is of the utmost importance to ensure<br />

the reliable per<strong>for</strong>mance of the blended<br />

products. This requires continuous ver-<br />

ification tests.<br />

No-objection letters will be issued as<br />

the tests with BoB <strong>and</strong> lower BN oils<br />

are successfully concluded.<br />

<strong>MAN</strong> <strong>Diesel</strong> can be contacted <strong>for</strong> in<strong>for</strong>-<br />

mation on the test status.<br />

<strong>Guidelines</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Fuels</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Lubes</strong> <strong>Purchasing</strong> Operation on Heavy Residual <strong>Fuels</strong><br />

17


Cylinder Oil, Low Speed <strong>Diesel</strong>s<br />

For engines operating on heavy residual<br />

fuel oil, a cylinder oil with a viscosity of<br />

SAE 50 <strong>and</strong> BN of 70 is recommended.<br />

In most cases the high BN cylinder lubri-<br />

cant will also be satisfactory during tempo-<br />

rary operation on diesel oil/gas oil.<br />

In general, changing the cylinder oil<br />

type to correspond to the fuel type<br />

used (i.e. bunker fuel or diesel oil/gas<br />

oil) is considered relevant only in cases<br />

where operation on the respective fuel<br />

type is to exceed two weeks. However,<br />

cylinder oil feed rate adjustments might<br />

be required.<br />

There is a high risk when using BN70<br />

cylinder oils in connection with frequent<br />

bunkering of low-sulphur fuels, with a<br />

sulphur content of below to 1.5%, see<br />

Ref. [6]<br />

The main problem has been the ac-<br />

cumulation of unused cylinder oil ad-<br />

ditives, resulting in excessive deposits<br />

on the piston topl<strong>and</strong>. This has led to<br />

high wear, <strong>and</strong> to a situation where in-<br />

creased lubrication does not improve<br />

the condition. On the contrary, in-<br />

creased lubrication increases the <strong>for</strong>-<br />

Stationary applications<br />

mation of deposits, leading to accelera-<br />

tion of the problem.<br />

It has been established that a certain<br />

degree of controlled corrosion en-<br />

hances lubrication, in that the corro-<br />

sion generates small “pockets” in the<br />

cylinder liner running face from which<br />

hydrodynamic lubrication from the oil in<br />

the pocket is created. The alternative,<br />

no corrosion, could lead to bore polish<br />

<strong>and</strong>, subsequently, hamper the crea-<br />

tion of the necessary oil film on the liner<br />

surface, resulting, eventually, in accel-<br />

erated wear. Controlled corrosion – not<br />

avoiding corrosion – is there<strong>for</strong>e crucial,<br />

<strong>and</strong> adjusting the BN to the fuel oil sul-<br />

phur content is essential.<br />

Low alkaline cylinder lubricants are<br />

there<strong>for</strong>e available on request from the<br />

major lubricating oil suppliers.<br />

Table III shows typical lube oils used<br />

on marine applications together with<br />

the fuel oils specified in Table I. In or-<br />

der to control <strong>and</strong> prevent uncontrolled<br />

sulphur corrosion, it has become the<br />

industry st<strong>and</strong>ard <strong>for</strong> marine engines to<br />

use cylinder lubricants with a BN of 70<br />

in combination with the average marine<br />

fuels, i.e. 380 cSt <strong>and</strong> 2.7% sulphur<br />

content.<br />

18 <strong>Guidelines</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Fuels</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Lubes</strong> <strong>Purchasing</strong> Operation on Heavy Residual <strong>Fuels</strong><br />

Special running conditions because of<br />

frequent bunkering of low-sulphur fuels<br />

<strong>and</strong> environmental fuel regulations (by<br />

the authorities or self imposed), requir-<br />

ing the use of low-sulphur fuel <strong>and</strong> spe-<br />

cial running conditions, might call <strong>for</strong><br />

a lowering of the total alkaline additive<br />

content. This can be done by lowering<br />

the dosage towards our minimum feed<br />

rate or, alternatively, by using one of the<br />

specially designed cylinder oils with a<br />

lower BN <strong>and</strong> with full detergency.<br />

Service tests with such specially de-<br />

signed low-BN oils have shown good<br />

results. However, it may be difficult to<br />

determine whether changing to a BN40<br />

or BN50 cylinder oil will be adequate<br />

<strong>for</strong> operation of ultra-low sulphur fuels.<br />

A lower BN than 40-50 might be the<br />

future oil <strong>for</strong> low-sulphur operation.<br />

For this reason, we recommend that<br />

you contact <strong>MAN</strong> <strong>Diesel</strong>, or the engine<br />

builder, be<strong>for</strong>e operation on ultra-low<br />

sulphur fuel.<br />

General<br />

Ambient conditions Stationary engines Marine engines<br />

Table IV<br />

Maximum Average Minimum<br />

It should be considered that, irrespective<br />

of the sulphur content being high or low,<br />

the fuels used in low speed engines are<br />

usually low quality heavy fuels.<br />

Tropical Design<br />

Cooling water temp. yearly site yearly site yearly site 32°C 25°C<br />

Air inlet temp. climatic cond. climatic cond. climatic cond. 45°C 25°C<br />

Blower inlet pressure Depends on height above sea level 1000 mbar 1000 mbar


There<strong>for</strong>e, the cylinder oils must have<br />

full capacity in respect of detergency<br />

<strong>and</strong> dispersancy, irrespective of the BN<br />

specified. This is a technology which<br />

has to be mastered by the lube oil sup-<br />

pliers, who can individually tailor a cyl-<br />

inder lube oil to the relevant fuel.<br />

Breaking-in cylinder lube oils <strong>for</strong><br />

testbed running<br />

In addition to determining the optimum<br />

oil design <strong>for</strong> normal operation of the<br />

two-stroke <strong>MAN</strong> B&W engines, we<br />

also investigate <strong>and</strong> test various lube<br />

oil designs in cooperation with the oil<br />

companies to find the optimum cylinder<br />

lube oils <strong>for</strong> testbed running.<br />

Most builders of <strong>MAN</strong> B&W two-stroke<br />

engines are using low-sulphur DO fu-<br />

els, primarily <strong>for</strong> environmental reasons.<br />

This, in combination with a relatively<br />

high running-in lube oil dosage, re-<br />

quires a high detergency level in the oil.<br />

There<strong>for</strong>e, we generally recommend the<br />

use of a BN70 cylinder oil, irrespective<br />

of the sulphur content of the fuel oil.<br />

When introducing alucoating on piston<br />

rings <strong>and</strong> semi-honed cylinder liners,<br />

we also introduced a shorter running-<br />

in period which, furthermore, limits the<br />

period in which excess cylinder lube oil<br />

is supplied, <strong>and</strong> improves the running-<br />

in conditions. This means that the en-<br />

tire running-in period, up to 100 hours,<br />

is fully acceptable <strong>for</strong> using BN70 cylin-<br />

der lube oils.<br />

<strong>MAN</strong> B&W <strong>Diesel</strong><br />

Per<strong>for</strong>mance Verification of Cylinder<br />

Oils<br />

All oils listed have gone through a per-<br />

<strong>for</strong>mance test <strong>for</strong> about 4,000 running<br />

hours on a relevant engine type in serv-<br />

ice <strong>and</strong> have, during the test, been in-<br />

spected by engineers from <strong>MAN</strong> <strong>Diesel</strong>,<br />

in cooperation with the oil supplier.<br />

When satisfactory results have been<br />

achieved, <strong>MAN</strong> <strong>Diesel</strong> issues a ‘Let-<br />

ter of No Objection’ <strong>for</strong> the use of the<br />

oil on <strong>MAN</strong> B&W two-stroke engines.<br />

However, <strong>MAN</strong> <strong>Diesel</strong> does not assume<br />

responsibility <strong>for</strong> any damage caused<br />

due to the quality of an oil mentioned in<br />

a ‘Letter of No Objection’. The per<strong>for</strong>m-<br />

ance of the oil is the responsibility of the<br />

oil supplier. It is up to the operator to<br />

obtain guarantees from the oil supplier<br />

that the oil is suitable <strong>for</strong> operation on<br />

the plant in question in conjunction with<br />

the currently used fuel.<br />

If an oil on the list fails to provide ac-<br />

ceptable per<strong>for</strong>mance, then <strong>MAN</strong><br />

<strong>Diesel</strong> will work together with the oil<br />

company to clarify the reasons <strong>and</strong>, if<br />

needed, have a better oil introduced.<br />

If an oil fails, the ‘Letter of No Objec-<br />

tion’ will be withdrawn.<br />

The list should not be considered com-<br />

plete, <strong>and</strong> oils from other companies<br />

may be equally suitable. Upon request,<br />

<strong>MAN</strong> <strong>Diesel</strong> will in<strong>for</strong>m whether a given<br />

oil has been tested <strong>and</strong> whether the<br />

test results were acceptable.<br />

Further in<strong>for</strong>mation about the oil test<br />

<strong>and</strong> ‘Letter of No Objection’ can be<br />

obtained by contacting <strong>MAN</strong> <strong>Diesel</strong> in<br />

Copenhagen.<br />

<strong>Fuels</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Lubes</strong> <strong>for</strong> Stationary Twostroke<br />

<strong>MAN</strong> B&W Engines<br />

Stationary engines operate at load pat-<br />

terns <strong>and</strong> ambient conditions which<br />

differ widely from those of their marine<br />

counterparts. This is illustrated in Fig. 8<br />

<strong>and</strong> Table IV showing the typical oper-<br />

ating conditions <strong>for</strong> both applications.<br />

Thus, Fig. 8 shows that <strong>for</strong> stationary<br />

engines, the average load is 95-100%<br />

during 8,000 hours, or more, per year<br />

in operation, whereas <strong>for</strong> marine en-<br />

gines the average load is around 80%<br />

<strong>and</strong>, furthermore, often only <strong>for</strong> 6,000<br />

hours per year in operation. This means<br />

that stationary engines typically have a<br />

more than 60% higher load factor than<br />

marine engines.<br />

Stationary engines are exposed to<br />

widely varying ambient conditions, i.e.<br />

higher <strong>and</strong> lower air <strong>and</strong> cooling water<br />

temperatures, see Table IV. Further-<br />

more, stationary engines are frequently<br />

exposed to fuel oils of non-marine qual-<br />

ities. The fuel is often delivered from<br />

one permanent supplier, meaning that<br />

the quality from this supplier, good or<br />

bad, will prevail.<br />

Fig. 8: Typical load profile during a year in opera-<br />

tion<br />

% load<br />

110<br />

100<br />

90<br />

80<br />

70<br />

60<br />

Stationary<br />

Marine<br />

0 2,000 4,000 6,000<br />

8,000<br />

hours<br />

Time in service over one year<br />

<strong>Guidelines</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Fuels</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Lubes</strong> <strong>Purchasing</strong> Operation on Heavy Residual <strong>Fuels</strong><br />

19


There<strong>for</strong>e, lube oils, especially cylinder<br />

oil, have to be individually selected <strong>and</strong>,<br />

at times, even individually specified <strong>and</strong><br />

optimised in order to match the fuel oil<br />

available.<br />

Table III shows typical lube oils to be<br />

used <strong>for</strong> marine applications together<br />

with the fuel oils specified according to<br />

ISO 8217. In order to control/prevent<br />

sulphur corrosion, it has become the<br />

industry st<strong>and</strong>ard <strong>for</strong> marine engines to<br />

use cylinder lubricants with a BN of 70<br />

<strong>for</strong> use with the average marine fuels.<br />

This simple rule does not apply to sta-<br />

tionary engines, where the sulphur level<br />

in the fuel usually remains constant, i.e.<br />

at the level set by the supplies available,<br />

or, when regulated by local legislation,<br />

often shows a decreasing tendency<br />

over the lifetime of the plant.<br />

Hence, the constant use of a higher<br />

than average sulphur content, possibly<br />

even higher than that found in the ma-<br />

rine specification, will call <strong>for</strong> the use of<br />

a higher BN, <strong>and</strong> <strong>for</strong> this situation lube<br />

oils with a BN of up to 100 are avail-<br />

able.<br />

Correspondingly, long-term use of<br />

lower-than-average sulphur fuels will<br />

call <strong>for</strong> the use of lower BN lube oils, as<br />

described <strong>for</strong> low-sulphur marine fuels.<br />

In addition, the engine load <strong>for</strong> station-<br />

ary engines is usually very high, <strong>and</strong> the<br />

ambient temperature is often higher as<br />

well, ref. Fig. 8 <strong>and</strong> Table IV.<br />

Hence, temperatures are high in the<br />

combustion chamber, <strong>and</strong> the need to<br />

counteract cold corrosion with alkaline<br />

additives is lower, thus reducing the BN<br />

requirement.<br />

20 <strong>Guidelines</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Fuels</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Lubes</strong> <strong>Purchasing</strong> Operation on Heavy Residual <strong>Fuels</strong><br />

List of References<br />

[1] “Heavy Fuel Oil Treatment”,<br />

Service Letter SL05-452,<br />

Kjeld Aabo, <strong>MAN</strong> <strong>Diesel</strong>,<br />

Copenhagen, Denmark<br />

[2] “Marine diesel engines, catalytic<br />

fines <strong>and</strong> a new st<strong>and</strong>ard to ensure<br />

safe operation”, by Alfa Laval, BP<br />

Marine <strong>and</strong> <strong>MAN</strong> B&W <strong>Diesel</strong><br />

[3] “<strong>Guidelines</strong> <strong>for</strong> the sampling of fuel<br />

oil <strong>for</strong> determination of compliance<br />

with Annex VI of MARPOL 73/78”,<br />

Resolution by the IMO Marine<br />

Environment Protection<br />

Committee, MEPC 96<br />

[4] “Operation on Low-sulphur Fuel”,<br />

by Kjeld Aabo, <strong>MAN</strong> <strong>Diesel</strong>,<br />

Copenhagen, Denmark, publication<br />

no.: 5510-0001-01ppr,<br />

January 2006<br />

[5] “Cylinder Lubrication <strong>Guidelines</strong><br />

Operation on <strong>Fuels</strong> with Varying<br />

Sulphur Contents All MC/MC-C<br />

<strong>and</strong> ME/ME-C type engines Mk 6<br />

<strong>and</strong> higher, with Alpha ACC<br />

System”, <strong>and</strong> “Cylinder Lubrication<br />

New ACC <strong>Guidelines</strong> All MC/MC-C<br />

<strong>and</strong> ME/ME-C type engines Mk 6<br />

<strong>and</strong> higher, with Alpha ACC System”,<br />

Service Letters SL05-455 <strong>and</strong><br />

SL07-479, Henrik Rolsted, <strong>MAN</strong><br />

<strong>Diesel</strong>, Copenhagen, Denmark


<strong>MAN</strong> <strong>Diesel</strong><br />

Teglholmsgade 41,<br />

2450 Copenhagen, Denmark<br />

Phone +45 33 85 11 00<br />

Fax +45 33 85 10 30<br />

m<strong>and</strong>iesel-cph@m<strong>and</strong>iesel.com<br />

www.m<strong>and</strong>iesel.com<br />

Copyright © <strong>MAN</strong> <strong>Diesel</strong> · Subject to modification in the interest of technical progress. · 5510-0041-01ppr Nov 2009 Printed in Denmark

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