Alfa Laval Adaptive Fuel Line Promises Fuel Savings, Engine Protection

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Monday July 14, 2014

A new adaptive fuel line from Alfa Laval can improve fuel efficiency while also protecting engines from damage, the company says.

As emissions rules come into effect, the rising use of low-sulfur heavy fuel oil (HFO) is increasing damage from cat fines, which are more prevalent in that kind of fuel.

"These cat fine attacks are an energy issue as well as a safety concern, because the wear deteriorates engine efficiency even if it doesn't lead to catastrophic failure," said Niclas Dahl, marine energy market unit manager for the company.

"When it comes to the fuel line, energy efficiency and protection are often two sides of the same coin."

The adaptive fuel line includes the company's FCM One booster, which works with multiple fuels, controlling viscosity, minimising waste and blending fuels to meet relevant sulfur standards, as well as FlowMate, which adjusts the flow of fuel to match engine load.

"By using automatic control and variable frequency drives to reduce the flow at partial load, we make use of the available synergy," Dahl said.

"Why use more energy for fuel cleaning when using less energy will mean even better cat fine removal?"

The system also offers a dedicated heat controller to keep fuel at its recommended temperature and a tool to measure cat fine levels at several pre-engine points, warning of any elevated level.

Last, the company's PureDry system recovers small losses of fuel that occur at various points.

"PureDry is a unique and long-awaited opportunity for ship owners and operators, since it lets them get the maximum amount of energy from the fuel they bunker," Dahl said.

"All that remains is bilge-quality water and a tiny fraction of super-dry solids, because everything else is returned as reusable fuel."