A new product from Alfa Laval aims to optimise the flow of fuel to separators, offering enhanced protection from cat fines and reduced energy consumption on fuel treatment.
The FlowSync offers automatic flow control, synchronising the oil feed to separators with the engine load and therefore increasing retention time in the separator bowl.
“Increasing retention time in the separator bowl lets the separator remove the most stubborn particles,” explained Mats Englund, application manager, fuel & lube oils at Alfa Laval. “Even the tiniest cat fines can cause significant wear and damage if they become trapped between the piston ring and cylinder liner.”
The system is able to steer multiple separator feeds simultaneously, enabling operators to optimise the entire fuel cleaning process for the best protection and energy efficiency. Operators can choose to run more separators at reduced flow for maximum separation efficiency, or fewer separators at reduced flow for maximum energy savings.
FlowSync also offers a solution to the challenges for fuel treatment posed by slow steaming. Most vessels use fixed-speed feed pumps and so experience a large overflow of separated fuel when slow steaming. The unconsumed fuel is returned to the settling tank to be pumped and separated again, with minimal further improvement to fuel quality and increased energy expenditure. In the FlowSync set up fixed-speed pumps are replaced with variable-speed pumps which are controlled automatically, matching throughput to engine load (with a margin of safety).
“FlowSync is a triple win, combining increased separation efficiency with energy efficiency in pumping and separation,” said Englund. “But the biggest win is for ship owners and operators, who can achieve these benefits with a small investment and minimal effort from the crew.”
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Source: Alfa Laval
