- Importance of lubricant testing for low sulphur bunker fuel.
- Mere lab level tests are not enough for newly formulated lubricating oils.
- Lubricant & additive companies developing new cylinder oils with new additive packages to take care of new VLSFOs.
- Bench tests need modification to accommodate the new fuel characteristics.
- Testing processes, methods, and procedures upgradation.
Viswa Group highlights the importance of lubricant testing for LSFO and also emphasizes that mere lab level tests are not enough, reports Manifold Times.
Lab level tests insufficient
Viswa Group, the International marine fuel specifications testing company, said that it has embarked on an ambitious project to test the demands of the newly evolving lubricants.
Additive packages
It said, with the introduction of VLSFOs in the market, lubricant and additive companies develop new cylinder oils with new additive packages to take care of issues posed by the new fuels.
Formulated lubricating oils testing
Viswa Group has observed that mere lab level tests for newly formulated lubricating oils are not enough.
Bench tests modifications
Many of the established bench tests have to be modified or replaced to accommodate the new fuel characteristics, it added.
VLSFO performance evaluation
VLSFOs have different performance characteristics and the existing bench tests cannot fully evaluate its performance.
Why Bench tests modifications are required?
For example, there have been reports of high levels of deposits on piston rings and grooves.
This requires a solution based on more powerful dispersant additives with deposit control properties.
New packages containing both detergents and dispersants could theoretically perform well, but this cannot be introduced into the market unless the field tests are carried out.
Thus, Viswa thinks it essential to modify and improve the current bench tests in the lab.
The need to alter lubricant chemistry
It may be necessary to pre-age a lubricant or add synthesized deposits or fuel to the oil to improve the correlation between the conditions in the engine and in the lab, it said.
New fuels such as bio-fuels or hydrogen based fuels are also being introduced, and again the lubricant chemistry has to be altered for these fuels.
Testing process upgradation
Considering that it takes a few years to develop a new cylinder oil product, it is important for the lube and additive manufacturing companies and equally important for testing labs to upgrade their testing processes, methods, and procedures to meet the new requirements.
Viswa Lab said it hopes to meet the testing requirements combined with the unique insight into its knowledge and experience with operating diesel engines.
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Source: Manifold Times
