Has anyone ran into any problems now that low sulfur hfo is required in heavy fuel burning boats? We have been having trouble keeping or our alfa-laval moatii auto shoot backflushing filter on the fuel conditioning module (FCM) from plugging up. This is our 2nd load of fuel and problems seem to be getting worse with it as we burn it off. It all started when we switched from regular hfo (rmg 380) to the low sulfur stuff. We looked at the purifier and its doing its job. Fuel spec came back fine as well. Any suggestions that could possibly lead us down the right road. We are going to load a new batch of yet a different companies fuel just before our load port. Thanks.
After my last trip we just switched to it. I was on for 3 days and already we started having problems with our Alcaps tripping off and our B&K going in the red. Not looking forward to returning as we have 7 days state side before getting back out and burning the 500 we normally do
[QUOTE=highseasmechanic;81274]Has anyone ran into any problems now that low sulfur hfo is required in heavy fuel burning boats? We have been having trouble keeping or our alfa-laval moatii auto shoot backflushing filter on the fuel conditioning module (FCM) from plugging up. This is our 2nd load of fuel and problems seem to be getting worse with it as we burn it off. It all started when we switched from regular hfo (rmg 380) to the low sulfur stuff. We looked at the purifier and its doing its job. Fuel spec came back fine as well. Any suggestions that could possibly lead us down the right road. We are going to load a new batch of yet a different companies fuel just before our load port. Thanks.[/QUOTE]
THAT sucks
Way back in the 90’s we knew this day was coming, I retired before it hit.
Doubtful my 2 posted sites will be of much help. I have contacted a few good engineers I know who are still out there. If I get feed back I’ll post it here for you.
Good luck
http://www.mandieselturbo.com/files/news/filesof15012/5510-0075-00ppr_low.pdf
Was the previous fuel mixed with the new one? Sometimes when you mix two fuels of two different types (napthens, paraffins, or aromatics) it can cause some nasty sludge
Wasn’t mixed anymore then we could prevent in the settlers. This is the 2nd load of low sulfur hfo. We will be loading fuel in a couple days and not mixing there either. Thank you all for the info. Leaving port everglades tonight for Louisiana.
ABS has a notice out about the build up of catalitic fines in bunker tanks. http://ecmeurope.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/ABS-LowSulphurNote_Engine.pdf
Wilhelmsen has a good DNV ppt on some of the issues with LSFO http://www.wilhelmsen.com/services/maritime/companies/wpmf/AboutWPMF/NewAndPressreleases/Documents/wpmfuelseminar2011.pdf
another DNV presentation from 2009 on FO problems http://www.dnv.lt/binaries/LSFO%20related%20issues_tcm173-392684.pdf
FWIW - I am not an engineer but this sets off warnings in my mind - this can easily get you cross-threaded.
Make sure the company is involved. Ideally you should get a full set of procedures etc from them on exactly how to deal with this. Likely that won’t happen but if there are any delays or repair bills it might help to have an email or two to wave around.
K.C.
Without divulging anything that I am working on right now, the current fuel oil standard “spec” does not address many of the contaminants and other properties of fuel oil that can cause some pretty serious engine damage. This is a separate issue from low sulphur fuels. Often the contaminants responsible can only be discovered by performing more extensive (and, of course expensive) testing beyond the standard ISO test.
Update. Finally finished off the last batch of fuel. It was causing turbo fouling and filter cligging. New batch of bunkers is much better with no problems so far. Thanks all for the information.
[QUOTE=highseasmechanic;81274]Has anyone ran into any problems now that low sulfur hfo is required in heavy fuel burning boats? We have been having trouble keeping or our alfa-laval moatii auto shoot backflushing filter on the fuel conditioning module (FCM) from plugging up. This is our 2nd load of fuel and problems seem to be getting worse with it as we burn it off. It all started when we switched from regular hfo (rmg 380) to the low sulfur stuff. We looked at the purifier and its doing its job. Fuel spec came back fine as well. Any suggestions that could possibly lead us down the right road. We are going to load a new batch of yet a different companies fuel just before our load port. Thanks.[/QUOTE]
Hello we are also encountering the same problem. How did you solve it?
from our side when we clean our boll and kirch filters or when we drain engine booster filters the fuel is faoming, was it the same for you?
Thanks for your answer.
For info HFOLS 378 Cst at 50°C and we use it at 17cst and 127°C
I’ve had the B & K (Boll and Kirsch) filters clog very quickly and found carbon was the culprit. It shrunk the mesh size down so small it clogged quicker than normal and caused backflush numbers to skyrocket. I cleaned the filters with carbon remover and they didn’t clog so quickly. Make sure your candles can be cleaned with it so you don’t dissolve an incomparable material. Probably the low sulfur knocked loose carbon inside the piping and clogged things up.
I had some bad fuel in Korea clogged up the sludge discharge port with wax and cause the purifier to alarm every night. We manually shot the unit and took a stick and knocked the wax down into the sludge tank on our 10pm round and slept the rest of the night until we got new fuel.
TBSG I think you are right about the carbon inside the piping. When I posted my first response I was sailing on a C10 and we switched to the LSFO for the first time. Now I have since started sailing on a coast wise tanker and we run LSFO 24/7 and haven’t noticed any issues. My guess is with the HFO being cut with Diesel maybe its actually cleaning the pipes and heaters and all the crap is landing in the filters
[QUOTE=Chachy;81324]ABS has a notice out about the build up of catalitic fines in bunker tanks. http://ecmeurope.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/ABS-LowSulphurNote_Engine.pdf
Wilhelmsen has a good DNV ppt on some of the issues with LSFO http://www.wilhelmsen.com/services/maritime/companies/wpmf/AboutWPMF/NewAndPressreleases/Documents/wpmfuelseminar2011.pdf
another DNV presentation from 2009 on FO problems http://www.dnv.lt/binaries/LSFO%20related%20issues_tcm173-392684.pdf[/QUOTE]
This. I am hearing the same things, and we who use DLA bunkers also have had catfine issues as well. Can you get a copy of your analysis. Bunkers taken at Mayport NS seem to be especially bad but I don’t know the point of origin.
Cat fines are from the Catalyst units in the cracking towers of the refinery. I worked an old steam tanker running from Long Beach/Valdez/Peurto Armeues, Panama and had cat fines in our oil. It ate the burner tips on the oil guns “proper name for the burners” up in 13 days between Valdez and Panama. It erodes the steel in the tip and would make the hole size larger than one drill size up in less than two weeks time I’m sure it would clean out the carbon on the inside of diesel ship fuel lines.
I had one burner on a Sealand ship which the tip clogged regularly and the other 3 never seemed to get clogged. While standing watch I noticed the fuel piping going to that burner shaking from vibrations. I made brackets and clamped the line still and low and behold it didn't clog all the time like it had been. The carbon which coated the inside of all the fuel lines stayed in place and didn't clog the burner holes. I made a burner cleaner on an ATC tanker which pumped carbon remover through both the steam and oil lines in the oil gun barrel. I never disassembled the burners just pumped cleaner through them and they fired great and rarely got fouled at sea. I know carbon in the piping comes off and plugs things up.It’s been awhile since I saw this thread. The problem I encountered ended up being a load of bad fuel. The next load of fuel burned great and we had no problems afterwards. All this occurred when I was 2nd engineer on the ATB Legacy / 750-1. The same fuel supplier gave such a bad load of fuel to the sister boat ATB Legend / 750-2, they ended up having to pump it off and reload with bunkers. It was so bad it literally gummed up both HFO purifiers. Since then I have moved to an offshore job where everything burns clean diesel and we rarely have fuel issues. Got to love red dye diesel 
A lot of us will be burning the red diesel 24/7 very soon
The poor slow speeds aren’t going to like that very much. Then again, I wonder how they will run on LNG?
Warning about bad fuel again: