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Technical Discussion

  • M/E Fine FIlter blockages 180 cSt Kaohsiung
  • Craig Harrison
    GMT 11:42
    27th May 2009
    M/E 40 micron filters blocking up following bunkering 180cSt loading Kaohsiung. Some fibrous components present but FTIR shows ashphaltene residue. Another ISO bunker test reveals higher than normal viscosity (approx 300 cSt).
    Do ashphaltene molecules tend to bond together through fine filters, causing precipitation? What would casue the fine filters to block up so fast with this fuel?
  • Jadran Marinkovic
    freelancer
    GMT 23:51
    30th Jan 2010
    I had similar experience in '97 with fuel from Singapore...
    At the end we traced back and found out that suplayer was probably adding polyethylene particles to increase calorific value of fuel, and when the fuel was heated to proper temperature for injection, polyethylene was sticking to filters, making plastic film on surface...
    Actually at that time we were able to mix it with MDO and reduce injection temp to 80C, thus reducing possibility of forming film on filters, and maintaining the viscosity within the limit values...
  • Bob Maxwell
    Dfm
    GMT 06:15
    2nd Feb 2010
    Dear Craig,
    Further to last answer, I had a similar issue probably around the same era (97) with propylene. ( refinery waste being dumped )
    Propylene is lighter than the fuel , so does not come out in purifiers. The filters blocked every 12 hours, and we had to shut down to clean them as the back flush would not work. ( it stick to the filters but not as a film, more like a stringy sludge)
    You need to ask for a special anaylsis to detetc this sort of contamination, but I would think the FTIR would pick it up.
  • Craig Harrison
    GMT 00:16
    8th Feb 2010
    Thanks for the replies...as it turns out FTIR showed inconsistent results. Although resembling "stringy sludge" there were also cotton fibre issues and sediment to add to the confusion. All sorted now though.
  • Giles Verity
    Stanhope Seta Ltd
    GMT 09:14
    11th Feb 2010
    It might be worth considering running the fuel through a filter blocking tendency test rig - this is likely to pick up the problem prior to loading. Stanhope Seta in the UK manufacture the MFT - this tests according to IP387 / ASTM D2068
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