Service Bulletin

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Contents: Pages
1. Introduction 1
2. Identifying the Effect of 1
Catalyst Fines
3. Analysing for Catalyst Fines 2
and Interpreting the Findings
4. Action to take when 3
Catalyst Fines are present
5. Fuel Oil Treatment Arrangement 4
6. Size, Shape, Composition 5
and Uses
7. Conclusion 6
8. G + S Service Bulletins Published 7
for Sulzer Diesel Engines
Wrtsil NSD Switzerland Ltd PO Box 414 Tel. +41 52 262 49 22
Wrtsil NSD Schweiz AG CH-8401 Winterthur Fax +41 52 212 49 17
Wrtsil NSD Suisse SA Switzerland Tlx 896 659 NSDL CH
G9
06.10.99
Catalyst Fines in
Heavy Fuel Oils
Technical Information to all Owners / Operators
of Sulzer Diesel Engines
Enlarged Cylinder Liner Surface
Replica with Catalyst Fines
1 / 9 Service Bulletin G-9
1. INTRODUCTION
Catalyst fines (cat fines) are often found in heavy fuel oils. They are a common cause of high
piston ring and cylinder liner wear in low speed diesel engines, but in Sulzer trunkpiston
engines the problems are less common. If fuel containing cat fines is bunkered, they must be
removed before the fuel reaches the engine. Cat fines are found by an analysis of the
aluminium(Al) and silicon (Si) content of the fuel oil. The Wrtsil NSD fuel specification
allows a maximum combined content of 80 mg/Kg aluminium and silicon as bunker limit. An
aluminium and silicon content of up to 15 mg/kg is tolerable after treatment at engine inlet.
2. IDENTIFYING THE EFFECTS OF CATALYST FINES
The sudden emergence of excessive piston ring and cylinder liner wear in low speed diesel
engines on all cylinders is often caused by cat fines in the fuel oil. The presence of cat fines can
be recognised by erosion on the spill valve stem of the fuel pump and by the numerous particles
found embedded in the graphite flakes of the running surfaces on microscopic examination of
rings and liner replicas (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2). Cat fines primarily cause threebody abrasion of
ring and liner, but some are retained in the graphite flakes of the metal surface and these
continue to abrade the running partners for a long time after they have entered the engine.
When the running surface of an older liner is examined microscopically it is often possible to
find a few cat fines trapped in the surface structure and worn down level with the surface. Cat
fines are hard abrasive particles, 5 to 50 microns in size. The particles of 10 to 20 microns are the
most dangerous, as they are most readily caught in the oil film and in the fine graphite structure
of rings and liners. Smaller particles tend not to cause wear and larger particles are not easily
held in the oil film.
Fig. 1 Microscopic Examination of Replicas
Piston Ring Surface
Magnification: 280:1
Same Piston Ring Surface
Magnification: 1'200:1
Comment: Catalytic fines approx. 10 microns
in diameter with a hardness of 824 Vickers.
Comment: Severe abrasion on running
surface, cat fines trapped in graphite flake.
2 / 9 Service Bulletin G-9
Fig. 2 Microscopic Examination of Replicas
Cylinder Liner Surface
TDC, Exhaust side
Magnification of replica: 84:1
Comment:
A lot of cat fines embedded in the
matrix. Strong abrasive wear due to
cat fines.
Cat Fines
The main problem caused by cat fines is ring and liner wear. But if the fuel oil is heavily
contaminated with cat fines then there can be problems on all exposed surfaces:
Fuel pumps: Seizure, wear (if particles size equals clearance
between barrel and plunger)
Fuel injection valves: Seizure, wear, on nozzle holes and needle seat
Piston rod, piston rod stuffing boxes: Excessive wear, excessive supply of oil to piston rod
stuffing box
A cylinder liner surface which has been roughened by cat fines is more susceptible to corrosive
wear, and the combination of cat fines and corrosive wear can be very severe. The wear profile
of a cylinder liner damaged by cat fines shows high wear and sometimes a wear maximum in the
upper midstroke region.
3. ANALYSING FOR CATALYST FINES AND INTERPRETING THE FINDINGS
3.1. Standard Test Methods
The presence of cat fines in fuel is determined by burning the fuel and roasting the ash at 550C.
The ash is then dissolved in very strong acid and the solution analysed for the two elements
aluminium and silicon, which are constituents of cat fines (ISO 10478:1994). Other less
common tests include measuring the quantity of centrifuge sediment and microscopic
examination of the sediment.
3 / 9 Service Bulletin G-9
3.2. Why Catalyst Fines are not always found
Cat fines that are present in the fuel are sometimes not detected because of the problems of
taking and analysing representative samples:
The fuel oil sample is not always representative of the complete fuel oil bunker. Cat fines
are not uniformly distributed in the fuel. They can settle out or be resuspended.
Aluminium and silicon content should not be measured directly, without firstly ashing the
fuel oil, then roasting and dissolving the ash.
In the laboratory a one litre fuel oil sample is heated to 50 to 60C and stirred for
5minutes before a smaller sample is removed for analysis. If this preparation is neglected
or insufficient, cat fines which have settled to the bottom are not found in the smaller
sample.
3.3. Field Observations
In one case a large reduction in cat fines was observed during fuel storage, most likely because
the cat fines had settled out. Another time cat fines were found after storage where before there
had been none. Cat fines, at levels that are not apparent in the fuel analysis, can accumulate in
the tanks from successive deliveries. During heavy weather they will be churned up. It is usually
not possible to take samples from the bottom of the tank.
In another case a small but definite increase in liner wear was observed, when the content of cat
fines in the fuel increased but stayed within the specification.
On more than one occasion when an engine was found to have suffered extreme wear due to cat
fines in the fuel oil, filter blocking or an increase in automatic filter back flushing had been
recorded. The filter usually had a mesh size which was larger than the average size of the cat fine
particles.
3.4. The Density Method
A statistic of density plotted against aluminium plus silicon content showed that the combined
aluminium and silicon content only exceeds 10 mg/Kg when the fuel density is greater than
0.96g/ml. High density does not indicate cat fines, but it seems that the risk of finding them is
greater. Heavy fuel oil is a mixture of various products of petroleum refining and the
components which contain cat fines tend to have a higher density.
4. ACTION TO TAKE WHEN CATALYST FINES ARE PRESENT
4.1. General
Cat fines are more common in some areas of the world than in others. If a vessel generally
receives fuel free from cat fines, less monitoring is required. But if cat fines are likely to be
present, then it is important to analyse the fuel oil more often, even more than once per bunker,
and to regularly clean out storage and settling tanks.
The bunker supplier should be informed when cat fines are found in the fuel which they supply.
We do not recommend exceeding the normal cylinder lube oil feed rate much, as a measure to
counteract cat fines. A certain flushing effect is possible, but it is probably not very effective and
other problems can occur if the lube oil feed rate is too high. An increase of approximately 20%
is tolerable.
4 / 9 Service Bulletin G-9
After the engine has been damaged by cat fines in the fuel oil, piston rings with cat fines
embedded in them must be replaced and liners should be honed to remove the cat fines and
hard brittle layers caused by excessive wear. Otherwise damage will continue even if the fuel no
longer contains cat fines. Using a microscope it is possible to examine the rings and liners to
decide what action should be taken. Our Service Engineers are able to assist in such an
investigation.
4.2. Water
Cat fines are highly hydrophilic and if water is present they are incorporated into water
droplets. When the water is separated the cat fines are also removed. The density of fresh water
is similar to that of high density fuel at the separation temperature. If water, in particular fresh
water, cannot be removed in the fuel oil separator then the cat fines will also not be removed.
When the fuel oil is stirred, water is mixed in. It forms an emulsion and becomes more difficult
to separate. A decanter upstream from the separator hinders cat fine removal because of the
stirring effect. For the same reason the centrifuge should be as close as possible to the settling
tank.
The presence in the fuel oil of used automotive lubricating oil containing strong detergents is
thought to cause water to emulsify, making cat fine removal more difficult. Treating fuel
containing emulsified water with a demulsifying fuel additive can improve cat fine removal. The
separation efficiency of water is improved when water is removed from the fuel by evaporation
or distillation. This is not beneficial for the removal of cat fines. The water in the fuel is needed
in the separator to assist the removal of cat fines.
5. FUEL OIL TREATMENT ARRANGEMENT
For the fuel oil tanks and treatment arrangements as well as fuel oil system, please refer to Fig. 3
and 4 respectively. For further information on fuel treatment please also refer to our Service
Bulletin Diesel Engine Fuels".
5.1. Arrangement of Separators
For the correct arrangement of separators refer to the manufacturer's instruction. A separation
efficiency of minimum 80% should be achieved, i.e. 80% by weight of the impurities removed. If
separators with gravity discs are used, two separators must operate in parallel with
approximately 15% of the nominal volume flow rate. The best efficiency would be achieved
with two parallel purifiers feeding one clarifier (89%). Most of the separation is achieved in the
purifiers (70 to 80%), the clarifier giving the final polish".
5.2. Separation Efficiency
Cat fines are removed by centrifuging the fuel oil. The separator is not equally efficient for all
sizes of cat fine particles; one theoretical calculation gave an efficiency minimum at a diameter
of 9 microns. The smallest particle that is removed in the centrifuge is a function of density
difference, viscosity (temperature dependant) and flow rate. This is theoretically and also for
cat fines experimentally approximately 5microns, which means that the smallest particles are
neither removed by a centrifuge nor by a 5 micron filter.
The cat fines of diameter less than 10 microns are the most difficult to remove. The fuel
reaching the engine should not contain more than 15 mg/Kg aluminium plus silicon. The cat
fines remaining in the fuel after fuel treatment should consist mainly of these smaller particles.
All cat fines of diameter greater than 10microns must be removed in the separator.
5 / 9 Service Bulletin G-9
The effective removal of cat fines is often lower than the calculated theoretical efficiency. The
theoretical calculation assumes solid spherical particles and uses an estimated density. The
most dangerous cat fines resemble fractured hollow balls. The effective density depends on
whether the pores are filled with water or fuel and therefore the estimated density is not always
correct.
5.3. Filters
Cat fines are removed from the fuel oil in the separator and not in the filter. The Wrtsil NSD
standard fuel oil filter of size maximum 50 microns is not intended to protect the engine against
cat fines. When the separator is functioning correctly no further protection is required.
Secondary back flush filter(s) (item 15 in Fig. 3 and 4) with a 10 micron mesh is / are used to
protect the engine from serious damage if for some reason the separator has not removed all the
cat fines from the fuel. In addition such a filter is a good indication of the separator efficiency. If
there is reason to suspect that the fuel oil contains cat fines, the backflush from the filter should
be transferred to the sludge tank and disposed of.
The most reliable way to avoid problems with cat fines completely is to use a 5 micron fine filter
at the engine inlet (a tertiary filter). However we do not recommend using a filter this fine
because they are easily blocked e.g. by asphaltene particles, particularly if the fuel stability is
low. Some engine owners use fuel homogenisers in combination with a 5 micron fine filter to
prevent the filter from blocking.
6. SIZE, SHAPE, COMPOSITION AND USES
6.1. Use of Catalyst in Oil Refining
Catalytic cracking is used by the majority of refineries. The high density cat bottoms or catalytic
cracking fractionator bottoms are blended to residual components to reduce the viscosity. The
high aromaticity of the bottoms increases the ability of heavy fuel fuel oil to dissolve asphaltenes
and thus reduces the risk of incompatibility.
If the fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) operates correctly then the catalyst is recovered. The
catalyst is expensive and is not intended to be a waste product.
In recent years catalysts have been further developed. There is a trend towards harder catalysts,
which is good for the refinery, but not good for the diesel engine.
6.2. Size and Shape
The catalyst in oil refining is very hard porous round particles. The catalysis takes place on the
surface of the particle. The particles must have the largest possible surface area to volume ratio,
be light enough to be easily transported and have a high crush strength.
The mean particle size of fresh catalyst is 70 microns (range 20 to 150 microns) and 75% of the
particles are larger than 25 microns. But the size is reduced during circulation in the refinery
and by the time the catalyst particle reaches the fuel oil as cat fines the average size has dropped
to less than 20 microns (range 3 to 42 microns). The largest particle size in fuel oil depends on
the settling history of the fuel.
6 / 9 Service Bulletin G-9
6.3. Composition
In the past catalyst was made from pure silica (SiO
2
) or alumina (Al
2
O
3
). Now materials such as
faujosite, which is broadly similar to porcelain, are used. These materials contain not only
aluminium and silicon, but also smaller amounts of sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium,
etc. The content of cat fines in heavy fuel oil by weight is 3 to 15 times that of aluminium. A good
approximation is that the amount of catalyst by weight is twice the combined content of
aluminium and silicon.
7. CONCLUSIONS
The wear problems which arise in low speed diesel engines due to cat fines in the fuel oil are
often unexpected and occur even when the fuel analysis indicates that the fuel oil quality is
good. When the fuel oil fulfils the specification of maximum 80 mg/Kg aluminium and silicon,
there can still be problems with cat fines for the following reasons:
More cat fines are present in the fuel than appear in the analysis results.
Cat fines have accumulated in the sediment of the fuel tank from previous bunkers and
are mixed into the fuel when the sediment is churned up in bad weather.
Cat fines are not sufficiently removed in the separator before the fuel is used.
The fuel at engine inlet must contain maximum 15 mg/Kg aluminium and silicon, but it is not
always helpful to analyse the fuel at engine inlet, when by the time the results have been
received the fuel has already been used and it is not possible to be certain that the analysis
results are fully representative for the rest of the bunker.
With replicas taken by our service engineers from the liner surface we are able to determine if
excessive wear is either caused by abrasive particles e.g. cat fines, cold corrosion or by a fault in
the material and machining of the cylinder liner.
There is less risk of cat fines causing damage to the engine if fuel oil with maximum 30 mg/Kg
combined aluminium and silicon content is bunkered. This limit is fulfilled by the great majority
of commercially available fuel oils.
This Service Bulletin should be kept in a separate file in the control room. The respective pages or
tables of the Service Bulletin with modifications to the Operating Manual, Maintenance Manual or
Code Book should be copied and filed in the respective Manual or Book.
Wrtsil NSD Switzerland Ltd has issued this Service Bulletin with their best knowledge and ability.
However, Wrtsil NSD Switzerland Ltd can not take any liability for any or all information
contained in this or any other Service Bulletin.
Changes of any nature to the form and or to the content of this or any other Service Bulletin as
published by Wrtsil NSD Switzerland Ltd, are not permitted.
7 / 9 Service Bulletin G-9
8. G + S SERVICE BULLETINS PUBLISHED FOR SULZER DIESEL ENGINES
We have so far published the following G + S Service Bulletins which are valid for SULZER Diesel Engines:
5-1 dated 01.10.71 Treatment of Cooling Water for Diesel Engines
2S-1 dated 15.08.74 Recommendations for Propeller Design, Interrelationship between
Engine / Propeller
4S-1 dated 18.11.94 Detachable Handwheel for Indicator Valve on 4-Stroke Engines
G-3.1 dated 06.10.93 Diesel Engine Fuels
G-5.1 dated 31.08.98 Heading of Service Bulletins their Designation, Purpose and Distribution
G-6.2 dated 23.08.99 Training Courses for Customers / Maintenance Videos
G-7 dated 29.08.97 Return of Components to Wrtsil NSD Switzerland Ltd
G-8 dated 25.01.99 Year 2000 Compliance
G-9 dated 06.10.99 Catalyst Fines in Heavy Fuel Oil
Should you not be in possession of the above mentioned documentation suitable for your plant, kindly contact
your local Wrtsil NSD representative for your copy.
8 / 9 Service Bulletin G-9
Fig. 3 Fuel Oil Tanks and Treatment
Arrangement with Filtering Unit
From HFO transfer pump
From engine / feed system
From auxiliary engines
To sludge or overflow tank
To HFO transfer pump
To feed pump
To daily water drain tank
To feed pump
To auxiliary engines
From MDO storage tank
To MDO transfer pump
To MDO storage tank
From lub. oil separator
From sludge pump
To sludge pump From drain pipes
From auxiliary engines
To transfer pump
HFO pipes, heated and insulated
MDO pipes, uninsulated
Fuel oil pipes, heated and insulated
MDO pipes, uninsulated
Drain / overflow pipes, insulated
Air vent pipes
Drain pipes
INDEX
01 HFO settling tank
02 HFO daily tank
03 MDO daily tank
04 Suction filter
05 HFO separator supply pump
06 HFO / MDO separator supply pump
07 HFO preheater
08 Selfcleaning HFO separator
09 Selfcleaning HFO / MDO
separator
10 Threeway valve
11 Sludge tank
12 Fuel oil overflow tank
13 Air vent collector
14 Air vent manifold
15 OPTIONAL Secondary
Automatic filtering unit
05
01 02 03 15
14
13
07 10 10
04
06
04 08 09
12 11
Optional
Vent chamber in funnel
As example drawn
for RTA engines
9 / 9 Service Bulletin G-9
3 5
4 6
7
2
1
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Fig. 4 Fuel Oil System with Automatic Filter
Fuel Oil Feed Pump
Fuel Oil Suction Filter, heated
Three Way Valve, manual or remote controlled
*1)
From MDO Daily Tank
From HFO Daily Tank
Pressure Regulating Valve
OPTIONAL Secondary
Automatic Filter (Item 15)
Mesh Size 0.01mm
To Sludge or Overflow Tank
To HFO Daily Tank
Main Engine
Pressure Retaining Valve
Fuel Oil Filter
Viscosimeter
Endheater
Fuel Oil Booster Pump
Mixing Unit, heated
and insulated
To Overflow Tank
To Oily Water Drain Tank
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HFO pipes, heated and insulated
MDO pipes, uninsulated
Fuel oil drain pipes, insulated
Pipes on engine / pipe connections
Heating piping
Air vent pipes
Drain pipes
Pressure indicator
Index
Fuel oil inlet
Fuel oil outlet
Leakage from fuel pump and
pressure piping casing
Heating piping to fuel
circulation, inlet *2)
Heating piping to fuel circulation, outlet *2)
Heating piping for fuel, inlet
Heating piping for fuel, outlet
Differential pressure, Alarm High
Differential pressure indicator
Viscosity, Alarm High
Flow Meter
*1) The return pipe may also be led
to the HFO daily tank
*2) Existence depending on engine
type
As example drawn
for RTA engines