SHIPBOARD FUEL BLENDING

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 448.

The costs of fuel can now be more than half of the total cost of ship operation. White most of the consumption is for propulsion; auxiliary diesel power generation can also be a significant cost element. The trend towards using cheaper fuels for power generation is therefore very understandable.

Oh some ships it is possible to operate both main and auxiliary engines on a common grade of heavy fuel, up to the viscosity of, say, 180 cSt. Nevertheless, there are ships required to burn even poorer grade fuels in their main engines, or equipped, with smaller-bore or older generation auxiliary engines, which require fuel blenders.

Although fuel is usually classified according to viscosity at a standard t°, this alone doesn't adequately express¹ fuel quality. It is accessory to pay close attention to other factors, including the content of sulphur, vanadium, sodium, asphaltenes and carbon residue.

For any given engine model², operation on poorer quality fuel inevitably means more maintenance and shorter times between overhauls and calls for greater care³.

Any blend containing HFO, leads to heavier fouling of combustion spaces and gas passages, and heavier abrasive wear of liners, pistons, rings, valve seats, fuel pumps and injectors. Increased corrosive wear can occur due to the fuel's sulphur content.

“Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering”

Notes:

¹ this alone doesn't adequately express — одно это недостаточно полно выражает.

² for any given engine model — для любого двигателя "any" в утвердительном предложении переводится любой/ая/ое, i. e. any blend — любая смесь.

³ calls for greater care (requires greater care) — требует большего внимания.