Kittiwake Developments Ltd.
3-6 Thorgate Road, Littlehampton,
West Sussex, BN17 7LU, UK
Tel: (01903) 731470
Fax: (01903) 731480
Email:
www.kittiwake.com
PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
Onboard compatibility testing is a must!
In minutes you can prevent sludge deposits, eliminate failure of fuel handling systems and reduce costly combustion related engine damage with a simple quick fuel oil compatibility testing regime.
Whilst every fuel is manufactured to be stable within itself, in that it does not have the tendency to produce asphaltenic sludge, it does not necessarily follow that two stable fuels are compatible when blended or mixed together. A blend is regarded as being stable only if it is homogeneous immediately after preparation, remains so in normal storage and at no time produces or tends to produce sludge on a significant scale. Under these circumstances, the fuels forming the blend can be considered as compatible with each other. Incompatibility is the tendency of a residual fuel to produce a deposit on dilution or on blending with other fuel oils. Typical incompatibility problems are sludging and blockage of bunker and service tanks, pipe runs, filters and centrifuge bowls. In extreme circumstances, the only remedy is manual removal of the sludge build up, both time consuming and extremely costly.
By definition, residual fuels are the remainder of the crude oil after the more valuable components have been extracted for the manufacture of petroleum products. The chemical composition of residual fuels is difficult to define as it depends upon the source of the crude oil and the manufacturing processes used in the extraction of the petroleum products. However, by considering the chief constituents of residual fuels, an appreciation can be made of the damaging sludge-forming mechanism. These constituents of a residual fuel include asphaltenes, resins and liquid hydrocarbons. The generic term 'asphaltenes' covers a wide range of heavier hydrocarbon structures. Besides being of high molecular weight and high carbon/hydrogen ratios, they may also contain small amounts of other elements, depending on the source of the crude oil.
The general recommendation is that mixing and blending of fuels from different sources should be avoided where possible. We are all aware however that this is not an option when using differing ports or fuel suppliers and when combined with the fuel switching implications of IMO annex VI regulations it is no surprise that the industry is blending and mixing fuels more often than ever before. The end result is always going to be more and more incompatibility issues.
Onboard testing for compatibility is extremely simple and takes just minutes. The Kittiwake compatibility tester is possibly the most useful and underrated tool available for testing fuel oils. Kittiwakes offering provides a quick and extremely useful tool for engineers faced with the necessity to mix or blend residual fuel oil. In just 20 minutes you can confirm that the fuel delivery will remain stable in your bunker tanks, identify possible stability problems before blending and mixing two fuels.
Housed in a robust metal case, complete with consumables and full instruction manual he compatibility tester can be purchased as a stand-alone kit, supplied in its own case, or as part of a more extensive suite of testing equipment in the Fuel and Lube Oil Test Cabinet.
Contact Kittiwake for more information
ENDS
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For further information, please contact:
Paul Froome
Marketing Manager
Kittiwake Developments Ltd
3-6 Thorgate Road, Littlehampton,
West Sussex, BN17 7LU, UK
Tel: 01903 731470 Fax: 01903 731480
Email:
http://www.kittiwake.com
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