Centrifugal PURIFIERS

Basic principles : the purpose of the separation is to

To free a liquid of solid particles.

To separate two mutually insoluble liquids with difference in density ,

removing any solid at the same time.
Separation by gravity : continuous separation & sedimentation can be achieved in the settling tank having the
outlet arranged at levels suitable to their density ratio of two liquid phases. Separation of heavy & solid
particles are also achieved over here. Liquids with specific gravity difference can be separated by gravity ,
the equation like this
Separating force F = (/6) D ( w o) gas

centrifugal separation : In a rapidly rotating vessel the gravity is replaced by the centrifugal force, which can be
thousand times greater. Separation and sedimentation are more continuous and faster. As the separation is
achieved by the gravity has a smaller separating force differential than the centrifugal force .
the separating force , F= (/6) D (w o) R where R is effective radius and is the angular velocity.
Development of a separator
The heavier phase (water) had only a short distance to travel before coming to the bowl wall where solids were
deposited and the heavy phase liquid (water) was guided to the water discharge. However, the sludge
retention volume and the liquid dwell time for a given throughput could only be increased by lengthening
the bowl. This gave rise to bowl balancing and handling problems.
The wide bowl type was able retain more sludge before its performance was
impaired and was much easier to dean. On the other hand settling
characteristics in a wide bowl machine are relatively poor towards the bowl
centre and the distance the water has to travel before reaching the wall is great.
To overcome these problems a stack of conical discs (Figure 2.15) spaced
about 2-4 mm apart is arranged in the bowl. The liquid is fed into the bottom of
the stack and flows through the spaces between adjacent plates. The plates then
act as an extended settling surface, with the heavy impurities impinging on the
under surfaces of the discs. As the particles impinge of the disc surfaces. they
accumulate and eventually slide along the discs towards the periphery. At the
disc stack periphery, water globules and solid particles continue to move out
towards the bowl wall with the water being sandwiched between the solids
and the oiL which orientates itself towards the bowl centre. The boundaries at

which substances meet are known as interfaces.

The oil/water interface is very distinct and is known as the e-Iine. To gain
tne fullest advantage from the disc stack the e-line should be located outside of
it. On the other hand if the e-Iine is located outside the water outlet baffle (top
disc) discharge of oil in the water phase will take place.
Referring back to gravity separation in a settling tank, if the tank is
partitioned as shown in Figure 2.16 continuous separation will take place.
Since the arrangement is a very crude V-tube containing two liquids of
different specific gravities, the height of the liquid in the two legs will have the
relationship

oil ( e-l) = wtr {e-h}

in case of centrifuges o(e -- l) = wtr {e-h}
The mechanical design of the centrifuge requires that the e-Iine is confined
within certain strict limib. However variation~ in gravity will be found depending
upon the port at which the vessel takes on bunkers. It is necessary therefore to
provide means of varying h or l to compensate for the variation in specific
gravity. It is usually the dimension h which is varied. and this is done by the use of dam rings (sometimes called
gravity discs) of different diameters. Normally a table is provided in the instruction book for the machine,
giving the disc
diameter required for purifying oils of various specific gravities. Alternatively
the disc diameter Dh may be calculated from the following formula which is
derived from (5)
Dh =2 [ l (l / h) + e{1-(l /h)} ]
The dimension e can be taken as the mean radius of one thin conical plate and
the heavy top conical plate (outlet baffle). If oil is discharging in the water
outlet the gravity.disc is too large.

Difference between a clarifier & purifier:

1. A clarifier is intended to separate only the solids where as the purifier is intended to separate both solids and
water from the oil.
2. In a purifier a dam ring/ gravity disc is provided at the top of the purifier which has an aperature to discharge
water and oil separately. In case of a clarifier the dam ring is replaced by a blank disc.
3. No sealing water is required for a clarifier.
Basics: Here the fluids with difference in characteristics can be handled by one machinery.
Liquid is fed at the bottom of the stack of discs. Centrifugal force tends to separate the two liquids with
difference in specific gravity. This force is very high due to high rotational speed.
A purifier is fitted with a dam ring which controls the position of the separation
line or interface between the water and oil when the bowl is rotating.:;
If the inside of the dam ring is too large in diameter the separation line or
interface moves outward towards the outer periphery of the bowl and some oil
will be discharged with the water from the water outlet. If the inside diameter of
the dam ring is too small the interface moves inwards and some water will be
discharged with the oil. The diameter of the dam ring is governed by the density
of the oil being treated.
If the diameter of the hole in the dam ring is increased, the interface between

the oil and the water contained in the bowlmoves outwards. If the diameter increased excessively, oil globules will be
discharged with the sludge and water.
If the hole diameter is reduced unduly, the interface moves inwards and
particles of water will be discharged with the clean oil.
Holes are piaced in the conical plates making up the plate stack to allow the
oil to feed upwards into the clearance spaces between the conical discs. Water
and heavy stable emulsions are discharged through the dam ring and spin off
the bowl or are removed from the rotating bowl by a paring disc. Clean oil is
discharged from the bowl and spins off or may be removed by another paring
disc. Heavy solid matter is held in the bowl. (Fig. 3.3(a) )
Clarifiers do not have a dam ring, a plain ring (also called a sealing ring) JS
fitted in its place, and the water outlet is sealed off. Solid matter and water that
has passed through the separator are retained within the clarifier bowl until it is
opened and the water and sludge are discharged. On modern machines
surveillance and control devices watch out for the build-up of water within the
bowl or when a very small amount of water is discharged with the clean oil. The
bowl is then caused to open. Modern centrifuges are operated as clarifiers and
controlled in this manner.
The conical disc stack mav not be fitted with feed holes, but if they are fitted a
blank conical disc without feed holes will be fitted at the bottom of the conical
disc stack.
When a centrifugal separator is started up it must be filled with water to

establish a seal which prevents oil leaving the separator at the water outlet.
Clarifier bowls do not have to be filled with water after start up.
The main purpose of the clarifier is to remove traces of foreign material not
removed when the oil passed through the separators, and to act as a second line
of defence against the accidental passage of contaminant material into the clean
side of the oil storage system. Clarifiers are not normally used to clean
lubricating oil unless the oil is almost free of any water content.

'botch treatment' and 'continuous treatment'

Originally the terms continuous treatment and batch treatment applied only to
the purification of main engine crankcase lubricating oil.
In continuous treatment the separator was operated for the whole of the time
the main engine was in operation. Lubricating oil was supplied to the separator
by its own pump taking oil from the main engine drain tank, or was bled from
the pressure supply to the main engine. The separator was never shut down
except for short periods when it was being cleaned.
Batch treatment referred to the system whereby the engine was shut down and
the whole of the sump lubricating oil charge was pumped up to the dirty
lubricating oil tank in the upper part of the engine room. The lubricating oil was
heated in the tank and left as long as possible to settle out solids, sludge and any
water. It was then slowly purified in one batch, hence the name.
Today the terms have different meanings. Batch treatment centrifugal
separators and clarifiers must be shut down for cleaning after treating a batch
of oil.
C6ntinuous treatment machines are capable of being cleaned or sludged
without being shut down. These machines are also termed automatic self cleaning
separators and clarifiers or automatic separators and clarifiers.
This is necessary to heat fuel and lubricating oil prior to treatment in a centrifugal
separator to reduce the viscosity of the oil so that it flows easily into and out of
the separator and does not cause high pumping loads.
Heating the fuel or lubricating oil, which is a mixture of oil, water and solids,
lowers the specific gravity of the constituent parts. The specific gravity of the oil
Is reduced at a greater rate than the specific gravity of the water and solids; thus
the difference in the specific gravities of the constituent parts is greater when the
mixture is heated.

centrifugal separator used for the purification of fuel and lubricating oils

The main part of a centrifugal separator is the bowl, which is mounted on the
top of vertical spindle supported in two bearings. On the spindle between the
bearings is a multiple-tooth helical worm. This worm is driven by a helical'toothed gear wheel connected to a driving motor through a centrifugally

operated clutch.
The bowl is cylindrical and closed at the bottom by a concave conical end.
The spindle~fits within the concave space formed by the bottom. On the outside
of the upper end of the cylindrical bowl there is a coarse thread or a breechblock
type thread. The bowl cover nut screws on to this thread. A section across
tbe diameter of the bowl resembles the letter 'W'.
The fuel or lubricating oil is led into the separator bowl by a distributor
similar to an inverted filling funnel. Radial ribs on the inside of the conical end give uniform clearance between it and the end of the
bowl. On the outside of the distribution pipe are four or six longitudinal fins. The conical separator /
plates fit over the fins and are driven by them. Radial fins on the conical
separator plates hold them equidistant.
. Over ,the conical separator plates a conical inner cover is fitted. This inner
cover keeps the separator plates in position. The radial clearance between the
outer edge of the conical separator plates and the cylindrical bowl sides is
approximately 30mm in small separators and increases with increase in bowl
size. The radial clearance between the inner cQver and the sides of the bowl will
be approximately 5 mm. A sleeve on the top of this inner cover and integral with
it surrounds the distributor pipe and extends upwards to some point lower than
the top of the distributor pipe. The space between the sleeve and the distributor
pipe is the purified-oil outlet.
The top cover has a conical profile similar to the inner cover. Near its
periphery is a groove which houses an oil- and heat-resistant rubber O~ring.
This makes the seal between the cover and the vertical or sloping side of the bowl. The top cover is held in place by a ring nut which
screws on the thread on the side of the bowl. On the top of the outer cover a thread is machined to take
another ring-nut which holds the specific gravity ring or dam ring in place. A set
of these rings having different internal diameters is supplied with every purifier.
They are identified by a number or a specific gravity figure.
Some separators are fitted with specific gravity plugs-instead of dam rings
and function in a similar manner. The impurities separated from the oil are
discharged over the dam ring or through the specific gravity plug.
As good balance is essential, the components of the bowl are designed so that
they can be assembled in one position only, in relation to one another.
The fixed parts of the separator are the frame and the upper and lower
spindle bearings housed in it. The upper bearing bush is held in a flexible
housing. The lower bearing is arranged to support the weight of the bowl and
thrust from the gearing. The frame also houses the bearings for the worm wheel
and has a flange to support the flange-mounted driving motor.
The gearing is lubricated by splash from an oil bath and the bearings by
forced lubrication from an oil pump driven by the motor. The frame also
supports a flange-mounted tachometer and a hand priming pump for bearing
lubrication prior to start-up. ,
On the upper part of the frame is fitted a hinged cover with shallow conical
horizontal partitions inside. The diameter of the hole and height of these partitions
is arranged to suit the various parts of the bowl assembly. The top partition
takes the liquid spun off from the distributor pipe if an excess amount
causes overflow from the bowl. The second partition takes the purified oil
which spins off from the upper end of the inner cover. The lower space accepts
the water, sludge and solid particles discharged over the dam ring or through
the specific gravity plug. A centrally located nozzle in the cover supplies liquid
to the purifier and extends downwards into the distributor when the cover is
closed.
In use, the separator is first run up to its operating speed and then water is fed
into the bowl until it discharges from the dam ring. This water provides a seal
and prevents discharge of oil from the dam ring. After providing the initial
water seal the mixture of. oil. Water and impurities is fed into the bowl through
the distributor pipe
After entry into the bowl the mixture is subjected to a large angular acceleration
and then moves wi~h the bowl. The speed of rotation subjects the liquid to
'. centrifugal force which breaks up the mixture into its constituents. The heavier
parts of the mixture, which include water and solids, move to the outer part of
the bowl and displace an equivalent volume of water from the dam ring. The
medium weight sludge and oil pass into the spaces between the conical separator
plates; the sludge breaks away from the oil and moves outwards, while the
purified oil continues to move towards the centre of the bowl and then upwards
to the purified-oil outlet.

A stable state develops with the heavier material at the outer part of the bowl,
the lighter, purified oil surrounding the distributor pipe, and the mixture within
the distributor pipe. The process of separation is continuous as liquid is fed into
the bowl. The efficiency of purification will depend on the amount of foreign
matter in the oil and the rate of flow through the separator.
Handling the modern day fuels

. High Density Fuels

In view of the fact that some fuel oil standards incorporate fuel grades without a density limit, and also the
fact that the traditional limit of 991 kg/m3 at 15 oC is occasionally exceeded on actual deliveries,
some improvements in the centrifuging treatment have been introduced to enable treatment of fuels
with higher density. Since the density limit used so far is, as informed by centrifuge makers, given
mainly to ensure interface control of the purifier, new improved clarifiers, with automatic de-sludging,
have been introduced, which means that the purifier can be dispensed with. With such equipment,
adequate separation of water and fuel can be carried out in the centrifuge, for fuels up to a density of
1010 kg/m3 at 15 oC. Therefore, this has been selected as the density limit for new high density fuel
grades. Thus we have no objections to the use of such high density fuels for our engines provided
that these types of centrifuges are installed. They should be operated in parallel or in series
according to the centrifuge makers instructions.
Supplementary Equipment

In a traditional system, the presence of large amounts of water and sludge will hamper the
functioning of a clarifier, for which reason a purifier has been used as the first step in the
cleaning process. With the new automatic de-sludging clarifiers, the purifier can, as
mentioned, be dispensed with. We consider the removal of solids to be the main purpose
of fuel treatment. Although not necessarily harmful in its own right, the presence of an
uncontrolled amount of water and sludge in the fuel makes it difficult to remove the solid
particles by centrifuging. Therefore, additional equipment has been developed:The equipment
required for handling and cleaning fuels having a high viscosity,
a high density, and a high carbon content is similar to that fitted in older
motorships (See Question 3.29) except in the areas mentioned below.
The fuel system must be fully automated, monitored, and carefully designed
to cover all the control functions, cleaning functions and fail safe in the event of
failure or shut down of any part.
This reduces the risk of any disastrous consequences that may arise if the fuel
cleaning system goes out of adjustment and allows improperly prepared fuel to
find its way into the main and auxiliary engines. Such problems can easily occur
in modem practice with reduced engine room staff and more particularly if
their time is fully taken up in dealing with some other crisis.
Insulation to heated fuel storage spaces and piping must be increased. Steam
tracer lines must be fitted or their capacity increased on connecting pipe lines.
The capacity of heaters and their fouling factors should be increased. The
means to clean oil heaters easily and rapidly should also be provided.
Separately driven positive-displacement pumps should be provided for
handling fuel taken from the settling tanks for passage through the cleaning
system and each machine should have its own pump. The capacity of the pumps
should be carefully sized to suit the fuel requirements of the engine in conjunction
with the capacity of the individual pieces of cleaning equipment.
....

...

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If two or more separators are required to handle the maximum fuel requirement of the engine, the diSCharge from each pump must not be brought into
a common line to feed the separators. Each separator should have its own heater or the fuel should be heated prior to being handled by the separator's
own . supply pumps. (
The lowest-cost fuels supplied today have a high viscosity, density, and ~ carbon content. These kinds of fuel require a high temperature when being
.treated in a fuel cleaning system consisting of separators and/or clarifiers. The maximum temperature for heating the fuel prior to cleaning treatment is
Governed by the boiling point of water, which limits the preheating temperature to something little less than 1000C. The manufacturers of
centrifugal-type fuel cleaning equipment are well able
To offer a wide variety of machines, well suited to the fuels supplied today and; future.
These machines do not always come within the previously accepted definition
of separator or clarifier as they are not always fitted with a dam ring in the case
of a separator or a sealing ring in the case of a clarifier.
The main advantage of these modern machines is that they can be operated
without an internal water seal. In this respect they are similar to clarifiers.
Control of the cleaning function is governed by monitoring the build up of
\olids, sludge, and water contained within the bowl. When solids, sludge and
water build up within the bowl the interface between the water and the partially cleaned fuel moves inwards and reaches a point where the cleaned fuel
will contain traces of water.

One manufacturer uses a computer programmed to control the automatic

cleaning or dump function of the purifier bowl in conjunction with a device
extremely sensitive to the smallest trace of water. This device is fitted in the
clean oil discharge from the purifier. During normal operation of the purifier
the sludge and water discharge coming from the dirty side paring disc is shut off
by a valve fitted in the discharge piping from the purifier.
The computer program COvers fuels having a wide range of water content.
When cleaning fuel containing limited amounts of water the dump cycle is
programmed to act at regular fixed intervals. When the fIXed interval expires
the bowl-cleaning action is triggered by the computer and the solids, sludge and
water are dumped out of the bowl when it opens.
If the clean oil outlet shows traces of water before the normal time interval
has expired, the water-sensitive monitoring device relays a signal to rhe
computer and the closed valve in the water outlet is opened. Water is then
discharged from the bowl through the water paring disc and dirty water line. If the device monitoring the water content in the clean fuel shows a sharp
drop in
water content over a shoTt time interval, the valve in the dirty water line remains open for some given period and then closes. The normal dump cycle is
thenrepeated at the set interval fOllOWing the previous dump cycle.
If the water content in the dirty fuel increases, tile cycle of operations resulting in the discharge of water thrOugh the dirty water line is repeated and
will continue if any water Content is shown in the clean fuel. The dump cycle is again activated after the fixed interval measured from the

previous dumping cycle.When this cycle is completed the bowl is clean and a new cycle begins. The
period between the bowl dumping or cleaning operation remains the same
irrespective of what may occur during the time between cleaning cycles.
If water content in the dirty fuel is more than the purifier can handle, the
computer measures the rate of change of water content in the clean fuel with
respect to time, and if this is above some accepted value the control system will
activate alarms and cause the water contaminated fuel to be bypassed back to
the settling tank ..
One manufacturer's equipment monitors the fluid taken from the lower
paring disc. Again, the time interval between clearing the solids, sludge and
water out of the bowl by opening it is fixed in the computer program and never
alters in amount.
When a centrifugal purifier of this type is started the bowl is completely filled
with oil. The oil is discharged from the lower paring disc outlet line and
monitored for conductivity before going through a two-way control valve and
passing back to dirty oil feed to the purifier.
As water is removed from the fuel it builds up in the periphery of the bowl
and willbe discharged during the cleaning or dump cycle. If the water contained
in the dirty fuel is above a certain amount, the water will build up in the bowl
and cause the oil water interface to move inwards to some point where water
will be discharged from the paring disc outlet. When this occurs the change in
conductivity will be relayed by the sensor to the computer. The computer
control will activate the two-way control valve and divert the water flowing
through it away from the dirty oil supply and into the alternative route to the
water outlet from the purifier. When the time for the dump cycle is reached, the
solids, sludge and water, are discharged out of the bowl, in the normal manner
and a new cycle commences when the purifier is filled with dirty oil again.
The remaining parts of the fuel oil system are similar to those mentioned in
the answer to Question 3.28.
Normal separators and clarifiers can be used for cleaning very high-density
fuel oils, but the sealing water in the purifier must have a higher density than the
fuel when both are at the operating temperature of the separator. If the density
of the fuel is equal to or higher than the density of the sealing water, the
separator will not function correctly. A liquid having a higher density than the
fuel must be selected to create an interface. Liquids having a density higher than
the "density of the fuel oils now available can be obtained by dissolving one.of a
variety of saIts in water for use as the sealing medium. This can provide a seal
with a density and boiling point higher than that of water.
The material selected will have to be carefully chosen because of the possibilities
of setting up corrosion within the fuel cleaning equipment, sludge tanks and
system pipe work. Corrosion inhibitors will have to be used to give adequate
corrosion protection if it is shown to be necessary.
The sealing liquid and water removed from the separator can be recycled
After testing for density and inhibitor content
High viscosity fuels

Fuel supplied to motor vessels is usually ofthe high-viscosity type. This kind of
fuel is a blend of low-viscosity distillate and high-viscosity residual oils. The
bunker supplier has tables which give the proportional amounts of each kind of
oil required to obtain some specified viscosity. After the proportions have been
established the blend is produced by using two pumps arranged to discharge
into a common pipe. The size of the pipe is such that turbulent flow takes place
and the two kinds of oil become well mixed. The speed of the two pumps is set
so that the proportion of each kind of oil passfng into the common discharge is
maintained correctly.
Distillates from one crude stock type do not always blend well with residuals
from another. This occurs when the smaller part is not soluble in the larger part.
1 incompatible oils are used to produce a blended fuel, precipitation will occur .
This shows itself in the operation of the centrifugal purifiers which quickly fill
with asphaltic material and .extreme difficulty may be experienced in
maintaining an adequate throughput of fuel through the purHier for the
requirements of the engine. This problem is well known to fuel oil suppliers and
they take every care to blend compatible types of fuel.

Homogenizer
A homogenizer is a piece of equipment used to create a material with a stable
uniform structure (homogeneous structure) from a mixture of two or more
finely divided solid materials or a mixture of immiscible liquids. It can be used
to break down relatively large water particles within a heavy fuel into a
homogeneous structure or emulsion consisting of water particles of the
minutest size uniformly distributed throughout the resulting liquid.
A homogenizer can also be used to reconstitute an emulsion that has
separated out from some heavy fuel, in order to give it some stability.
A homogenizer works by severely agitating the mixture being homogenized.
The agitation can be carried out by mechanical means such as pumping the
mixture through very fine orifices, or by acoustic means such as pumping the
mixture in a thin layer over a surface being agitated at an ultrasonic frequency
(above twenty kilohertz). The agitation can be created with any electronic
device that will create ultrasonic pressure waves.

The homogenizer (Figure 2.26) provides an alternative solution to the problem

of water in high density fuels. It can be used to emulsify a small percentage for'
injection into the engine with the fuel. This is in contradiction to the normal
aim of removing all water, which in the free state, can cause gassing of fuel
pumps, corrosion and other problems. However, experiments in fuel economy
have led to the installation of homogenizers on some ships to deal with a
deliberate mixture of up to 10% water in fuel. The homogenizer is fitted in the
pipeline behveen service tank and engine so that the' fuel is used immediately. It
is suggested that the water in a high density fuel could be emulsified so that the
fuel could be used in the engine, without problems. A homogenizer could nof
be used in place of a purifier for diesel fuel as it does not remove abrasives su~
as aluminium and silicon, other metallic compounds or ash-forming sodium
which damages exhaust valves.
The three disc stacks in the rotating carrier of the Vickers type homogenizer
are turned at about 1200 rev/min. Their freedom to move radially outwards
means that the centrifugal effect throws them hard against the lining tyre of the
homogenizer casing. Pressure and the rotating contact break down sludges and
water trapped between the discs and tyre, and the general stirring action aids
mixing.
Homogenisers
Homogenisers are used to disperse any sludge and water remaining in the fuel after centrifuging. A
homogeniser placed after the centrifuge will render fresh water (not removed by centrifuging)
harmless to the engine, and eventually lead to the acceptance of fuels with no density limit.

Homogenising may also be a means to cope with the more and more frequently occurring
incompatibility problems, which are not really safeguarded against in any fuel
specification. Both ultrasonic and mechanical homogenisers are available.
Treatment of heavy fuel oil, & heavy fuel oil and diesel fuel oil separation
As a result of experience it is strongly recommended the use of modern centrifuges for the treatment of
heavy fuel oils. The separating effect, i.e. the cleaning effect depends on the throughput and on the
viscosity of the heavy fuel oil. As a general rule, the smaller the throughput (m3/h or ltr/h) and the
lower the viscosity of the heavy fuel oil, the better the separating effect. It necessitates heating the
heavy fuel oil before it enters the centrifuge and maintaining the working temperature at a constant
level within a tolerance of _2 _C. The minimum required heat-up temperature depends on the
viscosity at 50 _C of the heavy fuel oil in question. This temperature can be read off the
viscosity/temperature diagram, please also refer to the instructions of the makers of your centrifuge.
For design reasons the admissible heat-up temperature is limited to 98 _C.
For operation, the instructions of the centrifuge makers are to be followed in the first place. The sludge
removed by centrifuging must be removed periodically from the separator drum. In the case of self
cleaning centrifuges the sequence of the emptying process may be controlled automatically but even
in such a plant the correct function and the frequency of proceedings must be kept in control by the
operating personnel. Of utmost importance is the unimpeded drain of the sludge from the drum, so
that unacceptably high back pressure does not impair the function of separation and thereby of
cleaning the heavy fuel oil. This point must be absolutely assured in operation by periodical
inspections.
Fuels supplied to a ship must be treated on board before use. Detailed information on fuel oil system layout
can be found in the CIMAC Recommendations concerning the design of heavy fuel treatment plants
for diesel engines issued in 1987. Practically all fuel specifications refer to fuel as supplied and, as
such, serve primarily as purchasing specifications. Furthermore, the data in a standard fuel analysis
serves to adjust the onboard treatment and is actually of little use to the operator when referring to
the engine operational data. Hence our basic design criterion is that our engines shall be capable of
accepting all commercially available fuel oils, provided that they are adequately treated on board.
Centrifuging Recommendations
Fuel oils should always be considered as contaminated upon delivery and should therefore be thoroughly
cleaned to remove solid as well as liquid contaminants before use. The solid contaminants in the fuel
are mainly rust, sand, dust and refinery catalysts. Liquid contaminants are mainly water, i.e. either
fresh water or salt water. Impurities in the fuel can cause damage to fuel pumps and fuel valves, and
can result in increased cylinder liner wear and deterioration of the exhaust valve seats. Also
increased fouling of gasways and turbocharger blades may result from the use of inadequately
cleaned fuel oil.
Effective cleaning can only be ensured by using a centrifuge. We recommend that the capacity of the
installed centrifuges should, at least, accord to the centrifuge makers instructions. To obtain
optimum cleaning, it is of the utmost importance that the centrifuge is operated with as low a fuel oil
viscosity as possible, and that the fuel oil is allowed to remain in the centrifuge bowl for as long as
possible. A sufficiently low viscosity is obtained by operating the centrifuge preheater at the
maximum allowable temperature for the fuel concerned.
For fuels above 180 cSt/50 oC it is especially important that the highest possible temperature, 98 oC, is
maintained in the centrifuge oil preheater. The fuel is kept in the centrifuge as long as possible by
adjusting the flow rate through the centrifuge so that it corresponds to the amount of fuel required by
the engine without excessive re-circulating. Consequently, the centrifuge should operate for 24 hours
a day except during necessary cleaning. Centrifuges with separate feed pumps On centrifuges
equipped with adjusting with a capacity matched to the engine screws and/or gravity discs, their
correct output are to be preferred. choice and adjustment is of special importance for the efficient
removal of water. Taking todays fuel qualities into consideration, the need for cleaning the
centrifuges (shooting frequency) The centrifuge manual states which should not be underestimated.
disc or screw adjustment should be chosen on the basis of the density of the fuel.
Fuel oil centrifuges

The manual cleaning type of centrifuges are not to be recommended, neither for attended machinery spaces
(AMS) nor for unattended machinery spaces (UMS). Centrifuges must be self-cleaning, either with
total discharge or with partial discharge.
Distinction must be made between installations for: Specific gravities < 0.991 (corresponding to ISO 8217
and British Standard 6843 from RMA to RMH, and CIMAC from A to H-grades
Specific gravities > 0.991 and (corresponding to CIMAC K-grades).
For the latter specific gravities, the manufacturers have developed special types of centrifuges, e.g.:AlfaLaval Alcap, Westfalia Unitrol, Mitsubishi E-Hidens II . The centrifuge should be able to treat
approximately the following quantity of oil: 0.27 l/kWh = 0.20 l/BHPh
This figure includes a margin for:
Water content in fuel oil
Possible sludge, ash and other impurities in the fuel oil
Increased fuel oil consumption, in connection with other conditions than ISO. standard condition
Purifier service for cleaning and maintenance.
The size of the centrifuge has to be chosen according to the suppliers table valid for the selected viscosity
of the Heavy Fuel Oil. Normally, two centrifuges are installed for Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO), each with
adequate capacity to comply with the above recommendation. A centrifuge for Marine Diesel Oil
(MDO) is not a must, but if it is decided to install one on board, the capacity should be based on the
above recommendation, or it should be a centrifuge of the same size as that for lubricating oil.
The Nominal MCR is used to determine the total installed capacity. Any derating can be taken into
consideration in border-line cases where the centrifuge that is one step smaller is able to cover
Specified MCR.
Centrifuge and pre-heater
The normal practice is to have at least two centrifuges available for fuel cleaning purposes. Results from
experimental work on the centrifuge treatment of todays residual fuel qualities have shown that the
best cleaning effect, particularly in regard to removal of catalytic fines, is achieved when the
centrifuges are operated in series, i.e. in purifier/clarifier mode.
This recommendation is valid for conventional centrifuges. For more modern types, suitable for treating fuels
with densities higher than 991 kg/m3 at 15 oC, it is recommended to follow the makers specific
instructions. In this context, see paragraph on high density fuels. If the installed centrifuge capacity is
on the low side, in relation to the specific viscosity of the fuel oil used, and if more than one
centrifuge is available, parallel operation should be considered as a means of obtaining an even
lower flow rate. However, in view of the above results and recommendations, serious consideration
should be given to installing new equipment in compliance with todays fuel qualities and flow
recommendations.
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