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18 minute read
Cylinder oil shake up
MAN ES SERVICE LETTER CREATES PREMIUM LUBE TIER
MAN Energy Solutions cancelled NOLs for 15-25 BN cylinder oils and introduced a higher category of cylinder oils in a far-reaching service letter
A service letter published by MAN by MAN ES at the end of May is having farving farreaching implications for the two-stroke e two-stroke marine lubrication market. In SL2020-694 . In SL2020-694 Cylinder and system oils MAN B&W low-speed AN B&W low-speed two-stroke engines, MAN has introduced a new as introduced a new
for advanced cylinder oils, MAN ES has withdrawn for advanced cylind
cylinder oil strategy.
cylinder oils in lubricant suppliers’ portfolios. A few 15- cylinder oils in lubricant
A new category of higher performing cylinder er performing cylinder oils, Category II, is being introduced. Cat. II cylinder roduced. Cat. II cylinder oils are recommended for MAN B&W Mark 9 engines AN B&W Mark 9 engines and subsequent generations.s.
A subordinate category of cylinder oil, Category I, of cylinder oil, Category I, includes lube oils covered by existing No Objection by existing No Objection Letters (NOLs) and is applicable for MAN B&W Mark 8 able for MAN B&W Mark 8
According to MAN ES, the cylinder oil strategy has he cylinder oil strategy has been introduced in order to stimulate the development stimulate the development and usage of higher performing cylinder oils for <0.50% S ming cylinder oils for <0.50% S fuels. Such fuels are expected to remain the dominant ted to remain the dominant fuel type over the coming years. ears.
MAN ES’s service experience has identified the erience has identified the importance of maintaining cleanliness of the piston rings cleanliness of the piston rings and crowns in achieving acceptable time between acceptable time between overhaul (TBO) of the cylinder units. This is a particular der units. This is a particular focus for MAN ES’s most modern engines, which feature odern engines, which feature higher pressures and higher temperatures, placing higher temperatures, placing higher performance demands upon lubricants. n lubricants.
Cylinder oil guidelines
WITHDRAWAL OF 15-25BN CYLINDER WITHDR OIL NOL OIL NOL
Alongside the introduction of a new category Alongside the NOL approvals from the majority of low BN oils in NOL approvals from the market, including some of the best-selling the market, including engines and earlier types.
20 BN cylinder oils have retained their NOL status. 20 BN cylinder oils have
MAN ES justified this decision by noting that many of MAN ES justified this d the low BN cylinder oils (15-25 BN) have not met the the low BN cylinder oils cleanliness requirements of the newest MAN B&W cleanliness requirements engines. While a number of 100 and 140 BN oils have engines. While a number successfully passed through the Cat. II process (see table successfully passed throug below), no 40 BN Cat. II cylinder oils are currently available. below), no 40 BN Cat. II cylin
8 Category II cylinder oils
Company 140BN 100BN
Castrol Cyltech 140 Cyltech 100 Chevron Taro Ultra 140 Taro Ultra 100
ExxonMobil Mobilgard 5145 Mobilgard 5100 Gulf Oil Marine Gulfsea Cylcare 50100S JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy Marine C1005 Lukoil Navigo 140 MC Navigo 100 MCL Shell Shell Alexia 140 Shell Alexia 100
Sinopec Sinopec Marine Cylinder Oil 50100
Total Lubmarine Talusia HR 140 Talusia Universal 100
The new service letter does not aff ect MAN ES’s existing cylinder oil guidelines, which the company plans to update later in 2020. The most recent cylinder oil guidelines, SL2019-671 Cylinder lubrication update for 0 to 0.50% sulphur fuels, remain in force.
The focus is on monitoring the cylinder condition and ensure that the piston ring pack is clean and moving freely. In case of excessive depositing, use cylinder oil with a higher cleaning ability (Cat II / BN100).
The alternation time period between high and low BN oils can range from a couple of days to over 300 running hours, as long as the crew make scavenge port inspections, monitor the condition closely and take action if the condition deteriorates.
MAN ES stresses the importance of monitoring the cylinder condition. Drain oil samples should be taken, analysed and evaluated. Action should be taken if the analysis shows deterioration, by e.g. increasing iron content.
Advice for Mark 9 and higher & new-builds
For operators and owners of newbuild vessels and vessels with Mark 9 type engines, MAN ES suggests the use of a Cat. I 40BN and Cat. II 100BN with alternation (if necessary) or with the cylinder oil available as according to the recommendations in SL2019-671.
If the cylinder condition is acceptable when using Cat. I 40 BN oil, there is no need for alternation with a Cat. II 100BN oil. However, if the Cat. I 40 BN oil lacks sufficient cleaning ability, a Cat. II 100 BN oil could facilitate the situation.
0.10% S fuel operation, what cylinder oil to use?
MAN ES notes that a few low BN cylinder oils (15-25 BN) have retained their NOL approval. These can be used according to SL2019-671. Meanwhile, Cat. I 40 BN cylinder lubricants are available and will in many cases be used instead of 15-25 BN products.
As with the advice for newbuilds, MAN ES advises monitoring the condition and in case of deposits, use oil with a higher cleaning ability.
What should be done with 15-25 BN already on-board?
MAN ES is not recommending the costly, time-consuming process of de-bunkering cylinder oil. The ROB lubricants can be used up before bunkering a new cylinder oil. MAN ES recommends that the guidance in SL2019-671 is followed when deciding upon cylinder oils.
Where no issues have been identified, the lube oil can be used as previously. One option might be alternating between low and high BN cylinder oils. MAN ES recommends this for vessels operating within ECA areas on 0.10% S ULSFO continuously. This could also be an option for ME-GIs using <0.1% S ULSFO as pilot fuel.
A third option would be to use Cat. II 100 BN oils. While Cat. II oils will provide the best cleaning performance, the higher Calcium Carbonate content may lead to increased deposits on the crown and after the combustion chamber. If used continuously, it is important to maintain observations for depositing.
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KEEPING ENGINES RUNNING AMID 2020 FUEL CHALLENGES
Early reports on the variable quality of very low-sulphur fuel oils confi rm research highlighting the need for robust cylinder lubrication when using the new fuel blends
Looking back on the fi rst three month since the implementation of IMO’s global sulphur cap, it seems that concerns over the variability of new very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) blends were justifi ed. To cite just one example, Lloyd’s Register’s Fuel Oil Bunker Analysis and Advisory Service (FOBAS) has issued three alerts on excessive sediments in VLSFO. FOBAS’ analysis shows that fi ve percent of all VLSFO samples taken in Singapore in the fi rst two months of 2020 had high sediment volumes. In Rotterdam the fi gure rises to 23%.
The widespread problem highlights the variable quality of the available blends. According to Ian Bown, technical manager, marine diesel engine oils at lubricant additive technology company Lubrizol Corp, there are two likely reasons for excessive sediment: the variable stability of individual fuels; and the mixture of incompatible fuels, for example when tanks have not been fully cleaned prior to the use of VLSFO.
Sediment is not just a theoretical issue. It has already affected ship operations, causing sludging and blocking filters. Whether the cause of sediment is mixing of incompatible fuels or variable stability, the precipitation of asphaltenes from the solution is a potential contributing factor. Asphaltenes - high molecular weight molecules that are particularly sensitive to changes in a fuel blend’s overall composition - can cause problems along the fuel line if they fall out of solution.
The early sediment issues support findings of research conducted by Lubrizol before the sulphur cap entered force, in which bench and engine tests revealed a high degree of variability in deposit formation and combustion characteristics among VLSFO blends, even using samples acquired from a relatively small geographical area. The findings led Lubrizol to note that existing lubricants are not adequate to offer protection from issues caused by widely variable VLSFOs.
TESTING VLSFOS BEFORE 2020
In early 2019 Lubrizol embarked on a research project to help it understand the characteristics of VLSFOs, their effect on engine deposits and how lubricants perform when used with these fuels. Lubrizol closely examined five such fuels available in China (one of the only markets where they were available before late 2019) alongside five VLSFOs blended by its in-house laboratory. The results demonstrated how appropriate additives can effectively reduce the impact of fuel variability, with enhanced deposit control improving engine durability.
The fuels sourced in China provide a good example of VLSFOs that meet the ISO 8217:2017 marine fuel standard. But during use Lubrizol observed measurable differences in deposit formation. These blends are manufactured from normal refinery components that meet the specifications for residual fuels set out in the ISO standard. But even using these well-known fuel streams, the formation of deposits can vary considerably between blends. To study this, piston groove cleanliness was tested using three different batches of VLSFO and a reference cylinder lubricant. One of the three engine tests showed increased deposit formation. As the engine operating conditions were similar, the difference can be attributed to a variation in fuel properties.
“Even within the same small sourcing area, variation can be seen to affect the amount of deposit formed in the engine,” explains Lubrizol technology manager, marine diesel engine oils, Harriet Brice. “With the global expansion of 0.5% sulphur fuels the variation could be even greater as more atypical blend constituents are used to meet demand. Using a more robust lubricant will help to reduce the impact to the engine of this variability.”
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COMPATIBILITY AND STABILITY
Compatibility concerns around VLSFOs relate to the comingling of incompatible bunkers and can be managed through tank segregation until compatibility can be confirmed through testing. Stability refers to each individual fuel blend being a stable product. A contributing factor underlying both is asphaltene stability.
One way of characterising fuel composition is by determining the quantity of saturate, aromatic, resin and asphaltene (SARA) fractions. These components are each associated with asphaltene stability and so this technique
8 Ian Bown,
technical manager, marine diesel engine oils at Lubrizol Corp
can be useful in identifying fuels with the potential for stability issues.
As well as establishing the SARA measurements, Lubrizol also probed the stability of the commercial VLSFOs using a proprietary bench test. The three most unstable blends were then tested with two additives: a detergent known to be effective in deposit control and asphaltene stabilisation (additive 1) and a novel dispersant known to be effective in deposit and varnish control and asphaltene stabilisation (additive 2). The novel dispersant was shown to be the most effective in the engine by controlling deposit formation on piston lands and in piston ring grooves with this fuel. “Detergents are not the only additives in the formulators tool kit,” explains Brice. “Dispersants are very good at piston cleanliness. They have been used in automotive applications for many years but are not commonplace in marine cylinder oils for deposit control.”
In order to determine the appropriate BN and deposit The results of the research and the need for more robust
control requirements of cylinder lubricants for use with 0.5% sulphur fuels, Lubrizol formulated a series of BN25 and BN40 oils and tested these with commercially available VLSFO blends in a stationary two-stroke marine diesel engine. Scrapedown samples were used to tell if the lubricant was delivering enough protection from corrosive wear.
To maintain corrosion protection, residual BN of scrapedown oil should be maintained at around 15 or higher, according to OEM guidance at the time of development. The average residual BN for the BN25 oils across all tests was 12.5 compared to an average of 24.2 for the BN40 oils. Lubrizol therefore concluded that BN40 was the most appropriate level for oils used with VLSFOs, providing enough base reserve to meet OEM guidance while allowing some margin for more corrosive engine types and operating conditions.
A Lubrizol advanced dispersant known to be effective at addressing piston groove deposits and varnish was used to formulate one of the BN25 oils for comparison with a conventionally formulated oil. The lubricant with advanced dispersant had superior piston cleanliness with lower deposit formation in the piston ring grooves and on the piston lands. The BN25 oil with advanced dispersant also offered improved performance than a conventionally formulated BN40 oil, demonstrating that performance can be delivered independently of BN.
The testing demonstrated that BN40 oils previously developed for use with fuels with a sulphur content of up to 1.5% may not provide the performance required to handle VLSFOs. It also demonstrated the effectiveness of dispersants to bring additional performance in the area of piston cleanliness compared to conventionally formulated oils when using these fuel blends.
These findings have fed into the development of Lubrizol’s new additive package for cylinder lubricants to be used with
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additive package provides basicity at BN40. It also offers deposit handling performance through the novel dispersant additive technology. This technology, deployed for the first time in marine lubricants, has been balanced with detergents to offer robust protection from the expected wide variability in VLSFO fuel characteristics.
Lubrizol’s findings are clear: the additive chemistries found in traditional marine diesel cylinder lubricants may not suffice for the challenges of handling VLSFO blends. More advanced solutions are needed to tackle deposit formation without relying on the high-base detergents that were a mainstay of cylinder oils used with high-sulphur fuels. Lubrizol’s BN40 additive package, deploying novel dispersant technology to marine cylinder oils, is specifically formulated for handling low-sulphur fuels.
VLSFOs. In line with engine designer recommendations, the lubricants when using VLSFOs now appears to have been supported by early experience in the field.
“A noticeable amount of fuel variation has been recorded in the market,” concludes Bown. “Consideration should be given to the combustion effects of the fuel and the demands placed upon the cylinder lubricant used. We would advise any lubricant purchase decision makers to consider how their oil will meet the challenges coming from the known and widely publicised concerns relating to these new fuels.”
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8 A novel dispersant
performed strongly in tests for controlling deposit formation on piston lands and in piston ring grooves
8 Lubrizol carried
out research into the characteristics of VLSFOs and their eff ect on engine deposits in 2019
IMO-2020 COMPLIANT FUELS AND HEAT-SENSITIVE CARGO
Some of the new VLSFO fuels have a characteristic that can be troublesome if the vessel is carrying heat-sensitive cargo, writes Alvin Forster of North P&I
The entry into force of IMO 2020 has led to the introduction of a range of new blended very low sulphur fuel oils into the bunker market. Early experience shows that the properties of the new blended VLSFOs can vary signifi cantly. Some are very low in viscosity, similar to distillate fuels, while some closely resemble traditional high-viscosity heavy fuel oil products. Most are somewhere in between.
The molecular structure of these new fuels has an impact on their storage and use. Some of the new VLSFOs are paraffinic in nature whereas the heavy fuels used previously were asphaltenic. The issue with these paraffinic VLSFOs is that they are more prone to waxing.
must be specifically requested to the testing laboratory.
THE PROBLEM WITH WAX
temperatures as low as 25°C. If cargo is loaded into a hold
If wax begins to form in the ship’s fuel storage tanks, it will be very difficult to pump. Transfer pump filters and pipelines are likely to become choked. If wax formation is extensive, the vessel’s tank heating systems may struggle to re-liquefy the fuel. Manual extraction of wax from the tank might then be required, but this is a costly and time-consuming exercise.
The key, quite simply, is to keep the fuel above the temperature at which wax starts to form.
FINDING THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE
Before VLSFOs hit the market, determining the cold-flow such as marine gas oil, were tested to give cloud-point (CP) and cold-filter-plugging-point (CFPP) temperatures, while
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8 Alvin Forster,
Loss Prevention Executive, North P&I
residual fuels (e.g. RMG 380) were tested for pour point (PP). ever, the CP and CFPP tests only apply to distillates because they are clear in appearance; they do not work on opaque fuels such as VLSFOs. This leaves the PP test, but because of the paraffinic nature of these fuels, there is a risk that wax can still form at temperatures higher than the traditional PP + 10°C ‘rule of thumb’ for heavy fuels.
An alternative means of measuring the cold-flow properties of a VLSFO is the wax appearance test. Developed by fuel analysis experts VPS, this test does not, however, form part of the suite of tests usually carried out on bunkered fuel under ISO 8217. It cannot be conducted on board and
WARM FUEL, DAMAGED CARGO
Whatever the test method, the fuel analysis report provided to a vessel could recommend a relatively high fuel-storage and transfer temperature to prevent waxing and solidification.
In such cases, there is a risk that the temperature of the fuel in tanks located adjacent to cargo holds could damage heat-sensitive cargo. For example, according to BMT’s Cargo Handbook, a bulk cargo of raw sugar is at risk of caking at properties of marine fuels was straightforward. Distillate fuels,
located above a hot double-bottom fuel tank, there is a significant chance of damage occurring.
GOOD FUEL MANAGEMENT
Know your fuel: A ship’s chief engineer is not able to specify the cold-flow A ship’s chie characteristics of a VLSFO when ordering bunkers. As the characterist definition of a VLSFO is broad, it is a case of getting what you definition of are given. It is therefore essential that the shipboard are given. engineers identify the characteristics of the fuel soon after engineers id bunkering. In this way, they can store and handle the fuel at bunkering. I the right temperature and will be aware of the risks if the the right te vessel subsequently loads a heat-sensitive cargo.vessel subse
An analysis report revealing that a fuel has a high paraffinic An analys content might prompt the crew to transfer the fuel to other content mig tanks that are not adjacent to cargo holds. However, care tanks that a should be taken to avoid commingling: paraffinic fuels can should be t be prone to incompatibility when mixed with other stems.be prone to
Fuel heating system maintenance:Fuel heating It can be difficult to accurately control the steam heating of It can be diffi fuel storage tanks. Temperature sensors and steam-control fuel storage valves work in a harsh environment and can be vulnerable valves wo to falling out of calibration, if not failing entirely. Proper to falling maintenance can help to prevent this.mainten
Accurate record keeping:Accura In the event of a claim or dispute, evidence is essential. A In the vessel presented with a cargo damage claim will be far vesse better placed to successfully defend it if reliable bette records are kept on the temperatures of the fuel reco storage tanks. stor
GREEK SHIPOWNER ADOPTS UNIFIED LUBE PROCUREMENT
Product tanker owner Eletson Corp has simplifi ed its lubricant procurement processes by switching to an e-commerce purchasing solution
The Piraeus-based company, which owns a fl eet of 36 medium- and long-range vessels, has replaced its traditional email-led purchasing procedures with OnePort, which allows customers to manage the order process all in one place, from enquiry to delivery.
Since adopting OnePort, which allows multi-port comparison for price and availability, Eletson has placed all orders for lubricants through the system. According to Eletson support engineer Konstantinos Tzagkournis, the ship owner has been particularly impressed with the easy access OnePort provides to delivery notes and invoices. Managing inventory in different time zones can often result in delays, especially if orders are not received in time. The platform eliminates the need for multiple contact points before an order is finalised.
“Placing orders with OnePort saves time by cutting down on unnecessary emails,” Tzagkournis said. “I can access the platform from different devices and can easily view important transactional information quickly.”
OnePort forms part of a comprehensive package of Cloud Solutions launched by Chevron Marine Lubricants. The system dramatically reduces order management time by eliminating unnecessary work from the process of lubricant procurement. The consolidation of several common supplychain transactions such as product availability inquiries, order confirmations and delivery receipts help customers to quickly access information.
“We recognise the demand for systems that eliminate complexity and relieve pressure from our customers’ already over-stretched resources,” said Steve Gormer, Digital
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Enablement Manager, Chevron Marine Lubricants. “OnePort is a key element in the suite of digital tools we are providing to help customers optimize their vital vessel equipment, while at the same time creating efficiencies. Our system integrates delivery agents, procurement and supply chain, improving relationship management.”
Chevron Marine Cloud Solutions are also designed to help ship owners and operators optimise critical vessel equipment performance. In addition to the OnePort e-commerce platform, the suite is being developed to deliver recommendations from marine technical specialists based on the analysis of used oil samples - wherever owners have taken advantage of Chevron Marine’s FAST and DOT.FAST analysis services - to provide a full picture of the operating profile of any number of vessels in a fleet.
8 Piraeus-based