Filtration 2020

Cat fines solutions

1. Introduction / Abstract / Summary ......................................................................2

1.1 Background ....................................................................................................2
2. Main issues Fuel 2020 ..........................................................................................3
3. Main problem cat fines.........................................................................................4
4. The size of the problem .......................................................................................5
5. Protection from cat fines .....................................................................................6
6. Cleaning by fine filtration ....................................................................................7
7. Challenges related to fuel switch ...................................................................... 10
8. FUEL 2020 – Way forward .................................................................................. 11
9. Recommendations & good practice.................................................................. 11
 1. Introduction / Abstract / Summary
There is strong evidence that vessel operators are experiencing a significant increase
in frequency of engine damage as a result of excessive component wear – a
substantial number of these damages have been attributable to poor fuel quality and in
particular high levels of catalytic fines (cat fines) present in the fuel.
Low Sulphur Fuel Oils (LSFO) typically have a higher content of cat fines than High
Sulphur Fuels, as fines end up in the low-sulphur by-products from refining processes
and the by-products are blended with residual fuels to reduce their sulphur content.
As catalytic fines are very hard, they embed in the softer metal surfaces of cylinder
liners, piston grooves and rings. Cat fines are particularly damaging to cylinder liners,
because their surfaces are not polished or smooth.
With increasing demand through environmental legislation that requires the burning of
cleaner fuel, low sulphur bunkers containing higher amount of cat-fine are mandatory
for use in vessels trading in emission-controlled areas, increasing the requirement for
careful fuel management.
To avoid excessive wear on piston rings, cylinder liners and other moving engine parts
in contact with fuel oil, it is recommended installing a 10 micron BOLLFILTER in order
to minimize the number of the most dangerous catalyst fines in the fuel oil and to
indicate proper separation efficiency.

1.1 Background
Global environmental legislation to reduce the levels of sulphur in ships fuel has made
fuel changes more common and increased instances of engine damage has been seen
because of an increased use of more refined fuel.
The Maritime Pollution (MARPOL) regulation limiting sulphur oxide emissions from
ships with a global cap of 0.5% will become mandatory on 1 January 2020. IMO’s
Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) initially confirmed the date of
implementation in October 2016 and renewed it in October 2018. Concerns have not
only been raised in relation to fuel stability, but also with regards to differences in
composition and blending from supplier to supplier and port to port, lower flashpoints
than the minimum required by international safety regulations, inadequate safety
margins for catalytic fines and ignition delays stemming from inferior combustibility.
It is very unlikely that from 01.01.2020 there will be enough fuel oil (HFO) with a
Sulphur content ≤0,5% available for all ships which do not have a scrubber installed.
On the other side it is also very unlikely that the IMO will give a grace period for the
supply chain to adjust. So there will be a “hard” enforcement. As a permanent operation
of the ships with gasoil would boost the operating costs for the owner, there are only
two options: either to burn Low Sulphur HFO (LSF) or to install a scrubber.

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 2. Main issues Fuel 2020
In recent years, the quality of heavy fuel oil bunkers has declined. Environmental
policies and the ever-increasing cost of fossil fuels have played a major part in this
decline; as more valuable distillate fuels are squeezed out of the crude oil stock and
exhaust emission laws limit the sulphur content, the results are dangerously increased
levels of cat fines remaining in the end product that is delivered on board the ship.
In the past, bunker fuels were refined to suit their intended purpose, which is to burn
efficiently in the diesel engine. Density and viscosity were the important factors in
producing suitable fuel. Nowadays the refineries are concentrating their efforts on
producing low sulphur fuels for use in sulphur emission-controlled areas (ECAs).
In order to achieve the low sulphur limits required for vessels that operate in these
areas the oil refineries have to blend residual fuel with higher levels of cutter stocks
such as slurry oil which comes from the catalytic cracking process. The catalysts used
in this complex process are oxides of aluminium and silicon, which breakdown as they
interact with the fuel becoming increasingly smaller. These catalysts are expensive and
are largely recycled by the refinery; however some of the smaller particles, known as
cat fines, find their way into the slurry oil which is a by-product of the process.

Picture 1: Fluid catalytic cracking process.

The cat fines migrate with the cracking product from the fluid catalytic reactor into the
fractionator. Slurry oil is a highly aromatic fluid which has a relatively high density and
viscosity but low sulphur content. When mixed with high sulphur residual fuel, the result
is a low sulphur fuel with increased density and potentially increased levels of cat fines.
Effective filtration, purification and fuel management is required. Engines need fuel with
a concentration of cat fines at no more than 10 ppm, but fuel is produced and sold at 60

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ppm and higher.
The main challenges with the ultra-low sulphur fuel oil (ULSFO) are:
Increased amounts of abrasive cat fines cold flow properties (heating required)
Stability (limited experience)
Compatibility (increased storage capacity and separation requirements as well as
higher demands for tank cleaning between bunkering due to the variation in fuel quality)

3. Main problem cat fines

If cat fines find their way into the engine, these hard particles usually get embedded in
the softer metal surfaces of cylinder liners and piston rings. At the same time, they may
also affect the operation of fuel pumps and injectors, components which are intolerant
to any abrasive compounds.
These embedded particles can act like an abrasive paste between the moving
components. Vertical lines are scored into the surface of the cylinder liner, which
reduces the surface lubrication properties and accelerates the rate of wear.

Picture 2: Microscope photograph of a needle tip in fuel injection system with wear from cat
fines.
Source: Woodward L'Orange GmbH

In cases that involve high levels of cat fines the rate of wear that normally takes place
over a year can occur in a matter of weeks.
Cat fine damage is mainly reported in large slow speed crosshead main engines; this is
due to the action of large abrasive particles passing through the fuel injection
equipment and into the cylinder liners, where they can embed themselves onto the soft
cast iron cylinder wall surfaces. It is less likely to find cat fine damage in medium or
high-speed engines, although it can occur. This is largely due to the splash method of

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cylinder liner lubrication which washes the walls of the cylinders more frequently,
lessening the chance of cat fines being embedded. [Source: Paper from Joint Hull
Committee in September 2013]

On the other side the injection system of medium and high speed diesel engines are
more sensitive against the cat fine attack as the hard abrasive cat fines will damage the
injection nozzles. As a result of this, the injection spray pattern is less atomized and the
combustion is inferior. This results in increased wear and reduced efficiency.

4. The size of the problem

Cat fine particles can vary in physical size between 1 micron and 75 microns.
Engine experts suggest that particles in the 10 to 25 micron range are especially
harmful to machinery components, as they are able to get into the gaps between sliding
components. Picture 3 shows a microscope view of the mesh in a fuel oil filter, with two
cat fine particles trapped within.

Picture 3: Microscope photograph of cat fines entrapped in the mesh of a fuel filter.
Source: MAN Energy Solutions

Although the size of the particles is important, the quantity of cat fines present in the
fuel is the most important factor in the extent of damage that they can cause.
If cat fines are confirmed in the fuel, all necessary work to eradicate them should be
carried out immediately. However, “immediately” is nearly always impossible as the
crew will only realize that there are fuel problems after they have become abnormally
severe, i.e. frequent clogging of fuel valves, malfunction of fuel pumps, abnormally
frequent clogging of fuel filters and abnormal build-up of sludge in the fuel separator.
This is usually associated with cylinder blow-by and occasional fires in the scavenge
space. By then, substantial damage has already occurred. The vessel must then reach
a suitable repair port to carry out cleaning and repair works and will likely suffer further
engine damage in doing so.
Catalytic fines in fuel oil are not a new problem at all, same as the option to install 10
µm abs. filter in the fuel oil treatment system to protect from cat fines. BOLL & KIRCH

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has been driving the development of this special mesh for the last 30 years. The result
of this development is certified and approved as 10 µm abs. In view of the expected
increase of cat fine concentration in the LSFO as well as ULSFO, there is a lot of focus
on fine filtration nowadays, but no one can even come close to our 30 years of
experience with such filter media in automatic filter.

5. Protection from cat fines

There are two components in the Fuel Oil (FO) treatment system, the purifier and the
fuel oil filter, which can protect the engine from massive cat fine attacks. It is vital for a
good FO treatment that both components complement each other. The purifier is
responsible for the extract of the cat fines from the FO. The filter on the other hand can
as the only full flow treatment, protect the injection system and the entire engine from
cat fines.
With both components, BOLL & KIRCH provides individual solutions as well as many
years of expertise in the field of filtration technology.

The purifier
In the purifier a centrifugal field is generated, which separates particles with a density
higher than the fuel density. This is in particular water and solid matter. The efficiency
of the purifier depends mainly on the strength of the centrifugal field, the difference in
density, the concentration of the contamination and the viscosity of the FO. The
different physical properties of the material are used to separate them from each other.
If best operated in the purifier particles down to 5 µm can be separated. As the purifier
is -most times- cleaned automatically, contamination can be extracted from the FO
system. Purifiers are used as a side stream treatment or when transferring fuel from
bunker tanks to day/settling tanks.
The BOLLFILTER
Filtration is a mechanical barrier using a filter media (mesh or fleece). Here the particles
which are larger than the mesh or pore size of the filter media will physically be held
back. Throughout a wide temperature and viscosity range the BOLLFILTER will work
with constant separation efficiency. This parameter will only have an influence on the
pressure drop and the flushes interval of the filter. The use of BOLLFILTER systems
allowing an automatic cleaning of the filter elements is common practice on board of
ships. When a BOLLFLTER with differential pressure triggered backflushing (not
permanent flushing) is installed, the time between flushes can also be used as an
indicator for the FO quality. A change in the flushing frequency can indicate a change in
FO quality, temperature or separation efficiency. In general, it must be mentioned that
the BOLLFILTER only protects the system downstream. The discharge of the solid
matter must be done by the purifier. Therefore, when selecting a filter special focus
should be given to separation efficiency and low flushing volume. In order to offer a
reliable protection from cat fines, a filter with a mesh of 10 µm abs. or finer should be
considered. It is also to be highlighted that the filter is the only component in the
treatment system which offers a full flow protection just before the fuel being injected
into the engine.

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 6. Cleaning by fine filtration
In conjunction with the expected increase of cat fine concentration in the LSFO (or
ULSFO), new demands to the FO treatment system, which have not yet been so much
in focus, will come. To install an appropriate treatment system into a new vessel is for
sure much easier than to upgrade a FO system which is already running on board of a
ship. Here it is necessary to find the right balance between the age of the vessel,
sailing routes as well as the type of fuels used and the capital investment. One thing is
sure: damage caused by cat fines is the most expensive “solution”.
All below systems show state of the art technology for FO treatment systems in
coaction of the purifier and the FO filter. As filter specialists we can offer our support to
review existing systems as well as newbuilding layouts with regard to the best possible
installation of the FO filter.

Picture 4: 10 µm abs FO BOLLFILTER installed inside booster system

Picture 4 shows an example for an installation of the FO filter as it is recommended

today by many engine makers. The 10 µm abs. BOLLFILTER will be installed as close
to the engine as possible. The fine filtration protects the engine from those cat fines,
which could pass the purifier or those that were stirred up in the day tank. Additionally,
the risk that any contamination originating from the heat exchanger or elsewhere in the
piping system being injected to the engine is eliminated. Another positive effect is that
the fuel is passing the filter multiple times as some of the fuel is recirculated in this

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system. This multi passage generally increases the cleanness of the fuel. Such an
installation can be applied both in newbuildings and retrofits. The higher temperature in
this system might have an effect on the lifetime of the gaskets.

Picture 5: 10 µm abs FO BOLLFILTER installed inside supply system with safety duplex filter
before engine

Picture 5 shows the installation of the 10 µm abs. BOLLFILTER in the supply system.
Due to the lower temperature at this point the thermal load on the filter is lower. On the
other side, an additional FO indicator BOLLFILTER (usually a duplex filter 34 µm) must
be installed directly in front of the engine as the last barrier before the fuel is injected.
Moreover, as the fuel only passes the BOLLFILTER one time, there is no efficiency
increase through multiple passes. Such an installation can be applied both in
newbuildings and retrofits. In the case of a retrofit, the existing BOLLFILTER housing
may be upgraded with 10 µm abs. BOLLFILTER candles without changing the housing.

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Picture 6: Installation before the service tank

Picture 6 shows the direct coaction of the purifier and the 10 µm abs. filter. Here the
BOLLFILTER is installed downstream of the purifier before the service tank. A major
advantage of this installation is that the number of backflushes of the filter can give a
direct indication about the FO quality or the purifier efficiency (e.g. purification temp.)
before the FO is stored in the service tank. Thus, both components can best be
adjusted to each other (e.g. parallel operation of 2 purifiers). As usual a part of the FO
is recirculated in the settling tank, a multiple passage of the FO through purifier and
filter is achieved. This will have a positive effect on the separation efficiency of the
purifier and the filter. Such an installation can be realized for newbuildings as well as for
retrofits. As the cat fines are discharged in such an early stage, the accumulation of cat
fines in the service tank can be prevented. For retrofits the advantage is that no
changes on an existing supply and booster system must be made.

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Picture 7: Additional 10µm abs BOLLFILTER in FO system

Picture 7 shows an additional installation of a 10 µm abs. BOLLFILTER in an existing

FO system as a retrofit solution. It can be checked if in this case the FO indicator filter
can be replaced by this 10 µm abs. automatic filter. Prior to installation the flushing flow
of the existing filter and the backflushing demand of the additional filter must be
considered and it must be checked if this does not limit the FO supply to the engine.

7. Challenges related to fuel switch

The new SECA legislation will impose a change-over between the globally used High-
Sulphur HFO and a fuel with less than 0,1% sulphur.

High-Sulphur HFO is used at high temperatures to reduce the viscosity to the required
level before the engine inlet. Distillates are often used at rather low temperatures to
keep the viscosity sufficiently high before the engine inlet. A change-over between the
fuels will mean a change-over from high temperature to low temperature or from low to
high. The new ULSFO will often be used at medium temperatures, thereby reducing the
challenge of the large temperature difference.

The injection equipment needs to be protected against rapid temperature changes, as

the large temperature changes might otherwise cause shortened lifetime of gaskets,
sticking or scuffing of the fuel valves, fuel pump plungers or suction valves. The

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 change-over must be carried out at a low load (25-40% MCR) and in a controlled
manner, and the fuel temperature gradient must not exceed 2°C/min. [source MAN
SL2014-593/DOJA]

8. FUEL 2020 – Way forward

The International Council on Combustion Engines (CIMAC) has initiated a working
group with technical experts from the industry to address the limited experience and
collate information in order to develop a technical guide for these fuels.
BOLL & KIRCH is a member of CIMAC Working Group “Fuels”.
The International Standards Organization (ISO) is expected to produce a new standard
for the 0.5% fuel before 2020.

9. Recommendations & good practice

The best protection of the engines from cat fines offers an overall treatment plan being
able to discharge the impurities from the FO in the most efficient way prior to being
injected into the engine.
Here well planned bunker practice from fuel oil supply chain (analysis) to segregated
tanks and regular drainage of the settling tanks goes hand in hand with best installed
and maintained treatment equipment on board. This shall include:
A Fuel Oil cat fine BOLLFILTER 10 µm abs.

Monitoring recording of the filters flushing frequency to give early indication of changes
in fuel quality or separation efficiency

Optimized performance of the separator in terms of

- flow rate (when possible run 2 separators in parallel)
- separation temperature

Finally more frequent cleaning intervals of the purifier or of the filters are no indication
of faulty equipment. This only indicates that there is an increased amount of
contamination in the fuel and that the given components do protect your assets reliably.

i.V. Stefan Schmitz i.V. Martin van Son

Director Design Head of ENG – Filtration for Engines

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