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Faculty of Maritime Studies Kotor, University of Montenegro , Podgorica , Montenegro
Institute of Marine Biology, University of Montenegro , Podgorica , Montenegro
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Montenegro , Podgorica , Montenegro
Institute of Marine Biology, University of Montenegro , Podgorica , Montenegro
Aluminium and silicon particles in fuel known as “cat fines” are catalytic residues from the refinery process. They can cause mechanical damage to fuel pumps, injectors, piston rings and cylinder liners. They are very hard and highly abrasive, thus causing abrasive wear to main engine components. These impurities in marine fuel must therefore be reduced to the recommended value. One of the main tasks of the fuel treatment plant on a ship is to separate solids and water from the fuel. Onboard ships, there are fuel purifiers which rotate at a high speed (more than 6,000 rev/min) producing centrifugal force and providing good separating effect even for small solid particles (Al+Si). Proper settling and regular drainage from the tanks with adequate filtration are not sufficient for proper fuel preparation. The quality of purifier operation varies over years because it is affected by a large number of factors. For the purpose of this paper, over twelve thousand fuel samples will be analyzed to determine the current efficiency of the purifiers and whether they can meet the stringent requirements of marine engine manufacturers. The data will be taken from a tanker ship, taking into account different operational scenarios. These scenarios are linked with maximum possible fuel consumption on the ship during exploitation. Using the Simulink program for the system simulation, it is possible to do optimization in the operation of fuel purifier. This optimization refers to the required amount of fuel and quality of separation, which also regards the removal of abrasive impurities.
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