Blog by IPCO Power

At the moment most vessels are focusing in reducing operational costs. Fuel is the biggest operational costs. The use of the IPCO Power WFE system (FID Injector) will result in more effective combustion, lower fuel consumption and a reduction of NOx, Soot and PM pollutants, while the engine’s combustion chambers, pistons, exhaust system and lube oil will stay much cleaner. 
Currently 130 Water Fuel Emulsion systems from IPCO are in operation!
 
The benefits are coming from the 2 parts of treatment:
 Homogenizer:

Firstly, the fuel homogenizer reduces fuel droplet size to 3 micron and smaller. Smaller fuel droplets enhance combustion, lower emissions and improve fuel economy.

Adding water to the fuel:
Secondly the WFE system the FID Injector is a combustion improvement system designed to create a stable “water in fuel” emulsion. The system is installed before the mixing tank. The implementation of emulsified fuel significantly enhances fuel atomization and distribution in the combustion chamber. 

Schematic representation of combusting fuel emulsion:

NOx reductions using water in fuel emulsions are significant; approximately 1% NOx reduction is achieved for every 1% injected water. Using existing fuel systems, water content is limited to 20%. The FID Injector has a cost advantage over other systems, primarily due to its simplicity in system installation and operation. With the better combustion your exhaust will stay cleaner. This will lead to cleaner wash water from scrubber systems.

The FID Injector (WFE) system is one of the simplest systems to reduce the particulate matter and soot emissions significantly. The system will target these emissions at the source, the fuel. 

Operational costs are low as the only major requirement to the Injector is the water addition. The FID Injector has a small footprint, and all necessary components are available inside the frame. The FID Injector is installed between booster feed pump and mix tank to simply control the water injection.
 
Benefits from our Water Fuel Emulsions system:
Up to 2% fuel saving with a 4 stroke engine and 2,4% with a 2 stroke.
Less engine maintenance
Up to 20% NOx reduction 
Less black smoke
Up to 90% PM and Soot reduction
Assisting your ships scrubber system (keep the scrubber cleaner)
​Scrubber wash water will be cleaner

Example of the benefits:
The soot reduction was confirmed for example by the Seabourn Odyssey. After installation of the WFE system they had half of the soot waste during the monthly cleaning of the EGB.

Steam pipes before and after the installation of the IPCO WFE system.

Results during the evaluation on board HAL Ryndam were the same as the evaluation from Lloyds Register with Carnival Corp.

Princess sixth and final Royal class vessel the Discovery Princess will be equipped with IPCO Power's Water Fuel Emulsion systems. The systems will assist Carnival (Ecospray) AAQS (Advance Air Quality System) with  reducing NOx, soot and particulate matter. The WFE system will reduce these emissions and will reduce fuel consumption due to the combustion improvement. With a combustion improvement there will be less dirt inside scrubbers waste water. 

At it’s Guadaloupe’s power plant EDF was experiencing fuel related issues with asphaltenes. The safety fuel oil filters were clogging relatively frequently. 

​IPCO Power’s Fuel Homogenizer is installed to reduce fuel droplet size and prevent issues with asphaltenes. This to assure best efficiency in operation.

IPCO Power proudly confirms Tech-Solutions as it’s distributor and service partner for Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and Denmark. Tech-Solutions is a Danish Export Company with years of experience in sourcing of quality Technical Solutions and Products. 

Many years of cooperation with Danish and European Manufacturers has given us a thorough knowledge of innovative solutions that most often brings our customers great savings.
Solutions that are directed towards Caring about the Global Environment. 

With the additional of the IPCO Power Fuel Homogenizers Tech-Solutions can offer Sludge Reduction, Combustion Improvement for boiler plants, power plants and shipping. 

More information can be found on www.tech-solutions.dk
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Since the implementation of the 2020 compliant 0.5% sulphur fuel, the shipping industry is facing significant challenges, mainly due to the poor and inconsistent quality of the blended fuels. Blended fuel can become very unstable which can lead to major issues inside the fuel system, engine, and combustion process.

We are receiving an increased number of queries asking if fuel homogenizers work on 2020 compliant fuel, and it is important to understand that 2020 compliant fuel is only referring to 0,50% Sulphur, it does not mean that any other part of the specification of the fuel is improved. On the contrary, there are already numerous reports within the industry of significant damage to main engines and excessive sludge problems after vessels have changed over to the new compliant fuel. 

As most of the new compliant fuels are a blend of HFO and various percentages of ‘cutter stock’ it is difficult to know what the exact blend ratio or composition is, which can lead to instability (stratification, excessive sludge) and incompatibility issues. The ISO fuel specifications do not regulate this.
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So if you have a tank fuel of “bad” fuel you can use our FID Recycler to reactivate the fuel again.

The pump will circulate the fuel over the tank. All fuel will be handled by the fuel homogenizer at the same skid.The fuel homogenizer will reduce fuel droplets size and make a homogeneous fuel.

Last week the Water Fuel Emulsion system on board Pacific Princess was commissioned. The systems will feed the engines equipped with Exhaust Gas Scrubbers. With the FID Injector there will be a significant reduction in particulate matter, soot and NOx. Water Fuel Emulsions will reduce the visible smoke.

IPCO Power receives new order to equip Sea Princess and Golden Princess with it's Water Fuel Emulsion system the FID Injector. The systems will be installed to assist the Ecospray exhaust gas scrubber to reduce particulate matter and soot emissions with at the same time a 2% fuel saving. ​

With the 2020 Sulphur cap the Sulphur limits on fuel will be reduced from 3,50% to 0,50%. Shipowners can take several options to comply:

• Operate on 0,50% Sulphur fuel
• Operate on LNG
• Continue on 3,50% Sulphur fuel, but use Exhaust Gas scrubbers to reduce SOx emissions

 
On a regular basis we currently receive questions if fuel homogenizer work on 2020 compliant fuel. It is important to understand that 2020 compliant fuel is only referring to 0,50% Sulphur. It does not mean that any other part of the specification of the fuel is improved. 
 
Fuel homogenizers have the highest improvement with HFO 180 – 700.
With the 0,50% Sulphur compliant fuel the viscosity of the fuel will be reduced, but still most of the used fuel will be above the HFO 180 grade.

As newest addition to Seabourn's fleet of cruise ships also the Seabourn Ovation is now equipped with IPCO's Water Fuel Emulsions systems. NOx reductions using water in fuel emulsions are significant; approximately 1% NOx reduction is achieved for every 1% injected water. The FID Injector (WFE) system is one of the simplest systems to reduce the particulate matter and soot emissions significantly. The system will target these emissions at the source, the fuel. The FID Injector has a small footprint and all necessary components are available inside the frame. 

Last week the IPCO WFE systems (FID Injector) on board P&O Oceana were commissioned. The systems will assist Carnival (Ecospray) AAQS (Advance Air Quality System) with  reducing NOx, soot and particulate matter. The WFE system will reduce these emissions and will reduce fuel consumption due to the combustion improvement. With a combustion improvement there will be less dirt inside scrubbers waste water.

IPCO Power proudly confirms Shalx Equipment and Engineering as it’s distributor and service partner for China. Shalx Equipment and Engineering concentrates to specialize in preventive and predictive maintenance solutions for all diesel engine types in the Marine, Offshore and Power Generation industries. 
 
With the additional of the IPCO Power Fuel Homogenizers Shalx can offer Sludge Reduction, Combustion Improvement and Water Fuel Emulsions systems again to its clients. 
 
Shalx Equipment and Engineering is based in Hong Kong and Shanghai. More information can be found on www.shalxee.com

IPCO Power receives new order to install WFE systems (FID Injector) on board Seabourn Ovation. With the new systems the whole fleet of Seabourn is covered with Water Fuel Emulsions. The system are installed to assist the on board scrubber systems in reducing the visible emissions and for combustion improvement.

With the upcoming sulphur cap there is more and more interest in scrubber systems. Especially now scrubber wash water is also cleaner as expected by many. ​Several manufacturers are supplying scrubbers. Most of the scrubbers consist of a wet package to remove the SOx out of the fuel and a dry package to as after treatment to remove the PM (Particulate Matter) for example. Those dry package filter are extremely big in size.

Our WFE (water in fuel) system the FID Injector can be used as a pre treatment on board. The water in fuel emulsion with the use of a homogenizer will create an better combustion. With the cleaner and better combustion your engine’s emissions will be reduced. You target the emissions before they are created.
With the FID Injector the PM will be reduced with 60 - 90%. Also every percentage injected water to the fuel will reduce the NOx with 1%.

A cleaner combustion will result in cleaner wash water.
Currently our Water Fuel Emulsion system is part of Carnival's AAQS

Last week the IPCO Power service team have visited HAL Amsterdam, Regal Princess, HAL Rotterdam and P&O Azura to check the on board installed Water Fuel Emulsions systems and install new parts. It is always nice to revisit earlier installed vessels and hear about the experience of the operators of the systems. HAL Rotterdam Water Fuel Emulsions systems will receive a major upgrade. They have been in operation since 2010. The WFE systems on board P&O Azura are still nice on a picture!