Tag Archives: fuel reclamation

fuel reclamation

A fuel and oil decoloration process is  needed to reinstate oil products to marketable condition.  Different contaminants have a great impact on the natural colour of oil products.  These contaminnants can get into the oil during transportation or storage as well as during operation.  In many cases it is the colour that allows you to assess the quality of fuel or oil, but it shouldn’t be taken for granted.  The following is a discussion of the basic purification technologies for oil products:

(1) Leaching.  This method is considered to be the simplest one and consists of processing oil with an alkali solution.  The alkali affects the organic acids in the oil.  The remains of the oxidative polymerization (petroleum resins) found in the oil product are the main disadvantage of this method.

Fuel and Oil Decoloration

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A fuel and oil decoloration process is  needed to reinstate oil products to marketable condition.  Different contaminants have a great impact on the natural colour of oil products.  These contaminnants can get into the oil during transportation or storage as well as during operation.  In many cases it is the colour that allows you to assess the quality of fuel or oil, but it shouldn’t be taken for granted.  The following is a discussion of the basic purification technologies for oil products:

(1) Leaching.  This method is considered to be the simplest one and consists of processing oil with an alkali solution.  The alkali affects the organic acids in the oil.  The remains of the oxidative polymerization (petroleum resins) found in the oil product are the main disadvantage of this method.

(2) Acid-Contact and Acid-Alkaline Purification.  The sulfuric acid is used as the main substance that interacts with unwanted contaminants.  It can destroy asphalt-resinous and unsaturated compounds.  Acid sludge is a by-product. The main advantage of this method is that the acid doesn’t influence cyclic hydrocarbons that are very important for oil products.

When the acid purification and separation of acid sludge are done, a resulted substance should be washed by an alkali water solution to destroy the residuals of the acid sludge.   The oil product is washed by water and is dried by steam or hot air at the final stage of purification.  A high flow of reagents however, is needed for oil purification.  Additionally, acid sludge is a quite toxic and dangerous waste product.  The large cluster of acid sludge also has a negative impact on the environment.

(3) Decoloration of Oil by Selective Solvents.  The distinctive feature of this method is the possibility to use selective solvents many times during the purification process.  Such chemical substances as “furfural” or “phenol” are mostly used to lighten oil.

In the course of selective purification, a special solvent dissolves contaminants and at the same time does not affect, or affects poorly, the “good” components of the oil product.

The solvent is mixed with contaminants and then separated from them during the sedimentation process.  A layer of oil, affected by the solvent, is processed by bleaching clay.  It is very important to find an optimal proportion between the oil and the solvent.  Additionally, the proper temperature is no less important during the process of purification.

Solvent pairs are used to improve the purification process of high viscosity residual oils.  One of them selectively dissolves contaminants and the other purifies the oil.

(4) The “Hydrogenezation” purification method has been widely used recently.  A certain pressure (up to 2 mPa) and the hydrogen being  heated to between 380ºC/716ºF and 400 ºС/752ºF is needed to carry out this process.

Particular attention should be paid to oil quality at low-temperatures.  Such processes as deasphaltizing and dewaxing are used to solve this problem.   They seek to remove compounds (with high chilling temperature) from the oil products.

(5) Liquid propane is needed to carry out the process of deasphaltizing. It is mixed with clean product in the ratio of 10 to 1 with the pressure from 2 to 4 mPa.  The process itself is carried out in a special stand of pipes.

(6) Dewaxing consists of the releasing of paraffins and ceresines from oil by cooling.  A solvent is added and the mixture is heated before cooling.  The temperature of heating should be at least 15ºC/59ºF to 20ºC/68ºF higher than the ambiant temperature of the oil.  The heating is needed for paraffins and ceresines to be completely dissolved.

A cooled mixture is subjected to filtering and centrifugal processes that allow for the leaving of congealed agents on the filters.  High fluid properties of oil processed in such a way help to start engines at low temperatures.

In summary, we will examine the following factors:

(1) From a technical point of view, some methods may not be utilized at small and medium sized oil facilities because of the complexity of the processes;

(2) According to the many local and international rules and regulations, waste oil products, should be subjected to proper disposal or regeneration;

(3) The delivery of contaminated oil/fuel to oil refineries requires great financial expenditures. It is desirable to have your own equipment for decoloration, filtration and purification of oil products.

Having years of experience in the development  and production of the oil purification equipment, GlоbeCоre has found the optimal solution to the problem.  The oil thermal vacuum purification system UVR helps to restore all performance characteristics of oil products necessary for further operation.

More than 70 countries of the world prefer GlobeCore branded equipment.  The GlobeCore oil stations have taken a leading position in the sphere of purification, decoloration and regeneration of oil products (diesel fuel, gasoline, transformer, turbine, industrial, and transmission oil) because of their cost effectiveness, ecofriendliness and high quality of the process.

Practical Guides for Drivers: How to Save Fuel

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There are many practical ways to increase the efficiency of your car and conserve fuel.  Nowadays, fuel conservation has gained significance because of the high prices of gasoline and Diesel fuel. Fuel conservation benefits not only the owner, but the car as well since using the car more efficiently will also bring the owner a longer and less expensive service  life for your prized automobile.  Here is a list of tips for the modern driver:

  • use a fuel efficient car;
  • reduce the weight of the car (get rid of all that junk in the trunk);
  • Close windows and run the air-conditioning, (open windows creat drag);
  • Properly inflate the tires to the correct pressure, (underinflation creates drag);
  • use only high quality fuel to prevent injector fouling;
  • do not warm up the engine, modern computer controlled engines do not need warm ups before driving;
  • clean your fuel system with an injector cleaner at every oil change;
  • do a regular car inspection;
  • do not idle your engine, shut it off if wating more than two minutes; and
  • try to use kinetic energy of the car in motion by coasting when possible.

Many autoparts stores sell fuel-saving devices.  Most of them are of little use and value and certainly do not inrease fuel economy in the modern automobile.  The main reason that these alleged fuel saving devices do not work is because of the modern computer controlled car.  Known as “Electronic Engine Controls,” (EEC) they are extemely efficient and the combustion process leaves very little or no unburned fuel behind.  If the combustion process is already near perfect, there is no way for an aftermarket fuel saving device to make it any better.

The main way to preserve the efficiency of the engine, is to make sure that the engine controls are properly maintained.  When the “Check Engine” light comes on, it needs to be determined by a qualified technician what if anything is wrong with the EEC in your car.

Drive carefully and Happy Motoring!

Methods of oil/fuel analysis

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Oil/fuel analysis is a series of laboratory tests used to evaluate the condition of lubricants and equipment components. By studying the results of the oil analysis tests, a determination of equipment/component condition can be made.
The inspection or analysis of lubricating oil has been used to check and evaluate the internal condition of oil-lubricated equipment since the beginning of the industrial age. Today, oil analysis programs use modern technology and laboratory instruments to determine equipment condition and lubricant serviceability. Oil analysis uses state of the art equipment and techniques to provide the user with invaluable information leading to greater equipment reliability.
If you understand all aspects of oil analysis you should reap the benefits that many companies get from a well-engineered, reliability-focused oil analysis program.

oil analysis by GlobeCore

There exist a lot of different methods to analyze fuels and oils. For example, there is ASTM in North America or IEC TC10 in worldwide and Europe.

Standard oil analyses include four tests:
Spectral exam:
In the spectral exam, you need take a portion of your oil sample and run it through a machine called a spectrometer. The spectrometer analyzes the oil and tells you the levels of the various metals and additives that are present in the oil. This gives you a gauge of how much your engine is wearing.

Insolubles test:
The insolubles test measures the amount of abrasive solids that are present in the oil. The solids are formed by oil oxidation (when the oil breaks down due to the presence of oxygen, accelerated by heat) and blow-by past the rings. This test tells you how good a job the oil filter is doing, and to what extent the oil has oxidized.

Viscosity test:
The viscosity measures the grade, or thickness, of the oil. Whether it’s supposed to be a 5W/30, 15W/40, or some other grade, we will know (within a range) what the viscosity should be. If your viscosity falls outside that range, there’s probably a reason: the oil could have been overheated or contaminated with fuel, moisture, or coolant.

Flash Point test:
The Flash Point test measures the temperature at which vapors from the oil ignite. For any specific grade of oil, we know what temperature the oil should flash at. If it flashes at or above that level, the oil is not contaminated. If the oil flashes off lower than it should, then it’s probably been contaminated with something. Fuel is the most common contaminant in oil.
Analysis of insulation liquid requires an array of physical and chemical test parameters.

Physical tests Chemical tests Electric tests
interfacial tension,
settling temperature,
viscosity,
color etc.		 water content,
acidity,
oxidation of inhibitor and PCB content		 dielectric breakdown voltage test,
power factor

Other tests (the most important) also include the following:

DGA gas chromatography test – used for analysis of transformer oil, which helps to diagnose electric equipment condition. The DGA is now a standard in service industry worldwide, and is thought to be the most important test of insulation liquids in electrical equipment. This test is in accordance to ASTM D3612 or IEC 60567.

FID flame ionization detector – used for determine gas concentration, and thermal conductivity detector (TCD). Most of these systems also use methanizer, which transforms any carbon oxide or dioxide into methane and then detects the gas by a very sensitive FID.

Vapor phase method (ASTM D3612C) is a new method, approved about a year ago. This method has been used for dissolved gas analysis for almost a decade. However, the technology has become a standard only several years ago, when Jocelyn Jalbert of Hydro-Quebec improved the vapor phase method using Hewlett Packard instruments (now Agilent Technologies).

The second method involves injection of a certain volume of gas into a clean sealed vacuum vessel. The sample is then sealed and agitated until equilibrium between vapor and gas is reached. After a certain period of time, an automatic sampler removes a part of the gas from the test vessel and injects it into the GC (gas chromatographer). The advantage of the method is that it can be automated, reducing the risk of operator error while handling the sample in the process of preparation and injection.

Liquid chromatography is one of the most dynamically developing analytical methods today. It is used to determine the content of furan derivatives and additives in transformer oil, increasing diagnostic accuracy. Derivatives of the pentatomic heterocyclic compound furan, are selective products of thermochemical destruction and aging of cellulose, which is a component of the oil impregnated paper insulation. The content, dynamic of formation and ratio are the criteria of insulation condition. If more than 15 mg of furan compounds are detected in the oil of operating equipment, regular and extensive monitoring of insulation degradation is required. Furfurol content can also be determined by express analysis, based on color reaction of furfurol with acetic anhydride.

IR-spectrometry (content of Ionol additive) – allows obtaining information on additives, aromatic and acidic compounds content, and can indicate the oil’s type if required. Using IR-spectrometry in combination with high efficiency liquid chromatography facilitates solution of nearly all analytical problems, related to the need of identifying various chemicals in the oil. This can be very important when diagnosing electrical equipment.

Thin-layer chromatography can detect the content of ionol additive. The TLC method is simple and inexpensive in terms of required equipment.

The above shows that modern methods of oil quality control combined with traditional diagnostic methods can significantly increase accuracy and efficiency of complex electric equipment tests.