CLEANING OF LOW-GRADE HEAVY FUEL OIL. THE EFFECTS OF INCREASING DENSITY

The most important change in the quality of heavy fuel oil from the cleaning point of view is the increase in density. The maximum density for practical operation with purifiers is now generally acknowledged as 991 kg/cum at 15 degC. This paper explains the reasons for the new density limit and summarizes a joint Alfa-Laval and Sulzer R & D project concerning the handling and use of low-grade heavy fuel oil. The initial work on the separation efficiencies of clarifiers vs purifiers has revealed certain limitations to the use of clarifiers for cleaning high density heavy fuel oils.