Cat fines and engine wear, Part 1

A new regulatory regime, which comes into force at the start of 2020, will bring sweeping changes to the variety and
availability of marine fuels around the world. For ship operators, running engines reliably and safely will inevitably
require greater understanding and more sophisticated fuel handling strategies than today. The scale of the coming
challenge is – even now – impossible to accurately predict. But the success that ship operators have in avoiding
problems will in large part come down to the actions they take in the coming months.

Fuels in flux
On 1 January 2020, the global shipping industry will enter the low-sulphur era, in what will be the industry’s biggest
regulatory upheaval since the MARPOL 73/78 conventions, and one of the biggest operational changes it has ever faced.
From that day, all shipping will need to comply with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) strict 0.50 percent
(mass/mass) limit on sulphur in fuels.
The 0.50 percent limit is considerably lower than the current 3.50 percent limit introduced in 2012 and is in addition to
the 0.10 percent limit in Emission Control Areas (ECA). While the IMO rightly describes the new limit as a victory for the
environment and human health, for the shipping industry, it is shaping up as a major headache. Because, unfortunately,
removing an environmental hazard means introducing a mechanical one, namely cat fines – tiny particles that, if not
caught, can wreak havoc on engines.
Marine fuel oil has never been what one could describe as a glamorous substance. Starting from crude oil, refiners distil
and extract high-value products from the top of the distillate column. From gases and gasoline, down through aviation
fuel and diesel, then lubricating oils, until what is left – a thick, black residue – is used to power ships and make bitumen.
It’s not pretty, but it has literally helped create the modern world.
The problem with sulphur
When engines burn fossil fuels, they release sulphur oxides (SOx), which, in the atmosphere, contribute to a range of
health and environmental problems, such as respiratory disease in people and animals, and soil and water acidification.
Sulphur occurs naturally in all crude oil and is found in higher concentrations in the highest-boiling residual fractions of
the distillation process. This means that from the start of 2020, fuel production will need to change to better deal with
that sulphur, and ship operators will face more complex fuel choices than ever before.
Ships running liquid natural gas (LNG) will have no problems complying – but LNG ships make up a small fraction of the
global fleet, and are expected to stay that way for decades, due to high investment costs and lack of supply
infrastructure. Many other ships will continue to burn high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO), relying on scrubber technology to
clean their exhaust gases to a compliant level. But for the majority of the fleet, 2020 and beyond will mean choosing
from a growing range of low-sulphur distillates, blends, and – to a lesser extent – new fuels made from vegetable oils.
2020 changes everything
Each new type of fuel will introduce a range of operational and economic variables to consider. Exploring all of those
variables is the subject of a separate article, though it’s worth noting broadly that variations in viscosity, lubricity, and
temperature have profound implications for the safe, reliable operation of the engines, pumps, and other equipment.
Spotlight on cat fines
But of all the variables present in the low sulphur era, perhaps the most potentially damaging is the presence of cat
fines. While cat fines have long been a known but manageable fact of life for shipping, the coming low-sulphur era will
put a new spotlight on them as a growing risk factor for ships’ engines and operators’ budgets.
So, what are they?
How cat fines are formed
Modern refineries first use atmospheric and vacuum distillation to remove the most volatile, higher-value products
from the top of the distillation column. They then “crack” the remaining crude oil into its various fractions using thermal
and catalytic processes. In catalytic cracking, the refiner adds physical catalysts to break the oil molecules.
The catalysts used are various forms of synthetic crystalline zeolites – mineral compounds of aluminium and silicon that
are highly porous and extremely hard.
Catalysts are expensive, and refineries recover and reuse what they can. But beyond a certain point, it’s no longer
practical – nor is there economic incentive – for the refinery to try harder. Cat fines are the particles that get left behind.
They remain in the bunker fuel. And they are pumped into your ships.
Setting fuel standards
Marine fuel specifications are set by the international standard ISO 8217 which limits the cat fine concentration in
bunker fuel. Fuel produced under the current version of the standard is limited to 60 parts per million (ppm). This limit
is fundamentally a compromise – if it were set any lower, global supply of bunker oils could no longer be secured. But
even at 60 ppm, cat fines pose a major problem for engines, and manufacturers, such as MAN and Wärtsilä, recommend
that fuel entering the engines should have cat fine concentrations of 15 ppm or lower.
The nature of cat fines
Physically, cat fines are irregular in shape and, in bunker fuel, vary from sub-micron size up to around 100 μm – roughly
speaking, from the size of a speck of dust up to the width of human hair. Their density also varies but is generally slightly
higher than that of heavy fuel oil (HFO). Larger cat fines will settle in oil, but small particles with low densities will not.
Of all cat fines’ physical properties, though, the most problematic for ships is hardness. Cat fines are extremely hard –
measuring up to 8.2 on the Mohs scale, where diamond is 10 – and easily capable of scratching and becoming
embedded in steel surfaces.
The damage they do
When cat fines make it through an injector, they can become trapped between the cylinder lining and the piston ring,
a gap of around 3-5 μm. Any particle larger than that can cause abrasion. With every stroke of the piston, the cat fine
will be ground through the smooth surfaces, carving tracks that build up over time. Fuel pumps, injectors, valves, and
other components are also at risk. And even the smaller particles can do significant damage.
It’s tempting to think of this type of abrasive damage as normal long-term mechanical wear and tear. And in many
cases, that may be all it amounts to. But cat fines in high concentrations can also cause acute, catastrophic damage in
a remarkably short period.
One report available online describes a cat fine attack that crippled an engine in only 100 hours of use. When the engine
was stripped down, engineers found “all pistons and liners were totally destroyed and had to be changed”.
It goes without saying that damage of this nature is extremely expensive, with reports of claims running from USD
300,000 to USD 1.5 million. This in turn makes cat fines not only a problem for operators, but also a major concern for
the insurance market.
A sleeping problem that’s waking up
Cat fines are not a new problem. Catalytic cracking became widespread in the 1970s, as rising oil prices forced refiners
to extract more valuable products from their crude. As a result, the first reports of cat fine damage began to flow in the
1980s. While it is always a challenge to remove cat fines at sea, the on-board equipment to reduce contamination levels
(which we will discuss in Part 2 of this article is based on mature, well-understood technologies.
Unfortunately, this familiarity has led to a certain level of complacency in the industry. If, as expected, cat fine
contamination becomes more prevalent post 2020, this complacency could prove extremely costly to operators who
don’t update their knowledge and practices.
A recent article in Marine Propulsion should be enough to shock many operators into paying fresh attention. The article
cited an ExxonMobil analysis of more than 400,000 oil samples, which revealed that 43% of vessels have a potentially
catastrophic issue with cat fines. Even if only a fraction of those potential problems is realized, it’s still serious money,
time, and disruption at stake.
It has also been reported that in a three-year period, MAN’s PrimeServ team found that cat fines were implicated in
190 of 226 cases (84 percent) of cylinder liner damage.
As we described above, cat fines are a by-product of cracking and sulphur removal. The more that oils are cracked and
sulphur is removed, the higher the cat fine level. As Paul Hill of Braemar has succinctly expressed, “It is a fundamental
trade-off between the engine and the environment. You cannot have low sulphur and low cat fines.”
With the OPEC World Oil Outlook 2040 forecasting that 138m million tonnes per year of additional cracking capacity
will be added between 2017–2022, we can be sure of considerably more cat fines entering the world’s bunkers.
Adding to the problem of higher cat fine levels, anecdotal observations suggest new catalysts coming into production
are producing even harder cat fines making their way into fuel. And if that wasn’t bad enough, low sulphur fuels also
tend to be less lubricating than heavy oils, meaning that abrasion is exacerbated.
A side effect of the current sulphur caps is that cat fines levels – and associated damage –have significantly increased.
The step-up to 2020 compliance could raise the problem to a whole new level. Lloyd’s Register’s Fuel Oil Bunkering
Analysis and Advisory Service (FOBAS) monitors bunker quality at ports around the world and issues alerts when
problems arise. Operators should, of course, pay close attention to these and other reports. But it’s vital to note that
cat fine damage can occur even when fuel is fully compliant with ISO 8217.
What this all adds up to is that an old problem is taking on new dimensions. In Part 2 of our cat fines discussion, we’ll
look at the solutions and discuss how operators will need to step up their game or face significant costs.

Cat fines and engine wear, Part 2

In Part 1 of our cat fines discussion we described the nature of the cat fines problem and the
growing threat it will pose in the coming low-sulphur era. Now we turn our attention to how
owners and operators will need to combine established technologies with updated knowledge
and practices to ensure the safety of their ships.

Separation basics
At bunkering, fuel is pumped into a ship’s storage tank, and from there transferred into the settling tanks (enough to
support 24-48 hours of operation at a time). Small quantities of some larger cat fines will settle under gravity in the
tanks, but not enough to protect the engine – and rough seas can send contaminants back up through the fuel.
From the settling tank, fuel is then passed through a separator. Separators – also known as purifiers –spin the cat fines,
water, and other contaminants out of the fuel, which then flows to a service tank before being conditioned and pumped
into the engine. Separators may be configured individually or in parallel, and it’s critical to match the size of the
separators to the needs of the engines they serve.
The density, viscosity, feed flow rate, and temperature of the fuel are all critical factors in determining the effectiveness
of the separator. As the available choice of fuels changes in the low-sulphur era, crews will need to maintain a much
higher level of understanding than they have been able to get away with up to now.
Going with the flow
The rate at which fuel flows through a separator is closely linked to the efficiency of the separation. Put simply,
decreasing the flow, increases the efficiency, allowing the centrifuge more opportunity to remove particles.
Traditionally, separator flow was set at 100 percent of the engine’s maximum fuel consumption, plus an added safety
margin. But ships rarely run at 100 percent capacity, especially as slow steaming becomes more common. Therefore,
as described in CIMAC paper 51 on on-board fuel cleaning, “there is a large potential for increasing the separation
efficiency by applying automatic flow control in relation to the actual fuel consumption”. In fact, not only does flow
control increase separator efficiency, it also improves fuel economy.
Known unknowns
Complicating fuel separation in the low-sulphur era will be the as-yet-unknown qualities of the new fuels that will enter
the market, and the blending of fuels.
It is certain that cat fines will be present in new fuel blends produced post 2020 (including renewable fuels), and
operators will need to be diligent in testing to know what they are dealing with. Beyond contamination, the stability
and potential incompatibility of new fuels will need to be closely monitored to prevent sludge from forming, which can
create many problems in the engine room, including reduced separation efficiency.
The need for expertise
What this all adds up to is a greater need than ever before for knowledge and expertise in fuel treatment. And this need
applies to the design of the engine room, the training of the crews, and the quality of service support.
Designing and building
At the design stage, ship owners and operators need to think beyond commodity solutions for high cat-fine conditions.
Ship designers should consider the separators not as standalone units but as part of system, complemented by properly
configured settling tanks, flow control mechanisms, thermal controls, and more. A systems approach means not leaving
crucial engine protection decisions up to the shipyard, but instead taking the lead in specifying the full fuel line.
Crewing and training
Both at bunker and at sea, tomorrow’s crews will need the skills and understanding to handle a great range of variables.
However, a recent Lloyd’s List Business Briefing highlighted that the industry faces a shortage of skilled crews
worldwide. As Iain White, global marketing manager, Fuels and Lubricants for ExxonMobil explained: “We run a number
of technical programs helping ship owners manage their engines and their equipment and increasingly we find that the
engineering crews on the ship don’t understand how to run the equipment that they’ve already got.”
“Training is very much part of your risk management strategy,” said White. “You’ve already paid for the kit; you might
as well learn how to use it right.”
Testing, monitoring, and servicing
No matter how good the design and build of a system, regular and responsive maintenance is a must. To start with,
crews will increasingly rely on testing – both in labs, and to the extent possible, on board – to understand the
characteristics and needs of their new fuels.
In operation, because of the wider variety of fuels, and the greater risk of contamination, more careful monitoring will
be necessary.
Regular cleaning of tanks and separators is vital, as rough seas can stir up settled cat fine sludge and overwhelm the
separators.
In addition to spotting problems with the fuel itself, crews will need to be alert to the warning signs of damage to
equipment and machinery. In the case of cat fines (and other problems), some of the key indicators that serious damage
is already occurring are lower pressure, sump contamination, and drops in engine efficiency. Immediate response to
these signs can help mitigate further damage and costs.
Equipment that is easily serviced on board by crews helps ensure swift reaction, but when problems exceed the crews’
expertise, it’s essential to have rapid access to skilled, knowledgeable service technicians anywhere in the world.
Where to now?
As we sail into low-sulphur era, the risks of high-cat-fine fuels present a challenge for the industry as a whole. Much
good work is already being done to raise awareness, such as the CIMAC-51 paper noted above, and the Cat Fines –
Guidance Notes of Lloyd’s Joint Hull Committee, not to mention regular reports in industry news sources.
We really are all in the same boat on this issue, so continuing an active and open dialogue on cat fines can only benefit
the entire global fleet.
Operating guidance for dealing with aluminum and silicon levels above 60ppm
Introduction
We are offering this technical topic to help explain ISO specification 8217 for Marine Fuel Oil, which
stipulates 60 ppm for aluminium and silicon combined as a maximum level, taking into account the
reproducibility of the test method. In some circumstances, using marine fuel with aluminium and silicon
content — referred to as catalytic (cat) fines — above acceptable levels may be unavoidable. In these
circumstances, the following guidance may be of use for removing cat fines using the ship’s fuel oil system.
Bunker storage tanks
Cat fines have a higher density than the fuel oil medium they are contained within. They will readily settle if
water is not present. To aid settling, maintain bunker tank storage temperatures at 45 degrees Celsius.
Ensure tank temperatures do not exceed 55°C to avoid approaching the lower limit flash point of 60°C as
stipulated in ISO 8217.
Settling tanks
Cat fines are hydrophilic and emulsify readily on contact with water. Removal efficiency falls as water
content increases.

• Maintain settling tank temperature above 85°C to aid settling and water content removal.
• If a two-settling tank system is available, utilize both tanks on a rotational basis to extend the settling
time for the fuel oil product.
• Ensure strict housekeeping so that settling tanks are drained at regular intervals when operating on
high-cat-fine-content fuel (draining every two hours may be required).

Fine backwashing/self-cleaning filter

• Avoid inappropriate operation of the fine backwashing filter.

• Avoid bypassing filters; typically, this is your engine’s last line of defence.
• It is recommended that backwash oil not be recycled or reused.

Purifiers

• Do not stir or homogenise fuel oil upstream of purifiers.

• Ensure purifier inlet temperature is maintained at 95°C.
• Manage purifier throughput rates to try to achieve a quarter of the machine’s rated throughput or less.
At this throughput, independent tests have shown that purifiers can achieve 80 per cent removal
efficiency on average.
• Operate purifiers in parallel. This will improve the removal rate as it increases the residence time of
the oil within the purifier bowl. Even with multiple purifiers operating in parallel, reduce their
throughput to the level that is just sufficient to keep pace with the engines’ fuel consumption.

Average differences in removal rates:

• Single unit = 70 per cent efficiency
• Two units in series = 80 per cent efficiency
• Two units in parallel = 85 per cent efficiency

• Take samples of fuel oil at the purifier inlet and outlet. This will show purifier efficiency and will give
an indication of the level of cat fines introduced to the engine pre-filter.
Service tank

• Maintain service tank temperature above 90°C to aid settling and water content removal.
• Ensure strict housekeeping so that service tanks are drained at regular intervals when operating on
high-cat-fine-content fuel (draining every two hours may be required).

Operational problems

• If removal is unsuccessful, a high level of cat fines may be introduced to the fine backwash filter,
causing it to go into continuous back flush mode.
• Reduce engine power until the filter can cope with the level of contamination and remain online.
• Note: Bypassing the filter will introduce contaminated fuel to the engine, which may cause wear to the
fuel injection system and the cylinder components of the engine.

Other advice

• If correctly operated, the ship’s fuel oil system is effective at removing significant levels of cat fines.
• Ensure that fuel oil sludge drains are not recycled for diesel engine consumption via the settling tank.
• Cat fine content can be reduced by blending in fuel oil with a lower cat fine content.
• Resultant cat fine content will be based on the sum of the cat fine contents against the blend ratio.