Vanadium and sodium are present in residual fuels and can cause engine damage when combined. Vanadium is naturally occurring in crude oil while sodium enters from seawater contamination. During combustion, vanadium and sodium oxidize and form low melting point salts that deposit on engine surfaces, causing corrosion and fouling. Maintaining low levels of vanadium and sodium in fuels and proper engine operation can help reduce these issues.
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Brief discussion of Vanadium and Sodium contamination to residual fuel
Vanadium and sodium are present in residual fuels and can cause engine damage when combined. Vanadium is naturally occurring in crude oil while sodium enters from seawater contamination. During combustion, vanadium and sodium oxidize and form low melting point salts that deposit on engine surfaces, causing corrosion and fouling. Maintaining low levels of vanadium and sodium in fuels and proper engine operation can help reduce these issues.
Vanadium and sodium are present in residual fuels and can cause engine damage when combined. Vanadium is naturally occurring in crude oil while sodium enters from seawater contamination. During combustion, vanadium and sodium oxidize and form low melting point salts that deposit on engine surfaces, causing corrosion and fouling. Maintaining low levels of vanadium and sodium in fuels and proper engine operation can help reduce these issues.
• A metal element that is present in an oil soluble form in all crude oil. • When combined with Sodium (Na) can cause engine damage. Sodium • Usual source of sodium is sea water contamination. • It can be 1% of sea water contains 100mg/kg (ppm) of sodium. • While fuels that are water free normally contains 1% to 50 mg/kg of sodium. • The amount of sodium removed will be directly proportional to the amount of water that can be removed in settling tanks by centrifugal treatment. What is wrong with Vanadium and Sodium? • High Temperature corrosion and fouling are phenomena that can be mainly attributed to the vanadium and sodium content of the oil. • Both elements (Na and V) oxidize during combustion and in series of complex chemical reactions form semi-liquid, it is a sticky low melting point salts that adhere to exhaust valves, piston crowns and turbocharges blade surfaces. What is Vanadium Pentoxide and Sodium Sulphate? • Due to result of oxidation Vanadium form:
Vanadium Oxide (VO)
Vanadium Dioxide (VO2)
• When this chemical reaction enter cooler areas of the combustion
chamber, or exhaust ducts. Gasses start to cool, condense and undergo further oxidation resulting in particles containing high proportion of Vanadium Pentoxide (V2O5) on the outer layers. Vanadium Pentoxide (V2O5) • Has relatively low melting point • The condensed particles become semi-liquid and sticky that results of adhering to the surfaces.
• Sodium in Residual Fuel reacts with the water vapor
formed during combustion and generate sodium hydroxide (NaOH). • Sodium Hydoxide + Sulfur Dioxide Sodium Sulphate (Na2SO4)
Condences below 890°C will
adhere to surface with vanadium pentoxide
Sodium hydroxide + Vanadium Pentoxide formation will result
to block gas passages and corrode metal surfaces. Ash Content • The ash values of a residual fuel oil is related to the inorganic material within, and it is the results of various factors: • ¾ of ashes in crude oil • ¾ of various streams in a refinery for the component of the fuel oil blending. • Or ¾ of the possible subsequent contamination due to sand, dirt and rust scale. • The main ash forming elements present in crude oil are: • Aluminum (Al), Iron (Fe), Nickel (Ni), Calcium (Ca), Silicon (Si),Sodium (Na) and Vanadium (V) Maximum vanadium levels defined in marine world specified in ISO 8217: • The main component of the ash forming elements contained in the fuel delivered to engines is usually VANADIUM (V). • Sodium was considered as the second highest contributor. • Vanadium (in ash form) will only reduce @ test temperature above 525°C. • The levels of vanadium found in residual fuels depend mainly to the crude oil source, while the actual level is also related to the concentrating effect of the refinery process used in production of the residual fuel. Ash Melting Points • Melting points of ashes vary greatly depending on ash constituents. • A sodium/vanadium ratio of 1:3 is frequently claimed to yield the lowest ash melting temperature. It is correct in two component of Na2So4/V2O5 ash complex. • The critical 1:3 Na/V ratio assumes increasing importance as the vanadium content of fuel oil rises, ash became rich with vanadium content. • At high levels of vanadium total ash burden will be greater. Effect of Ratio to Melting Point What it might do to the Engine? • Erosion - the wearing away of the metal by hot exhaust gases possibly initiated by the impacting of ash and carbon on the value.
• Fused Salt Corrosion – Na and V at high temp. form
corrosive fluxes, attacking and corroding exhaust valves, turbocharger nozzles and blades. The salts dissolve protective oxide layers facilitating the further gas phase oxidation. CIMAC suggest the following: Avoid fuel oils with vanadium content above 150 mg/kg Avoid exhaust gas temperatures above 550°C before turbocharger in order to minimize deposits of sodium- vanadium salts on turbocharger nozzle ring or turbine. Alternatively appropriate fuel oil additive can be used to increase the ash melting point temperature. Minimize the water content in the charging air by installation of an effective de-mister after the scavenging air cooler. Ensure that free saltwater in the fuel is remove by fuel treatment.