Fuel Oil Flashcards

Crude Oil Overview

• Crude oil is a hydrocarbon, composed of hydrogen and carbon.
• The refining process aims to eliminate unwanted elements and particles from crude oil.

Types of Crude Oil

• Crude oil is classified into three groups: paraffins, naphthenes, and aromatics.
• Characteristics of crude oil, such as boiling temperature, viscosity, and density, are determined by its atomic structure.

Products from Crude Oil

• Crude oil can be processed into various products including fuel, lubricants, and solvents.

Refining Process

• The refining process separates crude oil into different fractions or grades via distillation, which involves evaporation and condensation.
• Refining methods include primary processes (e.g., straight run process) and secondary processes such as thermal cracking, vacuum distillation, visbreaking, and catalytic cracking.

Distillation and Residuals

• Distillation produces typical oil distillates ranging from propane to lubricating base oil, each with a specific boiling point.
• Common oil residuals include heavy oil, bitumen, tar, and carbon black.

Fractionation Tower

• A fractionation tower is utilized to heat crude oil, where vapors are boiled off and condensed at various temperatures.

Catalysts and Catalytic Cracking

• A catalyst is a substance that accelerates chemical processes without undergoing change itself.
• Catalytic cracking employs silica-alumina based catalysts and heat to produce lighter fractions.

Catalytic Fines

• Catalytic fines, abrasive particles from catalytic cracking, can damage fuel injectors and other engine components.

Fuel Properties

• Fuel physical properties influence safe handling, storage, and effective delivery to engine combustion chambers.
• Fuel chemical properties determine energy content, combustion by-products, and environmental impacts.

ISO 8217 Standard

• ISO 8217 outlines international fuel types and grades, providing guidelines on characteristics and testing limits for each grade.

Distillate Fuel Grades

• The four grades of distillate fuel are DMX, DMA, DMB, and DMC.

Fuel Specifications

• ISO 8217 details various fuel properties including health and safety considerations, density, flash point, and viscosity among others.

Health Hazards

• Residual fuel oil and used engine oil may contain carcinogenic poly aromatic hydrocarbons and can cause skin issues upon contact.

Safety Information

• The Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seamen provides key health and safety information onboard ships.
• Suppliers must provide safety information and precautions as mandated by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Consumer Protection Act 1987.

Engine Performance

• Ambient conditions affect engine-specific fuel consumption and performance.
• Key ambient condition parameters include inlet air temperature, seawater temperature, barometric pressure, and humidity.