BioFlex project – test fuel supply unit for VTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland)
What is the BioFlex Project?
There is a need for alternative and renewable fuels for marine sector. Every effort must be made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and bio-oils will play a significant role in this battle going forward.
Some of the bio-oil properties are challenging and various aspects need to be researched for safe and trouble-free adaption of bio-oils as marine fuel.
The purpose of the BioFlex project was to bring together all available knowledge from its collaboration network to determine the most ecologically and economically sustainable way to replace fossil fuels. The project focused on production of sustainable storable liquid fuels for flexible power generation and marine transport.
The BioFlex is a three-year (2020-2023) collaborative project between Business Finland, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and the participating companies Auramarine, Fortum, Neste, Pohjanmaan Hyötyjätekuljetus, Polartek, St1, Valmet, Meriaura and Wärtsilä.
Auramarine’s role in the project has been to provide an advanced fuel supply unit for testing of the various fuels. Having developed its first biofuel-ready fuel supply units early in the 2010’s, the BioFlex project provides Auramarine a perfect opportunity to co-explore further into this direction together with expert companies along the entire value chain. Auramarine designed and manufactured the new fuel supply unit for BioFlex project Work Package WP6 fuel test with biofuels. Due to the properties of biofuels, which differ from those of conventional fuels, specific materials and the correct filtering were required in the design phase of a fuel supply unit to ensure it is prepared for the use of bio-oils.
In practise, every element of material used in a fuel supply system must be scrutinised and examined to ensure a safe environment for the fuel and enhance confidence of the operators both in stationary and marine applications.
Main achievements of the BioFlex project
Biofuels were tested with VTT’s medium speed engine (Wärtsilä Vasa 4R32) in Work Package 6 in two batches and two engine modes. The first test run was with VGMEF (VG Marine EcoFuel) biofuel provided by Meriaura and light fuel oil as reference. The engine compression ratio (CR) was low (CR: 12) and dual fuel (DF) injectors with cooled nozzle tips were in use. The results were comparable with the reference except that some carbon deposit was found on the fuel injector nozzle tips after VGMEF run. The deposit was on the hotter area of the nozzle tip indicating that injector nozzle tip cooling might be beneficial with the product.
The second patch of biofuels was tested with the engine in high compression ratio (CR: 14.3) mode and with uncooled single fuel injectors. The fuels were: DMB (distillate marine diesel) reference, 10% stabilized and hydrotreated (SDPO) FPBO blended with DMB, and MBP-OU (biofuel from Meriaura. 10 mass-% SDPO was blended to DMB at VTT. After blending, some sediment separated at the bottom of IBCs (fuel containers) used. SDPO blend seemed to boil and cavitate in the feeder / booster unit during the test. This disturbed fuel mass flow measurement and prevented reaching of target fuel pressures in the feeder booster unit.
Results of these two fuels were comparable to the reference. FSN (filter smoke number) of MBP-OU was very low but particulate matter (PM) emissions were rather near reference.
Biofuels have been in marine use for years, but in order to apply them for a wider marine market, there is a need to develop fuels that have more consistent quality and that can be standardised for marine use.
The BioFlex project generated new data such as novel information on the upgraded fast pyrolysis bio-oil, feasible analytical methods for quality control and information for further improvements on quality.
Auramarine Fuel Supply Unit for BioFlex project
Auramarine fuel supply unit was installed at VTT test lab in summer 2022, and it was in use during engine testing of the second patch of biofuels. ”The new Auramarine fuel supply unit is better optimised for biofuels and general fuel testing than the one that VTT previously had” says Anja Oasmaa, Senior Principal Scientist, Principal Investigator at VTT.
The Auramarine fuel supply unit AMB-L-05-E-LT-P-F1 comprises filters, pumps, control valves, fuel consumption meters, fuel mixing pipe, cooler, heater, flow meter and viscosity measurement system.
Because the unit will serve fuel testing purposes, special attention has been paid to its sensoring and monitoring features. The suction, pressure and temperature control functions are equipped with sensors and the measured values are transmitted to the unit’s logic component and subsequently hardwired to the test laboratory’s data system to provide reliable reports.
The operations are steered from a HMI touch control panel.
Fuel heating and cooling arrangements have been designed to meet the features of various biofuels, to enable the unit to serve its testing purpose in the best possible way. (The fuel pump motor is provided with additional ventilation to ensure motor cooling in variable frequency drive control). A changeover valve allows for smooth switching between fuels to be tested.
The fuel feeder pump is steered with variable frequency drive to ensure optimum running speed control.
Due to the installation location, the cooling water intake is designed to utilise municipal water supply.
The unit is designed and manufactured to the requirements of biofuels, both from materials and functions point of view, utilising Auramarine’s long experience and knowledge about what is required when dealing with biofuels.
The unit enabled the Bioflex project to test and verify the properties and suitability of the various fuels chosen to the program. Auramarine will elaborate the project results for the benefit of its clients and continues to develop products to support the growing uptake of biofuels.
