Marine fuel often has to be low-grade heavy oil with a high-sludge content because of bunkering location limitations and cost considerations. This means that purification has to be highly efficient. The Super Clarifier developed by Tomoe Engineering is a mechanism that separates sludge in oil, removes its oil content, and continuously discharges relatively oil-free sludge. This greatly contributes to efficient purification of fuel oil and to successful ship operation.
Mechanism
The Super Clarifier is a centrifuge capable of continuous solid-liquid separation. Fuel oil fed to the clarifier is subjected to a centrifugal force of 3,200 × G. The sludge in the oil settles on the inner wall of the rotating cylinder and is scraped by a screw conveyor rotating at a slightly slower speed than the rotating cylinder.
The sludge is continuously discharged from the sludge outlet as it is cleared of oil. The purified oil is discharged out of the clarifier through a dam (purified oil outlet) arranged opposite to the sludge outlet.
Separating Performance
When low-grade heavy oil (1F380) is supplied to the Super Clarifier in its standard treating volume, particles of 5 microns and above are removed at a high rate, and the load on the separating plate centrifuge used in the later stage of the Super Clarifier is significantly alleviated.
Standard specifications
Volcano Co., Ltd.
VOLCANO Bilge Concentration System
Water leaks, oil leaks, drain water, and waste oil generated on-board drop to the bottom of ships and become bilge. Because this bilge contains oil, it would contaminate the sea if it were discharged into the sea without treatment.
In conventional bilge treatment methods, the oil is separated by a filtering process, before discharging into the sea. This, however, is getting more difficult to meet the requirements of the MARPOL 73/78 Convention and other regulations which will be increasingly tightened as the 21st century approaches. For better treatment and environmental protection, a fundamentally superior system is needed-one that costs less, requires less energy, and requires less maintenance work. Such a new treatment system should be also be designed for use aboard small coasting vessels.
The Volcano bilge concentration system BILCON- X(iks) was developed to meet these needs. It reduces outboard discharge to zero by utilizing on-board waste heat sources to evaporate the moisture of the bilge and diffusing it into the atmosphere. Many units of this fully automatic closed system, have been delivered, and users have expressed full satisfaction.
