For Optimum Diesel Fuel Fit Algae-X
The Foreplay at moorings in Durban’s Yacht mole
Foreplay gets intimate with Algae-X Visitors to Durban’s yacht mole will no doubt have cast envious eyes on Foreplay, a Ferretti 85 Foot Luxury motor cruiser built in Italy that starts most people dreaming of exotic locations and blue water.
highest standard. With these high tech engines the manufacturers insist on clean diesel, not fuel that is contaminated with a build up of bacteria and algae, which can rapidly damage the sensitive fuel injectors and pumps. We stipulated that we require optimum diesel fuel quality.”
Beneath the sleek exterior, oak panelled lounge and dining room and five en suite bedrooms fit for kings After looking for a lies the business cost effective end of the yacht – permanent solutwin MTU 1500 tion to ensure HP diesel enthe fuel going gines capable of into this state-ofthrusting the luxthe-art cruiser is ury queen of the of a high stanAn LG-X unit is fitted to oceans forward at dard he elected Foreplay’s genset in the a speed of 34 spacious engine compartment to do what most knots. leading US luxury boat builders and leading marine Foreplay’s captai Wyndham Tops engine manufacturers do. Fit and who is also the agent for Forerecommend Algae-X fuel condimost Yacht Sales said: “We visit a tioning technology which is dislot of harbours up and down tributed by CFT the Southern Southern Africa’s Coast and as African Distributor of the US you can imagine, at some places based product range. contd on page 2 the diesel fuel is not always of the
February 2007
Inside Van Tonder Transport Services celebrates 15 million trouble-free kilometres with Algae-X — page 4
Genmatics fits Algae-X to heavy duty Gensets — cutting downtime and increasing reliability—page 3
Clean diesel fuel essential for reliable emergency generators
With the frequent power failures in South Africa which are set to continue indefinitely and will worsen with the onset of winter, the dependency on emergency standby power generators increases considerably.
The engine room of the Foreplay where Lauge Steenfeldt-Kristensen was busy installing Algae-X technology to the fuel system that powers the twin MTU 1500 HP diesel engines.
Foreplay gets intimate with Algae-X contd from page 1
Not satisfied with only fitting LG-X in line units for the two engines, Captain Tops also requested that the technology be fitted to the two gensets which maintain a clean current of 220 volts throughout the luxury yacht. As a final precaution a fifth LG-X unit was fitted to the recycling pump. Mr Lauge Steenfeldt-Kristensen who runs Algae-X East Coast which fitted the LG-X units to Foreplay, says all the diesel used on board the yacht will run through an LG-X unit before bypassing the fuel injectors and pumps. “You can run the most up to date motors with the most sophisticated filtration systems, but you’ll still run the risk of damaging the sensitive bits by using contaminated diesel. Filters although a vital component are unable to reverse the natural
deterioration process that diesel fuel suffers from. It is this deteriorated fuel that causes damage to diesel engines especially in our marine environments.” He notes that with uncontaminated diesel, the engines’ lifespan will be prolonged as the wear and tear is reduced dramatically through the use of Algae-X technology. At the same time the risk of engine failure at sea is minimised. Other important and cost saving benefits that optimum diesel fuel quality brings is a reduction in dirty exhaust emissions and fuel consumption( between 3-6%) which is substantial when one considers that at full throttle her 6000 litre tank will be depleted in 12 hours.
Foreplay’s Captain Wyndham Tops: “clean fuel is essential”
However, because generators are idle while the power is on, the diesel fuel in the tanks and storage facilities becomes contaminated through a number of causes and are the primary reasons for injector, pump and ultimately engine failures. A case in point was Durban’s Albert Luthuli Hospital where the diesel in the storage tanks used to run the hospital’s standby generators had become emulsified as a result of water seepage creating bacterial breeding grounds. Had evasive action not been taken timeously, the generators could well have failed. Ron Mattig, MD of Clear Fuel Technologies, the importer of Algae-X, a diesel decontamination technology, explained that standby generators are particularly susceptible to diesel deterioration due to their long periods of infrequent use. “Most organisations spend large amounts ensuring that their standby equipment is maintained to the highest standard, but neglect the vital aspect that engines require good quality fuel to operate efficiently. “Good quality fuel is the essential component for standby power engines and Algae-X is the technology that reconditions decontaminated fuel. Algae-X has designed and developed technologies to maintain optimum diesel fuel quality not only in standby generator environments, but across the entire spectrum of diesel-powered engines.”
NPA minimises environmental impact, prolongs engine life with diesel decontaminator technology Left: Before & after samples of the Nonoti’s diesel Right: sludge is removed from the tug’s tanks using the Algae-X Mobile Tank Cleaning system
The National Ports Authority (NPA) has brought the tug Nonoti back into service to meet the growing demand of container and general traffic in Durban harbour. Whilst the tug was temporarily out of service, the stored diesel fuel in her bunkers had deteriorated to the extent that in needed to be replaced as the use of it it would be harmful to the engines. Simultaneously, the black smoke emitted from the funnels would be detrimental to the environment which the NPA is committed to going to great lengths to protect. Explaining that diesel fuel has a limited shelf life and is prone to natural deterioration which occurs when fuel is stored for lengthy periods of time - Lauge Steenfeldt-Kristensen of Algae-X East Coast, says the fuel agglomerates (gathers into a mass or disorderly clusters) resulting in poor combustibility and filterability, which leads to premature engine failure and expensive downtime and higher emissions. “There are two options available. One is to discard the fuel outright and manually clean the tank which is both costly and environmentally harmful or with the new technology now available a more preferable method is to clean the tanks and recondition the fuel without having to dispose of vast quantities of fuel. This is the most cost effective method,” says Mr Steenfeldt-Kristensen.
the technology that constantly reconditions the diesel, and having utilised the ALGAE_X MTC technology to clean their land based storage tanks ,with impressive results. The NPA made the decision to decontaminate the fuel on board the Nonoti utilising the technology The re-commissioning took place at the NPA’s Bayhead workshops and involved pumping more than 48 000 litres of diesel through an Algae-X Mobile Tank Cleaning (MTC) system on the deck and pumping it back to the storage tanks. “We detected an abnormally high level of water content, silt and agglomerated content in the fuel which would have been very detrimental to the smooth running of the engines not to mention the impact on the fuel injectors and fuel pumps or the environment,” Steenfeldt-Kristensen noted.
Because a number of tugs operating in the A typical Mobile Durban harbour have Tank Cleaning already been fitted with (MTC) system from Algae-X
Since her reintroduction into service her engines have performed flawlessly and her previous high smoke emissions have reduced dramatically.
► Meanwhile the NPA has made the strategic decision to fit Algae-X diesel decontamination technology to all its tugs as well as new diesel propelled craft that form part of the authority’s fleet.
Genmatics Generators, a Durban based company that primarily serves the marine industry with heavy duty generator equipment and air compressors, has recognised the impact that contaminated diesel causes to its equipment and has taken remedial action to avoid costly engine failure and downtime. About 20 heavy duty generators have been fitted with units to ensure that the diesel is of a high standard (see picture below).
MD Tony Vassilatos said diesel is generally of poor quality in SA and steps need to be taken to protect investments and ensure only diesel of the highest standards is used on expensive plant machinery. Since using Algae-x on his gensets and compressors for the past two years, Genmatics has experienced no pump injector or turbo charger failures. Being organic in nature, diesel has a shelf life and very often users purchase degraded fuel. A further problem caused by contaminated diesel is that when it mixes with engine oil, the sludge content creates an abrasive effect causing unnecessary engine wear.
Van Tonder Transport Services – 15 million trouble-free kilometres Arguably South Africa’s most “clinically precise” fleet of trucks, Van Tonder Transport Services, has achieved in excess of 15 million “troublefree” kilometres since fitting Algae-X technology to its MAN TGA haulers. This was confirmed by the fleet operator’s owner Flippie van Tonder who said that after a range of tests were conducted the decision was made to install Algae-X before new vehicles leave the depot.
passionate about being the best specialised grain transporter in SA conveying 40 000 tonnes of grain per month. The maintenance of its fleet plays a major role in fulfilling this goal and employs highly skilled technicians who are kept up to date on the latest technologies that are introduced. One of the impeccable trucks that make up the Van Tonder Transport Services fleet. The decision has been made to fit each truck with Algae-X before leaving the depot
Tests included measuring exhaust temperatures with and without Algae-X installed both on the trucks as well as on the company’s dynamometer. “We were very impressed with the results. Exhaust temperatures dropped significantly leading to the engine running cooler and cleaner thus prolonging engine life. “We also recorded a return on investment (ROI) on fuel saving of 6% which is significant for a fleet of 144 trucks,” said Van Tonder. The fleet operator decided about three years ago that the persistent deterioration of the quality of die-
sel prompted it to fit diesel conditioning systems to its fleet of MAN trucks. Initially sceptical about the performance of Algae-X as a diesel conditioner - because so many products have claimed to solve the problem but not delivered Van Tonder was pleasantly surprised at the outcome. A decision was taken to find some clarification by means of a dynamometer test, which proved a slight increase in power at slightly lower revs. A second TGA was then fitted with an Algae-X unit on the basis of a before and after fuel consumption test and an improvement of about 6% was achieved.” Van Tonder Transport Services is
“We are perfectionists and set our own high standards in the belief that to offer high service to our customers it’s important to keep our vehicles on the road and not in the workshop.” Mr van Tonder says that in evaluating the product, before and after testing of Algae-X was carried out on two vehicles simultaneously for a 4 month period alternating drivers and varying routes. “We have made the strategic decision to fit the units to new vehicles knowing that the ROI in fuel saving alone is guaranteed,” he said. “In the light of these results we have taken the decision to fit our total fleet with Algae-X technology at the same time as we fit tracking devices and other essential systems before they leave the yard.”
For further details on the wide range of products that ensure you derive optimum diesel fuel, please visit: www.algae-x.co.za Next edition: House of Fuel Horrors from our New Distributors Algae-X Mozambique and Algae-X Mauritius