MARINE PROPULSION TECHNOLOGY — PRODUCT PROFILE
Cambridge Applied Systems
Controlling Vistosity Crucial For
Controlling Costs
Controlling heavy fuel oil (HFO) viscosity
can be crucial for companies trying to increase
fuel oil savings, lower exhaust stack emissions
and reduce overall engine maintenance.
In 1991, Cambridge Applied Systems (CAS)
was contacted by two American shipping com-
panies — Sealand Services Inc. and American
President Lines — to provide a reliable and
accurate means of measuring and controlling
the viscosity of heavy fuel oil. Poor quality
bunkers received by Sealand Services and APL
out of Long Beach, Ca., were continually caus-
ing their capillary tube type viscometers to fail.
This resulted in frequent cleanings and exten-
sive maintenance in order to keep these vis-
cometers on line, forcing both shipping compa-
nies to seek an alternative solution. CAS was
able to provide a reliable and accurate viscosity
control system and within two years CAS had
installed more than 30 HFO viscosity control
systems on vessels operating out of the port of
Long Beach.
Due to its simple design, CAS viscometers
require minimal maintenance time compared to
the capillary tube type viscometers they
replaced.
The patented CAS electromagnetic viscome-
ter is the essence of simplicity.
The head of the sensor is inserted into a flow-
ing HFO fuel line as shown. Inside the sensor
head is a measurement chamber, flooded with
fuel oil, and a hollow, neutrally-bouyant mag-
netic piston.
The piston is retained by a removable fence
that also deflects fresh oil samples into the
chamber.
Two coils are imbedded in the tip of the sen-
sor surrounding the measurement chamber.
When the inner B coil is activated the mag-
netic force on the piston pulls it down toward
the base of the chamber.
Fuel oil trapped behind the piston is forced to
flow around the piston. The more viscous the
fuel oil the slower the piston motion.
The upper A coil is used to magnetically mon-
itor the motion. As soon as the piston reaches
the bottom of the chamber, the upper A coil is
activated and the lower coil is used to monitor
the motion. During this up-going portion of the
cycle fresh oil is pulled in behind the piston. As
soon as the piston approaches the deflector
fence coil B is again activated and the process
repeated.
(Continued on page 134)
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KVH Industries, Inc. 110 Enterprise Center
E-Mail: info@kvh.ccmail.compuserve.com
Dept. 926 Middletown, Rl
CO
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i KVH Industries, Inc.
02842 U.S.A. tel: (401) 847-3327 fax: (401) 849-0045
Internet: http://www.kvh.com
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