Fuel Polishing & Transfer Systems
Earlier this year, Algae-X International came out with a totally new line of Fuel Polishing & Transfer Systems designed and built there in Fort Myers, Florida facilities. By listening to its customers, boat builders and yacht owners alike, Algae-X found out what they wanted to have as an on board fuel optimization package.
The design is modular, so the right system can be chosen for each yacht. Fuel stability in general has not improved in recent years while engines have become much more fuel sensitive. The introduction of ultra low sulfur fuel and the increasing use of bio- fuels have negatively impacted fuel stability and caused a dramatic increase in filter plugging and injection system failures.
The new and innovative SMART FPS systems eliminate & prevent these problems. They eliminate microbial contamination; keep your tanks clean and your fuel in pristine “clear & bright” condition at all times. Traditional fuel treatment focuses on keeping the day tanks clean, but leaves fuel in the bulk tank untreated. With an average 150 running hours for yachts and today’s fuel quality, that constituted an area of opportunity for Algae-X. With their focus on “optimal fuel quality at all times”, they target all tanks on board in order to optimize all fuel and not let fuel degradation advance un- checked in your bulk tanks. Avoiding the well known fuel related engine performance head aches in critical situations as storms, close maneuvering, potentially lower fuel quality at supply points or just being out at sea gives you a com- fort level that really should be so elementary and basic.
The Smart FPS (“Fuel Polishing System”) is available in a number of different configurations, from 300 (DX), 600 (SX), 1.000 (MX), 2.000 (LX) up to 6.000 (XL) liters per hour. The smallest system, Smart FPS-DX runs on 12-24 VDC, the rest on 110-230 VAC. The systems come with either a Racor or a Separ filter/separator, a gear pump and of course with the well known magnetic Fuel Conditioner. From the Smart FPS/MX on up an optional water block fine filter is available. The systems use cast iron heavy duty positive displacement gear pumps, with thermal overload protection on the electric motors for a long system life. The plumbing on the systems is mainly all stainless steel with 37 degree JIC fit- tings, to make for a leak- free operation. The system is mounted on a strong powder coated back plate with drip tray.
All 110-230 VAC systems are fully automated with the SPF-50 Smart Filtration Controller, consisting of a sturdy NEMA approved en- closure measuring 25x 28 x15 cm. A clear front cover protects the controls and alarms and can be closed with a clip. The Siemens Logo inside can be programmed to have the sys- tem run on set times. The status and alarm lights are big enough to read them out across the engine room, or using a remote camera± green means the system is on stand/by, orange that the pump is running and red indicates that a system alarm has occurred. There are built in alarms for high vacuum on the filter- separator, high pressure on the water block fine filter, thermal overload, high water level in the separator and the leak detector in the drip tray. When any of these alarms occur, the alarm sound is heard, the system shuts down and the red light comes on. The actual trigger of the alarm can be read on the display, and after correcting the problem at hand, the system can be put back into action pushing the reset button. On the one had these alarms serve as system protection for the pump, on the other hand they prevent leaks when plumbing or a filter is blocked.
An Algae-X designed water sensor (Watect water alarm) is used on the separator that prevents corrosion of the electrical contacts on the bowl because of the contact of water with electrical current in regular filter alarms.
The SPF-50 comes ready to be connected to a remote monitoring system or the yacht control system. Two standard “normally open” contacts are provided for a summary alarm and leak detection. A remote shutdown connection also exists. The built in system timer can be read-out to determine filter life and system running time. Because the controller uses a non-volatile memory, the settings and memory will not be lost in case of a power failure. The Smart FPS system is connected to the SPF- 50 controller with a variable length cable using fool-proof marine grade polarized plugs. If the system be- comes disconnected from the controller, the system will go into fail-safe shut- down mode.
When reconnected, the system starts up again after pushing the reset button. It is important to install the system such that the suction line is hooked up to the absolute lowest point of each fuel tank. The re- turn will then be on the high side of the tank, as far away from the suction line as possible. The fuel needs to flow back low in the tank as to create a nice flow across the tank bottom, taking with it any water and sediment that might be there. By running the system on every tank once every 2 weeks, recalculating the fuel one time, all tanks can be kept free of water, sediment and micro- organism. The system is installed completely separate from any existing fuel lines so that it can work in parallel to the tanks, basically as a kidney dialysis system in a hospital setting.
This makes the system redundant and allows for full yacht operation even with- out the FPS system running. If you are unsure about the quality of newly purchased “fresh” fuel, it is best to run the system right then and there to treat all new fuel on board. As fuel provided through the system is dry, sediment and micro-organism free, using the system to transfer fuel and fill up the day tanks is highly recommended. Thereby you can save on one fuel transfer pump. To enable an automated operation with multiple tanks, Algae-X is also offering automated manifolds with solenoid valves. These can then be con- trolled on the bridge, but also have a manual override, just in case.
Additional options are for instance water in fuel meters (measuring real time ppm’s free as well as dissolved water in your fuel), digital flow meters and digital vacuum meters for the primary filters as well as touch screen displays and control software to run on the bridge of the yacht. By combining fully automated control and remote monitoring with fuel decontamination, water & sediment removal, the SMART-FPS revolutionizes the world of fuel polishing and transfer systems. It provides a degree of water, sediment and micro-organism removal effectiveness, flow rate and control in relation to foot print, maintenance and price that exceeds all prior traditional equipment.
This article first appeared in Via Mare-By The Sea Magazine December 2009. Rob Verhoof, with a M.Sc. in engineering, worked for 9 years for Siemens A.G. in the Americas and Germany, 6 years in tooling in Mexico and the Netherlands and joined Algae-X Europe early 2008. Throughout his career he has focused on the way companies can deliver what their customers want in a more innovative and efficient manner.
Busy Boating Week
This week will be busy for Algae-X as we will be at 2 different boat shows this week. First is the Great Lakes Marine Community Days Conference on February 10th & 11th in Cleveland Ohio. Marine Community Day, including The Admiral’s Dinner, is a premier conference for celebrating the economic contributions, partnerships and future of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway system. The event is organized by Great Lakes/Seaway Review in partnership with representatives from the Lake Carriers’ Association, The Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Maritime Administration.
Second is the Miami International Boat Show. Algae-X Will be there February 11th-16th displaying the SMART FPS systems that ideal for marine fuel polishing and transfer, as well as our MTC mobile tank cleaners and LG-X Fuel conditioning units. We will be on hand to answer any questions regarding fuel maintenance, polishing, and conditioning to help you have optimal fuel quality, and Thursday we will have a live Tweet feed of the show. Follow the AXIFuel Tweet feed for the latest news from the show floor, and keep an eye on this blog for news.
If you have any questions about Diesel Fuel Cleaning & Maintenance Systems contact us, and it will be featured on the AXI Fuel blog. Don’t forget a new picture is uploaded everyday to our Twitter Feed and join us on Facebook. All these helpful links are available on our website at Algae-X.net
Weekend Planner: Atlantic City International Boat Show
The Atlantic City International Boat Show will be in full swing this weekend, and if you want to have optimal fuel quality at all times, drop by booth 119 hosted by our good friends at Johnson & Towers Inc.to learn how Algae-X fuel conditioners, fuel polishing & Transfer systems and additives can ensure clean fuel at all times. When there are engine problems on the open sea, you can’t get out and push, so swing by Johnson & Tower’s booth 119 in Atlantic City this weekend and see how Algae-X can help you.
Not in New Jersey this weekend? Algae-X will be in Miami next weekend for the Miami Boat Show at booth 4071. We will have 4 different models of the SMART FPS fuel polishing & Transfer systems on display, as well as a full array of LG-X magnetic fuel conditioners that can condition your diesel fuel for engines from 200hp to 3000+ hp. We will also have mobile tank cleaners, our expert staff to answer all your fuel related questions, and live twitter feeds from the expo floor in case you can’t make it down to sunny Miami.
For a full listing of which boat shows and other expos and trade shows Algae-X will be attending visit Algae-X.net today and click on EVENTS. Our full calendar of 2010 events is up, and we are adding to it every week.
If you have any questions about Diesel Fuel Cleaning & Maintenance Systems contact us, and it will be featured on the AXI Fuel blog. Don’t forget a new picture is uploaded everyday to our Twitter Feed and join us on Facebook. All these helpful links are available on our website at Algae-X.net
Algae-X.net Spotlight: Technical Information Pages
The spotlight for this week is our Technical Information Page. On this page, you will find technical reports and white papers on fuel maintenance and fuel optimization practices, reports on how microbes grow in fuel and subsequently deteriorate fuel quality, scientific analysis on the effects of magnetic fields on fuel preservation, EEG reports, financial bottom line analysis, and other papers and reports. All this information is in PDF format, and free to download. If you have any questions regarding the whitepapers and reports, feel free to contact us. A quick email or phone call will illuminate how Algae-X combats fuel degradation, and preserves your fuel for optimal engine performance.
If you have any questions about Diesel Fuel Cleaning & Maintenance Systems contact us, and it will be featured on the AXI Fuel blog. Don’t forget a new picture is uploaded everyday to our Twitter Feed and join us on Facebook. All these helpful links are available on our website at Algae-X.net
Algae-X System Spotlight: MTC-3000 Mobile Tank Cleaner
MTC-3000 Mobile Tank Cleaner
The MTC-3000 is a three stage Mobile Tank Cleaning System to recondition, stabilize and decontaminate diesel fuel. It efficiently removes water, sludge and sediments that naturally accumulate in tanks. The MTC cleans and restores fuel to its “Clear & Bright” condition. It eliminates fuel “algae” issues, clogged filters and tank sludge, providing Optimal Fuel Quality for Peak Engine Performance and Reliability.
Stage 1: The separator / coalescer removes water and particulate that are easily drained from the system by opening the valve on the bottom of the separator.
Stage 2: The ALGAE-X® Fuel Conditioner reconditions and stabilizes the fuel, reversing the process of fuel deterioration and buildup of tank sludge.
Stage 3: The industrial type water block fine filter removes emulsified water and very fine solids down to 3 microns.
ALGAE-X® MTC Systems are built with industrial quality components mounted on a heavy-duty aluminum cart. A clear suction hose shows fuel flow and clarity. The large drip tray is designed to prevent spillage. Fuel can be polished without using any consumables by connecting the discharge hose to the quick disconnect bypassing the filter. A pressure gauge is installed on the spin-on filter head to ensure optimal filter usage. The liquid filled stainless steel vacuum gauge monitors the condition of the water separator.
Algae-X (AXI) Fuel News Round-Up: Gulf Coast Business Review
Cleaned Fuel
By Jean Gruss | Editor/Lee-Collier – Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wout Lisseveld has created an ingenious way to keep fuel sludge from clogging up marine engines. It’s the kind of technology that solves problems for all sorts of companies that can’t afford engine malfunctions.
If you were crossing the ocean in a sailboat, Wout Lisseveld is the kind of skipper you’d want at the helm.
Wout Lisseveld in Gulf Coast Business Review
The tall Dutchman, with the large hands of a sailor and the disheveled hair of an engineer-scientist, is in fact skilled at both. Lisseveld could fix an engine by making a broken part or hoist the sails to get you safely home.
In 1992, Lisseveld took a break from sailing and was restoring a 60-foot sailboat in Fort Myers when he dreamed up a device that would keep diesel fuel clean so it wouldn’t clog up the engines. You don’t have to be a sailor to know that a dead engine at the wrong time can turn into a disaster at sea.
Since then, Lisseveld’s Fort Myers-based company, Algae-X, has created a magnetic device that keeps fuel from breaking down and creating the kind of sludge that makes sailors curse in the engine room.
But the device has applications far beyond the marine industry and that could spark Algae-X’s growth. It’s the kind of company that starts small but can quickly become a big one if the technology is widely adopted. For now,
Lisseveld has no competition.
Here’s how the Algae-X technology works. Fuel tends to separate into solids and liquids after just 60 days and the solid material is the sludge that clogs up engines and fuel filters. To prevent that from happening, an Algae-X device as small as the size of your palm can be installed so that fuel can be reconstituted using magnets before it reaches the engine. The result: No sludge and no need to clean the tanks. What’s more, the fuel filter doesn’t have to be replaced as often.
Why hasn’t anyone thought of this before? For years, fuel was cheap and environmental concerns weren’t the political priority they are today. “The sediment formation has always been accepted as normal,” Lisseveld says. When the fuel tanks got dirty, you drained them and cleaned them, giving it no further thought. Now, economic and political pressures are such that engineers and mechanics are giving the problem more consideration.
But the Algae-X device has been a tough sell to the transportation industry such as trucking, which accounts for 70% of diesel-fuel consumption in the U.S. “You would expect it to be easy, but it’s not,” Lisseveld says. It makes sense when you think about it: The mechanics aren’t fans because they’d have fewer clogged engines to fix. And fuel companies would sell less of their stuff if users stopped discarding old fuel from their tanks.
What’s more, trucking and other transportation firms are the targets of countless entrepreneurs who want to sell them a fuel-saving device, making it hard for Algae-X to break into the business. “That’s a very tough battle,” Lisseveld says.
So, instead of pushing the fuel-cost savings aspect of his device (it costs as little as $165 for the smallest one and several thousand dollars for bigger models), Lisseveld has sold the Algae-X device on the basis of business interruption for critical industries such as hospitals, customer data centers, prison and even casinos.
These companies have huge backup generators with fuel that often sits unused in large containers. But when their power fails, the generators must be in working order and the engines can’t be clogged with decomposed fuel.
“Then you’re no longer talking to the mechanics; you’re talking to the engineers,” Lisseveld says. Engineers are much more receptive to Algae-X’s technology because they don’t want the systems to break down, he says.
With the marine industry in a substantial downturn, Algae-X is pursuing companies such as financial firms and hospitals that depend on critical backup diesel generators. Algae-X has also developed technology that helps small entrepreneurs get into the tank-cleaning business with portable equipment that can be loaded in the back of a pickup truck. Now, Algae-X’s marine business represents just 25% of its undisclosed revenues, down from 90%.
Once Algae-X can demonstrate the reliability and cost savings in sensitive industries like money management or health care, Lisseveld says it may become easier to sell to the transportation industry. “It’s eating the elephant one bite at a time,” he says.
Thank You Panama & Exponautica 2010
Algae-X (AXI) wanted to thank all who attended the Exponautica 2010 in Panama this past weekend. It was a great show in one of the most beautiful locals we have been privileged to visit, and we had a great time sharing our expertise in Optimal Fuel Quality. It was great to be able to tell so many about fuel filtration, water in fuel separation, fuel conditioning techniques, and show off our fuel systems. We should be posting pictures of the event later in the week on our tweet feed.
Tomorrow the Atlantic City International Power Boat Show will start in Atlantic City. We will have systems on display there at booth 119, so stop by if you are in the area and want to know how to keep your diesel fuel dry, clean, and bright. Also, our web host is going through a server change, so our most recent updates have not made it live to Algae-X.net. Namely, our Trade Show Calendar that is posted is for 2010. Visit Algae-X.net often for upcoming updates, follow our tweet feed, and subscribe to the RSS feed for this blog to stay on top of all the Algae-X (AXI) news.
Algae-X In Panama
Algae-X (AXI) will be in Panama this weekend for the Exponautica 2010. Exponáutica 2010 (1st Panama Boat Show) will be held at Brisas de Amador Perico Island, Panama City, with over 3,000 square meters of exhibition on 29, 30 and 31 January 2010.
The show will have national and international visitors, giving the best products for life at sea yachts and boats of the most recognized global brands, companies engaged in the maintenance of marine equipment, outboard motors, generators for yachts, marine sports, professional fishing equipment, apparel and accessories for the enjoyment of life at sea.
So if you are in the area, stop by, say hello and learn how to have optimized fuel at all times.
New Trade Show Dates
Algae-X.net has updated its conferences and trade show calendar. We have added the following shows, so mark the dates in your calendar:
Jan. 30th-31st Exponautica 2010 – Brisas de Amador Perico Island, Panama
Feb. 3rd-7th Atlantic City International Power Boat Show – Atlantic City Convention Center, NJ
Feb. 10th-11th Great Lakes Marine Community Days Conference – InternContinental Hotel & Conference Center – Cleveland, OH
Feb. 11th-15th Miami International Boat Show – Miami FL
Feb.25th-26th AUSA ILW Winter Symposium & Exposition – Broward County Convention Center, Ft. Lauderdale FL
Algae-X will be revealing new systems and fuel maintenance technology at these trade shows and conferences, so make sure to keep your calendar accurate, and check and see if we are coming to a location near you. We hope to see some new faces, and will be happy to answer questions and demonstrate our fuel optimization techniques.
Algae-X System Spotlight: SMART FPS-MXF
This week’s system spotlight is on the SMART FPS-MXF Fuel Polishing & Transfer system. ALGAE-X® Smart FPS-MXF Fuel Polishing and Transfer Systems keep your diesel fuel in “pristine condition” while removing sludge and water from tanks at a flow rate of 250GPH (or 950l/h). Fully automated programming with remote monitoring and control simplifies fuel optimization and maintenance.
• Fully Automated & Programmable
• Modular “Plug & Play” System
• Four Unique Safety And Alarm Features
• Remote Monitoring Ready
• Powder-coated, Corrosion-Resistant,
Aluminum Back Plate & Spill Tray
• Stainless Steel Plumbing
• Industrial Gear Pump
The SMART FPS MXF Fuel Polishing and Transfer System is equipped with a plug and play SFC-50 Smart Controller with text display. Algae-X FPS systems and “Smart Filtration Controllers” are modular, fully automated and programmable fuel polishing systems. The wiring harness easily connects the Smart Controller box with the FPS-MXF allowing for greater flexibility in installation. The control box can be installed where it’s most convenient for you.
• Remove water and sludge keeping your tanks clean and your stored fuel in “pristine condition” at all times
• Decontaminate, clean and optimize the condition of the “fresh” fuel you take on-board
• Transfer fuel from one tank to another and fill your day tank
If you have any questions about Diesel Fuel Cleaning & Maintenance Systems contact us, and it will be featured on the AXI Fuel blog. Don’t forget a new picture is uploaded everyday to our Twitter Feed and join us on Facebook. All these helpful links are available on our website at Algae-X.net
