Real-time fuel treatment
FUELPROCESSOR AcidX
Acidic fuel in. Compliant fuel out.
AcidX lowers the acid number (TAN) of HFO, diesel and biofuels right before the engine, down to 1.2 mg KOH/g. Your pumps and injection system stay protected, and your fuel meets ISO 8217 and the limits of your engine maker.
The numbers
What AcidX delivers
Values from tests and projects. Results depend on your fuel, your engine and how you run it.
down to 1.2
mg KOH/g acid number after treatment. The usual engine maker limit is 2.5.
about 2 years
payback through fuel savings and lower operation and maintenance costs
3 + 2 days
installation and commissioning per engine
2- and 4-stroke
engines with HFO, diesel or biofuels
Real time
Only the fuel the engine needs at that moment is treated. No batch treatment in advance.
Small footprint
Needs only limited space near the engine and fits into almost every power house or engine room.
Full fallback
You can switch back to the normal fuel supply line at any time, without any impact on operation.
Is it right for you?
Who it is for and what you need
Made for
Power plants running diesel engines on HFO, diesel or biofuels.
Ships with 2- or 4-stroke engines and changing fuel quality.
Operators with acidic fuel whose fuel analysis shows an acid number above 2.5 mg KOH/g.
Operators with damage to fuel pumps and injection systems that point to acidic fuel.
Operators switching to biofuels which often bring a higher acid number.
What you need
A fuel analysis. It shows the current acid number and tells us how much treatment is needed.
Some space near the engine. For the FUELPROCESSOR unit and its control cabinet.
A separator or purifier. It takes the neutralising agent and the water out again.
Neutralising agent and water. Potassium hydroxide (KOH) and water are dosed by the system.
About five days per engine. Around 3 days for installation and 2 days for commissioning.
Why now
Fuel is getting more acidic
Biofuels and changing refinery practice lead to more fuels with a high acid number. When it exceeds ISO or engine maker limits, it costs money and puts warranty and compliance at risk.
Where the acid comes from
Organic acids. Byproducts of refining, oxidation or contamination, such as naphthenic acids.
Sulphur compounds. Oxidised sulphur forms strong acids, such as sulphuric or sulphonic acids.
Oxidation products. Acids formed during storage or at high temperatures.
Contaminants. Acidic cleaning agents or chemical residues in the fuel.
What it does to your engine
Corrosion. Acidic fuel attacks pumps, injection systems and other engine parts.
Wear. Components wear faster and need replacing sooner.
Higher costs. More maintenance and higher operating costs.
Compliance risk. Problems with warranty and with ISO and engine maker requirements.
A real case
Damaged pumps in a power plant
Fuel pumps and injection system of a power plant were damaged. The fuel analysis showed why: every sample was above the acid number limit of 2.5 mg KOH/g. AcidX brings the acid number below 2.5, as required by ISO 8217 and the engine maker.
| Sample taken | Density kg/m³ at 15 °C | Viscosity mm²/s at 50 °C | Water content % | Acid number mg KOH/g | Sulphur % | Complies with ISO 8217 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| After separator, before engine | 945 | 405 | 0.07 | 3.1 | 0.47 | no |
| After separator, before engine | 948 | 518 | 0.06 | 3.5 | 0.51 | no |
| After separator, before engine | 1,102 | 517 | 0.04 | 3.7 | 0.50 | no |
| After separator, before engine | 946 | 363 | 0.07 | 3.4 | 0.50 | no |
| Limit | 1,010 | 0.3 | 2.5 |
How it works
Neutralise, separate, protect
AcidX treats the fuel in two stages, in line and in real time, between the day tank and the engine.
1 · Neutralise
A neutralising agent such as KOH and water are added to the fuel. The acids react and are bound.
2 · Separate
The separator or purifier takes the agent, the water and the bound acids out of the fuel.
3 · Second stage
Water is added once more. Together the two stages neutralise and trap the acidic compounds.
4 · Measure
The acid number is analysed before, during and after treatment. The engine gets compliant fuel.
Functional flow: from the HFO day tank through FUELPROCESSOR stage 1, separator and stage 2 to the diesel engine, with acid number analysis before, during and after.
The system
Compact, automated, integrated
Core of the system. Cavitation reactor, frequency enhanced chamber and a change over and stripping tank process the fuel with water and neutralising agent.
Dosing pumps. Separate pumps for water and for the neutralising agent.
Sensors. Viscosity, mass flow, temperature and pressure are measured continuously.
Integration. Connects to engine automation, engine management, alarm system, control room and exhaust gas monitoring.
Low maintenance. Robust design with low maintenance effort and cost.
FUELPROCESSOR unit and control cabinet, opened up.
Working scheme: fuel, water and neutralising agent are dosed into the FUELPROCESSOR and the treated fuel goes to the engine.
Good side effects
More than protection
Better atomisation
more complete combustion and fuel savings
Fewer emissions
NOx, CO, hydrocarbons and particles
Less smoke
lower filter smoke number
Less corrosion
longer life for pumps and injection systems
Tested
Tested on engines
University of Rostock. On the FVTR test bed with a MaK 6L M20 diesel engine of 1,000 kW.
Icelandic Marine College. In cooperation on a fishing vessel.
Proven function. Functionality, performance and durability have been verified.
Partner. The FUELPROCESSOR AcidX is developed and produced by CEPS, Clean Energy Power Systems LLC, with production in Zagreb, Croatia. AES is responsible for promotion, sales and tendering.
MaK 6L M20 engine on the test bed in Rostock.
How we work
From fuel sample to protected engine
1 · Fuel analysis
Send us a fuel sample or a recent analysis.
2 · Recommendation
We check if and how the system fits your engine and fuel.
3 · Install
About 3 days per engine, close to the engine.
4 · Commission
About 2 days per engine, with acid number measured before and after.
Questions we hear
Your questions, answered
Which fuels can be treated?
HFO, diesel and biofuels for 2- and 4-stroke engines.
How low does the acid number go?
Down to 1.2 mg KOH/g fuel. The usual engine maker limit is 2.5 mg KOH/g.
Is all fuel treated in advance?
No. Only the amount the engine needs at that moment is treated, in real time.
What does the system consume?
A neutralising agent such as KOH, and water.
What happens if the system is switched off?
You can switch back to the normal fuel supply line at any time, without any impact on operation.
Does it protect my warranty?
The fuel is brought back within the limits of ISO 8217 and your engine maker. We check the details for your engine.
How fast does it pay back?
In about two years, through fuel savings and lower operation and maintenance costs.
Contact
Send us your fuel analysis
Send us your engine type, the fuel you use and, if available, a recent fuel analysis. We check whether your engine is at risk and how we can protect it.
All data on this page is non-binding and from tests and individual projects. Every project is assessed individually.
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