Marine Diesel Engine Fuel Savings With ETI’s UltraBurn®

Fuel saving with cost-effective exhaust gas emissions reduction was recently documented by two American ferry operators who installed the UltraBurn® Combustion Catalyst System in vessels plying routes in the Pacific Northwest. Houston-based Emissions Technology (ETI) provided the system for the main and auxiliary diesel engines of the three public authority ferries.

Skagit County Ferry Operations Division reported a reduction in black smoke of over 43% and double digit reductions in other emissions aboard their M/V Guemes Island Ferry earlier this year. More recently Pierce County Public Works and Utilities Division recorded fuel cost savings of  32% during a six month working period (ending September 2013) by their ferries M/V Steilacoom II and M/V Christine. How does the system work?

Basically the UltraBurn Combustion Catalyst System improves heavy duty diesel engine performance by stimulating a more complete burn through the pre-combustion injection of a special blend of platinum and other metals similar to those used in catalytic converters. Nano-sized particles of this mixture are injected as a mist into the engine’s air intake chamber, where they are quickly drawn into the combustion chamber to achieve a more complete fuel burn in the power stroke. The result is more useful power from each stroke, lower emissions and substantially less fuel consumed.

Patented Aerosol Chemistry
Emissions Technology has developed two systems to introduce the UltraBurn catalyst into an engine. For smaller diesels, UltraBurn systems use a patented aerosol technology, which draws air bubbles through a liquid catalyst. This creates a mist that is injected into an engine’s air intake and then pulled into the combustion chamber where it combines with diesel fuel to stimulate and enhance the burn.  The manufacturers say that more than 2,500 engines have benefited from this “pull-through injection” approach.

For larger engines, Emissions Technology has now developed a ‘direct injection’ delivery system that converts liquid catalyst into a fine mist using proprietary spray nozzle technology. By this method the company is able to market this technology for application to the large marine diesel engines of ocean-going ships.

Independent System Testing
ETI say they have compiled reams of test data covering almost every aspect of engine performance, making Ultraburn one of the most thoroughly tested of add-on systems in the market sector. For instance, the well-respected Olson-Ecologic Engine Testing Laboratories put UltraBurn through the rigorous California Air Resources Board test protocols. The result? 42.8% reduction in particulate matter emissions. 58.3% reduction in total hydrocarbons, and 13.6% reduction in nitrogen oxide.
Source: Maritime Propulsion