GREEN EXTREME HFO
Testing Protocol for Stationary Equipment
On the protocol for testing BGM Green Extreme HFO in a diesel genset, you should consider the following:
1. Select the engine(s).
It is important to choose engines for the trial that are typical of the engines being used in Indonesia, on the basis of size, make and model and design (2-stroke or 4-stroke). If you only run the test in one engine, you don't want anybody to question whether the results will scale up to the rest of their installed base of engines.
We cannot stress enough how important it is to make sure the test engine is in good mechanical condition. We have conducted trials like this in the past on engines, which had logged up to 20,000 operating hours since their last major overhaul. This was already beyond the engine manufacturer's recommended limit. The engines were in decent condition and had been well-serviced for lube oil and turbo chargers, but they must have had hard carbon deposits on the pistons, rings and valves. The turbos were also likely filled up with soot. Under these conditions, there is little BGM Green Extreme HFO can do in a short period of time. We are talking over 6 months is this is the case for cleaning up the carbon deposits. We will prevent these things from getting any worse, but we will probably not reverse the existing problems.
It is much better to choose and engine that has recently been overhauled, or at least one with as few operating hours as possible or been maintained very well over the years. This increases the chance of success and also eliminates the possible objection of a plant engineer that all you did was clean up a dirty old engine. I've been down that road before, where after a positive result in an old engine, the question was still raised of how well BGM Green Extreme HFO would work in a cleaner engine. We then had to repeat the tests on a freshly overhauled engine and the fuel savings improved even more, up to 10% more.
You should be absolutely satisfied with the condition of the engine. Get the maintenance records and history and tell them that you want an engine that is in near-perfect condition. This should also enhance your credibility, because it shows you are trying to conduct a fair trial. Specifically, We would like an assurance that the turbochargers have been overhauled recently and that their nozzle rings are still clean.
2. Determine what data will be monitored.
Fuel consumption is the key factor. You will want to compare fuel input to electrical power output. Make sure they have accurate fuel flow meters and power meters that can be isolated on the test engine.
Exhaust emissions might also be monitored, including particulates, NOX, SO2, CO and CO2. There will be a big reduction in soot formation, which means less visible black smoke during normal operation, but especially during soot blowing. These power stations will have waste heat boilers that normally get clogged up with soot and have to be cleaned out with steam every day. If they are in populated areas, they probably blow the soot at night. It can be a very ugly sight. You should get them to videotape or photograph the "before" and "after" soot blowing. The results cannot be quantified like fuel flow, but the improvement will be visible to anybody familiar with the plant.
3. Get an agreement on what will constitute a successful trial.
Without a clear understanding that a 4% fuel saving will result in payment for the drums and a purchase for the next phase of study, there is no point to starting the trial.
The next phase should be at least 6 months, which is long enough to see the secondary benefits appear. These include reduced maintenance and cleaner equipment. Our marine shipping customers have extended the intervals between piston and turbo overhauls by thousands of hours after BGM Green Extreme HFO is used continuously. The customer should be made aware of these benefits from the outset, so they can monitor the improvement and try to assign a dollar value to the benefits.
4. Establish dosing procedure.
The idea is to get BGM Green Extreme HFO into heated, circulating fuel. Look at their fuel handling system and get information on tank capacities and flow rates through fuel transfer lines. For a one-month trial you might want to set up a dosing system that is different from what would be a permanent system. I think we should look at the Hammond's dosing pumps right away.
5. Gather baseline data.
Stable, high-quality baseline data is critical to a successful trial. Gather as much data as possible, so we can see if there are seasonal factors or load patterns that have to be taken into account. A baseline period will have to be chosen to compare the results with the treated fuel. The baseline period should immediately precede the trial phase. The engine then has to operate under the same conditions as during the baseline.
6. Begin dosing the fuel.
Only when acceptable baseline data is achieved will the trial begin. BGM Green Extreme HFO should be added to the tanks to dose all the fuel already in storage, as well as any incoming fuel from a delivery truck or tanker. Care should be taken that the additive is properly blended with the fuel. An initial loading dose of 1:4000 can be used for a few days, before cutting back to the ongoing rate of 1:5000. The dosing pump should be able to make these adjustments easily.
7. Monitor the results.
The same parameters monitored during the baseline will be looked at from the beginning of the trial. We would expect a conditioning period to last a few days, during which time the additive mixes throughout the fuel system and it begins to clean out the engine. There are several signs to watch for, which indicate BGM Green Extreme HFO is working. There might be in initial increase in black smoke as existing carbon deposits are loosened up and sent up the exhaust stack. NOX concentrations might also increase temporarily. Then they will see a drop in CO emissions, which are a product of incomplete combustion. NOX will also drop as temperatures at the exhaust valves come down. NOX is produced at higher temperatures. Turbo inlet temperatures should also drop, indicating more of the fuel burned more thoroughly during the power stroke.
Fuel consumption will show a decline that might take several days to reach a new equilibrium, most likely about 3% to 6% lower than before. The Zero F will push this even higher.
If these improvements are not being seen within 7 days, you should suspend the trial immediately, as there is probably something wrong with the engine. We have a terrific diesel mechanic available who can help diagnose any problem. It is better to stop the trial and fix the engines than to continue a trial that is doomed to failure. We've found that our credibility goes way up when we correctly pinpoint a mechanical fault with the engines. | 
