How Cataphore works?

This study was performed to investigate the influence of an additive designated CATAPHORE on the viscosity of crude oil (bunker) under moderatly high shear rates and temperature.

Materials

CATAPHORE: Supplied by requestee and used as such.
#6 BUNKER OIL : Supplied by requestee.

Methods

The bunker viscosities were measured using a standard FANN viscometer (rotating inside cylinder, measuring torque on outside cylinder). The apparatus was standardized as described by the manufacturer and tested by measuring the viscosity of ethylene glycol at 25°C; the value found was 20 centi poise, comparing favorably with 19.0 c.p. litterature value at 20°C. Because of the lack of accurate reference liquids at high viscosity (e.g. near 300 c.p. the results given below are precise on a relative basis only. The temperature of the oil was maintained at 67°C ± 0.2°C throughout the experiments by means of a water jacket and a circulating thermostat.

Results

The torgue angle readings (Ø) were converted into corresponding viscosities using the relationship:

n = s x Ø x f x c

where s is a speed factor, f, the torsion spring factor and c is a rotorbob constant dependent on the diameters of the outside and inside cylinders. The viscosity of #6 Bunker oil at 67°C under shear rate of l9 cm/sec ( 100 rpm) was determined as 230 c.p. and taken as reference (unit value). All other viscosities are reported relative to the latter in table 1

Table 1.

Relative Newtonian Viscosities (n) of # 6 Bunker Oil at 67°C and in the presence of CATAPHORE.

RPM	shear rate cm/sec	Bunker #6	# 6 Bunker with CATAPHORE
			Con.: CAT. nrel		Con.: CAT. nrel
100	19	1.00*	0.02%	0.95	0.2%	0.90
200	38	0.99	0.02%	0.95	0.2%	0.91
300	57	0.97	0.02%	0.95	0.2%	0.92

* Newtonian viscosity of #6 Bunker measured as 230 cp; all other values given relative to the latter

Estimated uncertainties on n_rel : 0.02

Conclusions

The addition of low levels of CATAPHORE produces measurable reduction of bunker oil viscosities under all conditions tested here and the effect if larger than the dilution effect of the solvant in the CATAPHORE additive.

1. Introduction

We received a sample of app. 100 cm in a sealed plastic bottle labeled Ivesco's (Cataphore). We received two sealed containers 5 liters each:

• Light fuel 200 sec/Redwood 1
• Heavy fuel 1500 sec/Redwood 1

A Sunstrand Fuel burner pump was connected to a container with heat control and pressure gauge and a S 150/3/15/18 injection valve. The atomized stream of oil droplets was led through a timing apparatus 1/60 to 1/1000 sec to a screen. According to the findings issued in the US Bureau of mining 5113 test, the number of droplets reaching the screen for treated and untreated oil and the diameter of these droplets in average are the significant values for an atomization support ability.

The light fuel was preheated to 50°C and the timing gradually decreased from 1/100 of a second always another 1/100 second until a value of 1/1000 of a second was reached. The treatment concentration by Ivesco's (Cataphore), 1 part of Cataphore to 10000 parts of fuel.

The heavy fuel was preheated to 80°C and the same timings were set. This was repeated 3 times with treated and untreated oil. The results show as follows, using a treatment concentration by Ivesco's (Cataphore) 1 part of cataphore to 10000 parts of fuel.

LIGHT FUEL

TIMING SEC.	LIGHT FUEL UNTREATED NO. OF DROPLETS				LIGHT FUEL TREATED NO. OF DROPLETS
	Test 1	Test 2	Test 3	Total	Test 1	Test 2	Test 3	Total
1/100	2800	2715	2970	8485	8530	9360	8160	26050
200	2410	2470	3010	7890	7180	6680	7430	23270
300	2100	2070	2350	6520	6700	6680	5943	20810
400	1630	1815	1720	5165	6700	7150	6840	20690
500	1315	1420	1514	4249	6400	6190	6620	19210
600	1208	1060	1330	3590	6115	6230	6150	18495
700	1070	1130	1050	3250	5810	5630	5960	17400
800	930	1060	1020	3010	5270	5030	4850	15150
900	800	740	780	2320	3960	3630	3650	11240
1000	610	580	710	1940	3050	3315	3160	9525
			Total	46419			Total	181840

3. Summary for Light Fuel

Atomization improved according to relating numbers of droplets in evenly timed tests in the average for a fuel of 200 sec/Redwood 1 at 50°C.

The equal amount of fuel injected will show a 3.9 times finer droplet pattern 3.9 times more droplets containing the same amount of fuel.

HEAVY FUEL

TIMING SEC.	LIGHT FUEL UNTREATED NO. OF DROPLETS				LIGHT FUEL TREATED NO. OF DROPLETS
	Test 1	Test 2	Test 3	Total	Test 1	Test 2	Test 3	Total
1/100	760	780	730	2270	4860	4620	4715	14195
200	650	640	610	1900	4210	3830	4220	12260
300	590	590	515	1695	3600	3415	3350	10365
400	430	400	410	1240	3490	3510	3560	10560
500	380	350	370	1100	2970	2760	2860	8590
600	290	280	260	830	2100	1940	1740	5780
700	180	210	210	600	1770	1840	1630	5240
800	90	110	80	280	1260	1350	1270	3880
900	60	120	110	290	830	910	860	2600
1000	70	110	90	270	515	470	460	1445
			Total	10475			Total	74915

4. Summary for Heavy Fuel

Atomization improved according to relating numbers of droplets in evenly timed tests, in the average for a fuel 1500 sec/Redwood 1 at 80°C

The equal amount of fuel injected will show after treatment under equal conditions as for untreated, an increase in the number of droplets average 7.2 times finer atomization.

5. Summary

By the use of Ivesco's (Cataphore) for treatment of different types of fuel the atomization of fuel in the combustion chamber is substantially improved. Formation of smaller droplets makes these more equal sized. Readings were obtained by counting droplets per cm² of a total screen area of 25 cm².

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