The Effect of Temperature and Asphaltene Content on the Lubricating Properties of Fuel Oils

Abstract

During coal-based power generation, fuel oil is used to assist with ignition of pulverised coal. Fuel oil passes through several pieces of equipment on its way to the burner section of the boiler. In this article the focus is on the lubricity behaviour of three representative fuel oil types and on the potential blocking of filters and nozzles caused by the presence of unwanted components in these fuel oils. The high frequency reciprocating rig (HFRR) (ISO 12156-1) was used to determine the lubricity of these fuel oils at different temperatures. Results indicate that the presence of asphaltenes (components of heavy fuel oils with complex aromatic structures) changes the viscosities of fuel oils, which, in turn affect their lubricity behaviour. Medium wax-blend fuel oil (MFO) containing high molecular weight paraffins (wax), low concentrations of asphaltenes and solid particles caused less friction and wear (with coefficient of friction (COF) values below 0.1) and good high temperature performance. Crude-derived heavy fuel oil (HFO), containing high concentrations of asphaltenes and solid particles caused very high coefficients of friction (COF peaks above 0.3) and severe abrasive wear at high temperatures. Although the third fuel oil tested was a light cycle oil (LFO) and did not contain any asphaltenes, results indicated a sensitivity to oxidation, increasing with temperature, which can have an adverse effect on in situ performance.