HEAVY FUEL OILS
HEAVY FUEL OILS
Another important step in strengthening the status of the diesel engine in marine propulsion was R&D enabling it to burn cheaper, heavier fuel oils. Progress was spurred in the mid-1950s by the availability of cylinder lubricants able to neutralize acid combustion products and hence reduce wear rates to levels experienced with diesel oil-burning. All low speed two-stroke and many medium speed four-stroke engines are now released for operation on low grade fuels of up to 700 cSt/50°C viscosity, and development work is extending the capability to higher speed designs.
Combating the deterioration in bunker quality is just one example of how diesel engine developers—in association with lube oil technologists and fuel treatment specialists—have managed successfully to adapt designs to contemporary market demands.
