Viscous Fuel oil faces a major challenge in its use; namely energy lost in heating it to reduce its viscosity for pumping.

Bunker C fuel oil is a common energy source for ships.  It is also known as Residual oil or #6 Fuel oil when used in boilers, incinerators or cement kilns. This heavy fuel needs to be preheated to 220 - 260 °F (104 - 127 °C) to reduce its viscosity to be within a pumpable range. From the refiners point of view, the cost to further process the oil greatly diminishes its commercial value. On the other hand, if the end user can measure the flow rate and process the residual oil, both parties will benefit. But, how do you monitor the flow of the heavy oil?

Being able to measure the oil in a highly viscous state reduces the amount of heat that is necessary for the fluid preparation. Often meters are oversized to accommodate the high viscosity and do not provide resolution for accurate measurements. This is not the case with the Model G105 and G240, which have both been recommended for use in these applications. Their ability to measure the flow of high viscosity fluids or liquids with changing viscosities makes them ideal for the viscosity range found in residual oil. By using a flow meter that is capable of accurately measuring high viscosity fluids, the preheating requirement is reduced. Bunkers in the 500 to 5000 cps range are no problem for Max Machinery's line of precision gear meters. If you would like a quote for a similar project, please let us know.