SFA International

21st Century Fuel Management Technology

21st Century Fuel Management Technology™

 

Patented, integrated solutions to maximize efficient energy consumption, minimize problems associated with use of hydrocarbon fuels, and comply with or exceed governmental regulations.


Liquid, Natural Gas and Solid Hydrocarbon Fuels

 

Reduce Emissions – NOx, UHC’s, CO, Particulate Matter

Eliminate Costly Exhaust Gas Scrubbers

Improve Fuel Efficiency and Decrease Carbon Footprint

Minimize Galling, Vibration and Maintenance Problems

 

 

Applications

 

Transportation – Highway, Marine, Rail, Off-Road

Petroleum and Natural Gas Production

Electric Power Generation

Agriculture and Construction

 

 

Governmental Regulations and Emissions Requirements

 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

MARPOL Maritime Regulations

International Standards

 

 

Fuels

SFA’s Fuel Management Technology™ treats hydrocarbon fuels in all three physical states: gaseous, liquid and solid.

Natural Gas

The United States has known reserves of natural gas that equal or exceed the crude oil reserves in Saudi Arabia in BTU’s of energy.  Natural gas, because of its chemical composition, produces about two-thirds of the amount of carbon dioxide as produced by liquid and solid fuels. 

SFA and JLCC Catalysts, an SFA distributor, have made major technological advances reducing NOx emissions in the exhaust of engines operating on natural gas.   Formulation development by SFA has resulted in a product that can be injected into the intake manifold of the engine, rapidly evaporate and cause no gel or retention problems.  JLCC Catalysts developed a specialized, patented dosage system that injects ultra low doses of combustion catalyst evenly and dependably.  SFA’s combustion catalyst reduces prompt NOx and permits operating engines under lean-burn conditions that cool the engine with excess air and reduce thermal NOx.  Without the catalyst, engines cannot operate under these conditions.

In addition to allowing operators to reach and exceed regulatory agency requirements for NOx, there is sufficient fuel savings to pay for application of the combustion catalyst technology resulting in zero net cost to the operator.  The alternative to this technology is purchase of scrubber equipment, chemicals and maintenance at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars with no net return to the customer other than reducing NOx.

Liquid Fuels

Liquid hydrocarbon fuels range from ASTM No. 1 (Naphtha or gasoline feed stock) and ASTM No. 2 (heavier distilled products) to ASTM No. 6 (residual oil).  Problems encountered vary widely depending upon the chemical and physical properties of the fuel.  SFA’s Fuel Management Technology™ can predict reduction of fuel consumption and emissions.  Our technology allows us to treat different types of engines with varying product formulations and dosage rates for optimum performance.

Solid Fuels

Solid fuels include coal and coke.  SFA has developed products that can be effectively sprayed on solid fuels resulting in similar reductions in fuel consumption and emissions as with liquid fuels.

Alternative Fuels

Biodiesel is a viable alternative fuel available in limited amounts.  It is a good alternative to waste disposal of products such as used motor oils or cooking oil that can be converted into fuels.  SFA’s Fuel Management Technology™ can help customers resolve problems resulting from biodiesel use such as lower energy per unit weight and higher emissions.

Emissions

NOx

The stable oxides of nitrogen are not only highly toxic, but react in the upper atmosphere with oxygen to form ozone.  Ozone reacts with unburned hydrocarbons causing smog.  NOx is an emission of great concern for governmental regulatory agencies that have placed increasingly stringent restrictions on output from land-based and marine applications.

Unburned Hydrocarbons (UHC’s) and Carbon Monoxide

Unburned hydrocarbons are the result of inefficient combustion and lost fuel.  Not only are they an emission problem leading to smog formation, they represent unburned fuel that is wasted energy.  Carbon monoxide is an indicator of incomplete combustion.  It is normally present at parts per million levels.  SFA’s combustion catalysts can help reduce these components of engine exhausts.

Particulate Emissions

SFA’s first application of combustions catalysts were at the request of Westinghouse Electric Corp. in Westinghouse 501D5 104 MW combustion turbines.  Particulate emissions (dust or smoke) were reduced by 90% in the exhaust of these turbines.  The concept was tested in boilers and we producing the same result.  Particulate matter is incompletely combusted fuel reducing fuel efficiency.

Sulfur Oxides and Acid Rain

Sulfur oxide emissions are directly proportional to the amount of sulfur in fuel.  Use of high sulfur fuels is increasingly limited by governmental regulations.  Sulfur oxides can be reduced by use of expensive and difficult to maintain scrubber systems.  Low sulfur level fuels are more expensive and present issues such as lack of lubrication in the fuel.  SFA’s Fuel Management Technology™ assists customers with sulfur related fuel problems.

Acid rain is caused by condensation of sulfur trioxide with water to form sulfuric acid in exhaust gases of equipment operating on high sulfur level fuels.  SFA’s Fuel Management Technology™ has solutions for reducing this problem through use of magnesium compounds that neutralize the acid.

Improved Fuel Efficiency

Fuel Savings

SFA’s Fuel Management Technology™ has led to increased understanding of the application of combustion catalysts to improve fuel consumption.  Our technology is able to predict expected fuel savings for various fuels depending on their molecular structure.  Savings can range from 6% to 12% depending on the nature of the fuel.  At current costs for crude oil, these savings can be substantial.

Carbon Footprint

Conservation of fuel promotes good corporate citizenship.  Regardless of whether a country is a net importer or exporter of crude oil, conservation aids balance of payments and reduces consumption of precious resources.  SFA’s Fuel Management Technology™ can help your company or organization go “green.”

Maintenance Issues

Deposits and Corrosion

SFA’s Fuel Management Technology™ eliminates deposits and corrosion from use of fuels containing ash-bearing components.  Deposits can form in boilers and process heaters and cause corrosion on Diesel engine exhaust valves and turbochargers with potentially catastrophic failure of power blades in combustion turbines.  SFA’s products raise the melting points of ash components so that deposits do not adhere to hot metal parts.

Lubricity and Metal Galling

Hydro-desulfurization processes in the refinery that remove sulfur lead to highly aliphatic fuels without natural lubrication characteristics.  The result is fuels that are “dry” leading to loss of metal on moving parts through galling or abrasion.  SFA’s Fuel Management Technology™ has developed lubricity agents that return this lubricating capacity to the fuel thus reducing maintenance issues.  SFA applies lubricity agents separately into fuels and in combination with combustion catalysts for superior performance in low-sulfur fuels.

Engine Vibrations

Highly asphaltenic fuels exhibit delayed ignition characteristics resulting in pressure pulses late in the compression stroke.  This can lead to low-frequency vibrations, metal fatigue, stress cracking and failure in critical engine parts such as crankshaft bearings.  SFA’s combustion catalyst results in earlier ignition of the fuel eliminating the vibrations and resulting problems.

SFA’s combustion catalysts reduce typical Diesel “knock” providing a much quieter engine.

Engine Oil Life

The use of SFA’s combustion catalyst will extend engine oil life in Diesel engines.  This is the result of more complete combustion with less carbon particulate matter blow-by into the crankcase.

Governmental Regulatory Requirements

United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

The EPA has set or is in the process of setting increasingly tight requirements for emissions.  SFA is working with current and anticipated regulations to help customers meet or exceed those requirements.  Some international standards (Europe) are similar if not more stringent than those in the United States, and we are currently providing solutions to meet these standards.

State Regulatory Agencies

Each U.S. state has an agency that implements federal EPA requirements in that state.  Examples are Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and California Air Resources Board (CARB).  In some cases such as California, state requirements for emissions are more stringent than Federal EPA requirements.  Other states such as Texas are less stringent.  In the final analysis, Federal law supersedes state law because of air travel over state lines and the Interstate Commerce Act.  SFA’s Fuel Management Technology™ can assist companies and organizations in managing compliance.

Maritime MPEC Regulation 13

Maritime requirements restricting use of high sulfur fuels now include 200 nautical mile limits around most of Europe and North America.  Nitrogen oxide emissions are limited with severe fines for exceeding prescribed levels.  SFA is actively working with customers to reduce these emissions and meet government requirements.

Greenhouse Gases and Other Environmental Considerations

Regardless of personal opinion about greenhouse gases, reduction of carbon dioxide will be a subject for discussion for years to come.  The U.S. EPA has declared carbon dioxide an environmental hazard even though it is required for photosynthesis which in turn releases oxygen to the environment.  Because of the chemistry of the combustion reaction, natural gas produces about 66% of the carbon dioxide as coal and heavy liquid fuel.  SFA believes that there will be an increase in natural gas consumption in developed countries and most particularly, the United States and Europe.  SFA’s Fuel Management Technology™ can help those customers who covert to natural gas use.

Alternate power options such as wind, solar panels and electric batteries each present economic and technical limitations on their use.  SFA’s Fuel Management Technology™ advises customers on alternatives for energy conservation and best use of energy resources.

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