Technical Committee Fuel Oils
Deposit formation by 20 % (V/V) FAME fuels in premix burner systems
In the domestic heating market the development and use of fuels with an increasing share of
biogenic or alternative fuels is propagated. Due to the fact, that modern fuel oil burner feature
a complex carburation techniques and combustion, changes on the fuel properties and composition
can lead to increased emissions or deposit formation therein. Furthermore, the different
fuel properties may result in decreased storage stability, which has to be evaluated
before introducing them into the market. The scope of the project was to investigate the performance
of low-sulfur domestic heating oil (DHO) with up to 20 % v/v FAME on the storage
stability and on the use in oil-fired heating systems. The project was split into two major
parts. The first part covered a two-year storage of the fuels including sampling and analysis
of the fuels every half year. The analysis was conducted according to DIN 51603-1 for the
pure DHO and according to DIN SPEC 51603-6 for the blends. It has been shown, that low
sulphur domestic heating oil with up to 20 % (V/V) of FAME after two years of storage fits the
parameter of the corresponding standards. Furthermore, a new testing method, called
“DGMK-714” derived from the PetroOxy-test (EN 16091) has been defined. With this method
for the determination of oxidation stability the fuels can be characterized being comparable to
the standardized testing methods of modified Rancimat or PetroOxy. The higher sample volume
of the method allows further analysis of the fuel sample after testing for characterization
of the fuels. The second part of the project investigated the deposit formation tendencies of
the fuels in an idealized testing apparatus and in three different kinds of oil burners. Using
the idealized testing apparatus proved an increased tendency of deposit formation during
evaporation for an increasing FAME content. However, this tendency could not be observed
in the three commercial oil-fired heating systems. A precise fuel specific failure could not be
observed. Hence the results of this project sustain the future introduction of bio heating oil
with a content of FAME of up to 20 % v/v.
The IGF project (16129 N) of the Research Association for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Coal was funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology via the AiF within the framework of the programme for the promotion of joint industrial research and development (IGF) on the basis of a resolution of the German Bundestag.