Category Archives: Articles

Cavitation and its Types

Hydrodynamic cavitation is a process of generation of cavities (bubbles) filled with gas and vapor dissolved in fluid. The cavities appear when fluid flows around obstacles or vice versa, the obstacles (blades) move in liquid.

The cavities explode into tiny bubbles, which can burst under certain conditions.  The burst bubbles release local pressure up to 103 Pa, with subsequent jet formation 700 – 800 m / s and local energy generated at 10 kW / m3.

Cavitation destroys everything, no material can resist it. Therefore, the processes of dispersion, emulsification, activation, crushing, separation, mixing, energy production, intensification of technological processes are performed with  minimum energy.

Cavitation devices are based on the processes of hydrodynamic cavitation, effective mixing, activation, dispersing and homogenization. They are new generation equipment greatly intensifying and accelerating the processes in liquid environments, significantly lowering the cost of energy and resources.

These devices can be classified according to operation mode, input and output of the gas phase, the type of design and features, and the types of cavitation process, which could be natural and artificial. Natural cavitation occurs in liquids when pressure falls  below vapor pressure. It creates cavities and cavitation bubbles in liquid filled with steam and diffused gases.

Natural cavitation is characterized by two phases: initial bubble cavitation and oscillation of bubbles.

Bubble cavitation has a cavitation field with a low pressure zone, filled with cavitation bubbles  in clusters, and a high pressure zone, where cavitation bubbles are broken to form a micro-flow at 50-1500 m / s and the pressure of 102 MPa.

The bubbles oscillate and grow slowly in size or shape, larger than the cavitator by 1-5 times or more. The pressure pulse produces a periodic growth and collapse of cavitation bubbles. The bubble oscillation mode  is widely used in the processes of mixing, degassing, evaporation and contact heating.

Artificial cavitation occurs by venting liquid flow with gas. The gas is generated under pressure.

Artificial cavitation is characterized by two types of gas-leakage: the pulsating or portion-leakage, and the constant gas-leakage with continuous gas flow. Artificial cavitation mode is used for the aeration of sewage, for mixing gas and liquid, for contact heat transfer, flotation, it is also used in ejection equipment.

In natural cavitation the pressure in the cavity is equal to the vapor pressure of the liquid at the constant liquid temperature. In artificial cavitation the pressure is formed in the cavity due to the enhanced gas-leakage. It is always higher than the vapor pressure.  This allows to simulate a wide range of cavitation, for example, increasing the flow of liquid would cause cavitation on the walls of the cavity.

Raw Materials for Liquid Soap

Liquid soap. At least once every person faces a dilemma of what kind of soap to buy: liquid or solid. Let’s try to understand the difference.

Let’s start with the composition of soap, which determines its consistency. Liquid soap has different synthetic surfactants in its composition, the most common is sodium laureth sulfate. It produces a lathering effect, capable of producing rich foam and has a relatively small price. But it has a disadvantage,  causing irritation of skin.

There is another kind of liquid soap. It is produced by alkaline saponification of animal fats and oils. But to obtain a product with sufficient foaming, it is necessary to buy more expensive oils – olive or coconut. The high cost of this type of soap is the reason that it is not highly popular.

Natural solid soap is made by alkaline saponification of vegetable oils and animal fats. The base oil may be coconut, palm and palm kernel. Sodium hydroxide gives the soap its hardness. And different extracts and vitamins make the soap into our everyday product.

What is the practical difference between these two forms of soap: liquid and solid? First, it starts with the packaging. Liquid soap comes in a bottle with a dispenser. Therefore, it is not picked up by hand and is more convenient to use compared to rubbing hands with something hard. That is why liquid soap is used in public places: hospitals, restaurants, cafes, shopping malls, etc. But this does not mean that solid soap cannot be used there as well. Even in direct contact with the hands of many people, it can never become a bacteria carrier, because bacteria cannot survive in alkaline environment.

For the production of liquid soap it is necessary to purchase the necessary raw materials: vegetable oils, natural oils, fragrances, dyes, etc. Then the GlobeCore USB unit mixes the necessary components (two to six) in a stream. It is an excellent equipment for obtaining liquid soap. The product does not separate, and it can be stored for a long time without loss of properties.

USB High Octane Fuel Blending Plants

Fuel blending system. Every driver knows that the higher is the octane number of gasoline, the better and more expensive the fuel. This parameter characterizes the fuel’s ability to ignite.

Engine sizes and designs are related with fuel (gasoline) characteristics. The cars are different in size, with different engines that use gasoline with different octane numbers. It is better to buy suitable gasoline than to run into cylinder head problems when it misfires.

How does a manufacturer achieve the right octane number of gasoline? There are several ways. The analysis of components of gasoline indicates that the necessary vapor pressure can be reached by changing the amount of butane. The octane number is achieved by adding lead compounds (tetraethyl lead and tetramethyl lead) to gasoline. It is also possible to use other additives: ethanol, methanol, tert-butyl alcohol and methyl tert-butyl ether.

Thus, blending of fuels includes:

  1. Preparation of commercial gasoline by mixing it with additives in accordance with the existing technical requirements;
  2. Increasing the octane number of commercial gasoline through mixing with additives and ingredients in specified amounts.

The USB fuel blending system by GlobeCore is designed for production of commercial gasoline. It blends oil components, pumps gasoline, light oil fractions and other components, and can be used in oil refineries, fuel storage facilities and warehouses.

Currently, GlobeCore produces of a number of mixing plants (USB-18 USB-20 USB-60, USB-100, USB-150) for blending fuels and liquids of any kind (from two to seven components), including vegetable oil. Production rate of these units vary from 17 to 150 m3 / h.

The USB units achieve the following:

  • Easy operation of tank farms;
  • Reduced labor costs and the number of staff;
  • Increased productivity;
  • Improved efficiency of the equipment;
  • Simplified mixing process.

The special feature of the USB unit is the ultrasonic mixing system which uses injection method that can increase the octane number of gasoline. This method produces a product that does not separate in 180 days.

Starting your own liquid soap business

Liquid soap. When making a decision to start a business and considering the different ides, it is important to consider many different factors. The main factors are demand and cost of a product or a service.

Looking for a popular and inexpensive product, it is easy to pick soap, which successfully competes with more expensive cosmetic and hygiene products. It is understandable that the level of competition in the soap market is high, but it does not mean that you will be unable to take a worthy place, with special recipes based on natural ingredients and high-performance equipment.

When choosing between solid and liquid soap, it is preferable to chose the latter, because liquid soap has a number of advantages compared to its solid counterpart. In particular, liquid soap saves money, is easy to use, variable in composition, hygienic and versatile.

To start the production of liquid soap on a large scale, it is necessary to perform the following steps:

  1. Register a trademark;
  2. Find a production space of more than 60 square meters;
  3. Purchase the necessary equipment;
  4. Obtain permits;
  5. Hire staff;
  6. Market the product.

Each of these steps is important, but the heart of the production remains the equipment. In general, the production line for liquid soap must be equipped with:

  • Filters;
  • Flow meters;
  • Mixers;
  • Pumps;
  • A tank for heating the mixture.

The best mixers for liquid soap are USB units by GlobeCore. This is a hydrodynamic cavitation reactor with a powerful cavitation effect and hydrodynamic surge in its chamber. The effects of hydrodynamic shock and cavitation lead to a profound dispersion of all components of liquid soap. The fine dispersion preserves soap characteristics for a long time.

The USB units allow to create high quality liquid soap that would take a leading position in the market.

Additives for fuel economy: a modern view

Fuel additives. A private car doesn’t just give you the pleasure of a quick and comfortable ride, but it also requires everyday expenses for maintenance, and the biggest expense is the cost of fuel. The question of saving on fuel is very relevant.

The Internet offers many tips. One of the ways to save fuel is to use special additives. But experience shows that these additives have both advantages and disadvantages. Let’s try to understand where the additives can be used, and where they are  better avoided.

The advantages and disadvantages depend on the active ingredients of the additives and their main characteristics.

Tetraethyl reduces smoke emissions, reduces engine noise and has a positive impact on engine performance. Tetraethyl additives are often added to gasoline to improve gasoline quality. The main drawback of these additives is evaporation of lead compounds hazardous health and potentially deadly.

Fuel additives. Adding alcohol into the fuel can increase the octane number and improve the flammability index. The main disadvantage of alcohol application is its degrading effect on seals and rubber or plastic parts.

Naphthalene, even in relatively small amounts, increases the quality of fuel and thus reduces its consumption. However, the use of naphthalene additives lead to the formation of deposits in the engine.

Acetone can both reduce fuel consumption and increase it. It all depends on the selected dosage.

Manganese additives have good performance, but they increase smoke opacity, which affects the spark plugs.

Ferrocene additives lead to the formation of sludge, which is very dangerous for moving mechanisms.

Additives containing monomethylamine and methyl tertiary butyl ether can also help save fuel. But their side effect is corrosive destruction of metal surfaces. With increased detonation, these additives can also cause foaming of fuel and formation of sludge.

Manufacturers of car antifreeze

Car antifreeze. The high rate of technical progress led to the development of motor vehicles with high quality, reliability and durability, and increased their mass production rate. The cause of this technological leap is the development of the internal combustion engine. This also called for the development of support systems, among them improvements of the cooling system. Among the coolants in heating systems are anti-freezes and other non-freezing liquids for year-round operation.

This is because water used as a coolant forms a 1 mm thick deposit on the walls of the cooling system and reduces heat exchange by 25%, which in turn reduces engine power by 6%, and increases fuel consumption by 5%. A one millimeter scale appears within three or four months of operation of the vehicle which uses natural water in the cooling system. Also, there is a formation of salt deposits on the surfaces which transmit heat. All this causes irregularities of temperature (thermal stresses), which can damage of the cooling system parts.

Car antifreeze. Difficulties arise through corrosive deterioration of components of the  cooling system, which are made of different metals (steel, cast iron, silumin, copper, aluminum, etc.). Once in contact, these metals form galvanic couples, increasing corrosion rate. Within 1.5-2 years a new car operating with natural water in the cooling system of its engine requires maintenance or even overhaul.

Using antifreeze eliminates most of the drawbacks associated with the use of natural water in the cooling systems. This is achieved by the introduction of inhibitors and additives that prevent formation of scale, reduce foaming, corrosion, pour point, and increase boiling point. The modern market consist of many foreign and domestic producers, such as ESSO, TEXASO, SHELL, VAMP, LUKOIL, TNK.

Their products meet technical specifications and standards.

Hydrocarbon Content of Diesel Fuel and Susceptibility to Additives

To make diesel fuel with high performance and optimal hydrocarbon content, modern methods of component content measurement are required.

It seems impossible to achieve without using additives. Additive efficiency depends to a large extent on the hydrocarbon composition of diesel. Additives for diesel fuel are mostly selected by trial and error. This stage is one of the most problematic for fuel producers. The main difficulty is combining surfactants of different nature and the consideration of susceptibility of fuel to additive packages.

It often happens that one additive improves a property and worsens another. For instance, a cetane improvement additive degrades lubricity, increases fuel density and viscosity. A lubricity additive reduces the susceptibility of the fuel to cetane improvement additives. Therefore, combining of these two types of additives requires increased concentrations. Using dispersers and pour point depressors can have a synergetic effect.

The current research is focused on selection and development of both multifunctional and individual additives. While the research is ongoing, there is a limitation: it is mostly performed on a specific type of diesel fuel. The composition of the product may vary even at one refinery. It is impossible to say that a fuel with good susceptibility to additives made by a certain manufacturer will be similarly susceptible to additives by another manufacturer. The problem can be solved by quickly adjusting the concentration of the additives or selecting more efficient additive concentrations.

The depressor and dispersion additives are the most sensitive to the hydrocarbon content variations of the fuel. An insignificant change of the n-alkane and amount and their molecular weight distribution reduces the low temperature properties of diesel fuel. Even stratification may occur in case of cold storage.

To sum it all up, knowing the hydrocarbon content of diesel fuel is a prerequisite to the production of high quality fuel and a basic tool for making the correct decision if the content of the fuel changes.

Catalytic Deparaffinization and Isodewaxing in Diesel Fuel Production

Diesel Fuel Production. Catalytic deparaffinization is increasingly used in oil refining due to its efficiency and technical simplicity. Experience shows that catalytic deparaffinization can be successfully integrated with deep hydrodesulfurization.

Let us briefly look at systems used for such processes. In 2003, hydrodewaxing equipment was first used. The equipment included a sulfur production section. The raw material for the process is a high paraffin content straight run diesel. The reactor section includes three reactors. In summer, when the demand for winter fuel is low, the second reactor can be stopped, excluding the process of dewaxing. The system is then set for diesel fuel hydrofining.

In 2005, a system for deep hydrofining of diesel fuel was developed. The general objective was achieved by using a multistage reactor system. Each reactor was equipped with a separate catalyst. In the first reactor, sulfur and nitrogen compounds were removed and olefins were saturated with hydrogen. The second reactor was designed for hydrodearomatization of hydrocarbons, and the third one for reduction of fuel pour point. This last reactor is mostly used in the cold season.

The catalytic hydrofining and dewaxing system was also implemented. The equipment allows the production of stable components, which can be used in production of high performance winter and summer fuels. The raw material is a mix of crude and gas condensate. The technology implemented in this system can produce winter and arctic diesel fuel with sulfur content below 50 ppm.

However, research is ongoing into increasing the efficiency of hydrofining to produce diesel fuels with low cloud point. The focus of this research is now the development of new catalytic systems.

Production of Diesel Fuel Blends

Diesel Fuel Blends. Modern oil refining performs several important functions, among which improvement of the low temperature performance of diesel fuel performance and increased depth of hydrofining.

Until recently, the production of fuel with good low temperature performance was done by either reducing the end of fuel boiling from 360ºС to 340ºС (330ºС for arctic fuel), or by dilution with kerosene. In both cases, the economic viability was questionable. In many cases, diesel fuel performance suffered, with reduction of cetane number and lubricity.

Therefore, gradual implementation of modern catalytic hydrogenation processes into oil refining began: hydroisomerization and catalytic deparaffinization. The processes allow to change diesel fuel, optimizing their hydrocarbon composition.

Multifunctional Cleaning Additives

Multifunctional Cleaning Additives. Modern oil refining cannot directly produce diesel fuel which can also clean the engine and the fuel system in the process of operation. Engine operation can be disrupted even by a small amount of desposits, degrading its efficiency and economy.

That is why mutifunction cleaning additives were developed. They improve performance and environmental parameters of diesel fuel. This type of additive reduces fuel consumption by 3-5%, while decreasing exhaust toxicity by 10-15%. In combination, this reduces the risk of premature replacement of post-combustion catalysts and soot filters. However, this is not the primary objective of using the cleaning additives. Their main purpose is to ensure even spraying of fuel by preventing deposits on the spraying nozzles.

Although the deposits in diesel engines are similar in composition and structure to those formed in gasoline engines, they are far more dangerous. This is due to the possible disruption of the entire high pressure fuel system operation.

The modern diesel vehicles are mostly equipped with the Common-rail injection system. It improves the efficiency of the multifunctional cleaning additives. The main features of the Common-rail engines are:

  • fuel supply pressure is 2500 atm, compared to just 100-400 atm in a regular engine;
  • fuel is injected into the combustion chamber in two portions. The small portion initiates combustion. This makes the combustion even, and fuel economy reaches 20%.

The main component of cleaning additives is cyclic amines, with the molecular weight of the alkyl radical above 1000. They have high thermal stability and therefore are well suited for diesel fuel. The solvents are volatile hydrocarbon fractions which easily solve the active components of the additives, improving dosage.

A cleaning additive is usually a package of components, including the main component (thermally stable surfactant), corrosion inhibitor, antioxidant, demulsifier and anti-foaming additive. If necessary, the additive may also contain solvent, friction modifier and anti-wear components.

The efficiency of the cleaning is evaluated by the nozzle gumming rate.

Thus, the test is run by BASF. The cleaning performance of basic fuel and fuel with additives is compared on a Peugeot XUD9 A/L engine (1.9 l, 4 tacts, 4 cylinders) according to the most commonly used 10 hour test method according to the CEC-F23-A-01 standard on the motor bench in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The standard minimum, according to the world fuel charter, is 85% (limitation of the flow with fuel needle raised 0.1 mm).

Cleaning additives operate just as any other surfactant: the bind the molecules on the surface to their hydrophilic part. The polar part of the molecules are oriented towards the fuel.