Starting on March 3, 2002, the crew treated all the fuel on board at a ratio of 3,000:1. This first trip ended on April 18, 2002.
Main characteristics of the Via Mistral:
The ship is based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, where it loads its fuel and goods before each fishing trip.
At the end of this first trip, the chief engineer noticed a reduction of the exhaust smokes, estimated at about 20%. Temperatures also were reduced by 2%.
On March 24, Bruno Martin based on the collected data estimated a reduction of the fuel consumption by 6.54%.
Another remarkable marker of the cleaning effect of XBEE was more deposits in the lube oil during the first weeks of treatment. The same has been observed in the filters and separators that collected more deposits.
Main engine fuel consumption per mile sailed (Lt):
– Treatment started during voyage 79, was incomplete on the next voyage, and regular from voyage 81 to 97.
– Data are missing for voyages 66, 67, 69, and 83.
– Trip 84 is quite unusual and can be explained by a contaminated fuel batch.
Auxiliary fuel consumption per ton of fish (Lt):
– Data are missing for trip 91, as the vessel stopped for technical overhaul.
– Trip 92 was made after the above-mentioned inspection.
After this first experience, the company decided to continue treating the ship, at a regular ratio of 4,000:1. The crew was able to collect data for more than two years of regular work:
– Diesel consumption per trip (m³).
– Fish caught per trip (tons).
– Distance sailed per trip (nautical miles).
– Working hours of the main engine and auxiliary engines.
We have data for this same vessel from May 2000 to February 2002, using standard diesel fuel, and from March 2002 to September 2004: 13 trips without XBEE compared to 19 trips treated with XBEE enzymatic fuel technology.
The following pages show the results calculated from the data provided, followed by approximate data and reports from chief engineer Bruno Martin.
The most important data is that the ship reduced its fuel consumption:
– Main engine by -4.17% per nautical mile.
– Auxiliary engines by -13.76% per ton of fish (the vessel caught +28% more fish when treated with XBEE).
