For a ship or fleet of ships (tugs, dredgers, supply ships, trawlers, tuna boats, or other fishing boats, etc.) operating on EN 590 diesel or marine fuels (MDO and MGO), we advise setting up a manual pump dedicated to XBEE. This makes it possible to pour the XBEE into the hold, through inspection hatches, based on the quantity of fuel, using pails. Another possibility is to install an electric pump directly connected to the XBEE source on the one hand and inserted into the engine fuel line on the other, preferably before entering the storage hold.
This way, fuel improvement is automatic and there is no need to monitor XBEE stock levels.
A ship running on Heavy Fuel Oil IFO 380 (as well as other grades from 30 to 700 Centistokes, including IFO 180 cSt) may have a pump installed with a high-pressure spray for injecting the XBEE in the form of fine droplets that will mix more easily with the fuel. We recommended this set-up given the difference in density between Heavy Fuel Oil (around 960 to 1,010 kg/m3) and the XBEE (795 kg/m3) but is not mandatory. Additization may occur in the fuel supply line during filling or, depending on tanks cleanliness, on the fuel line between the hold and the sedimentation tank.
It is preferable to inject the XBEE as far from the combustion point as possible, i.e. in the tank or hold. We strongly advise to pour the XBEE fuel cleaner additive into the tank or hold before filling with fuel. The turbulence caused by the flow of incoming fuel enables the two liquids to mix effectively and quickly.
XBEE activation is nearly instantaneous since the enzymes start their catalyzing action just 30 minutes after additization in light fuels. This process takes a little more time in heavy fuels, up to 24 hours at low temperatures.
Our laboratory generally recommends a dose of one liter of XBEE for four thousand liters of fuel (4000:1), regardless of fuel. This is the optimum yield suggested by Dr. Shinji Makino, both with regards to the product’s technical efficiency and its economic profitability.
Exposing to direct sunlight for long periods of time, particularly UV rays, may deactivate the enzymes contained in the product thereby affecting effectiveness. All XBEE Enzyme Fuel Treatment packaging is opaque in order to prevent UV light entering or contains a UV penetration retardant for transparent containers. Nevertheless, we suggest to not store XBEE fuel additive outside and to avoid direct exposure to sunlight.
For improving heavy fuels with the XBEE Natural Fuel Cleaner, fuel heating temperature impact must be taken into account. Indeed, enzymes may be destroyed by temperatures greater than 80-90°C. So adding the fuel additive to the heated fuel while it is at temperatures from 30 to 60-70°C maximum is preferable.
