WO2021240320A1

WO2021240320A1 - System and method for the comprehensive management of marpol i waste, on board a ship

Info

Publication number: WO2021240320A1
Application number: PCT/IB2021/054420
Authority: WO
Inventors: Joan SERRA DELGADO
Original assignee: Serra Delgado Joan
Priority date: 2020-05-25
Filing date: 2021-05-21
Publication date: 2021-12-02
Also published as: ES2883410A1; ES2883410B2

Abstract

System and method designed for the comprehensive management of Marpol I liquid hydrocarbon waste generated on board a ship, which makes it possible to convert what is currently considered a waste, Marpol IC sludge-type, into a product with high added value, demetallized fuel, to be reused as fuel by said ship, while offering the ship the possibility of managing its hydrocarbon waters, ensuring that current environmental regulations are met.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE MANAGEMENT OF MARPOL I

WASTE, ON BOARD A SHIP

Field of the invention

The present invention refers to the processing of Marpol I waste, on board a ship, and in particular to a system and a method for the management of said waste and the recovery of the fuel contained in Marpol 1C sludge-type waste, in the form of demetallized fuel, to be reused as fuel by said ship.

Background of the invention

It is known that heavy oil can be processed directly on board ships by clarification to remove solids, in particular by sedimentation or centrifugation of non-combustible solids and removal of an aqueous phase. Patent document US2016122661 A discloses a method for the treatment of heavy oil, on board a ship, to be used as fuel where an aqueous phase and a sludge phase are separated from a clean fuel phase in a centrifuge. This aqueous phase and the sludge phase separated from the fuel are the main components of Marpol IC sludge-type waste.

Methods are known for the processing of Marpol IC sludge-type waste, on board a ship, such as evaporation or incineration, however, these processes do not achieve a fuel with a quality suitable to be reused by the engine of the ship. Such is the case of patent document US4757618 A where the Marpol sludge-type waste is processed to obtain recovered fuel for subsequent combustion in the steam boilers of the ship.

In order for the fuel recovered from the Marpol IC sludge-type waste on board a ship to be used as fuel oil by the engine of the ship, the fuel must comply with quality standards that ensure that its parameters, such as the content of non-combustible metals (ashes), are suitable for the engine not to be damaged. ISO 8217:2012 Fuel Class Standard is an example of naval fuel oil parameters.

Regarding the processing of Marpol I bilge water-type waste, or other hydrocarbon waters (slop water), on board a ship, in the prior art there have been several attempts to simplify the process of purification of water contaminated with hydrocarbon and to separate the hydrocarbon from the water. In accordance with current environmental legislation, as established in the Marpol Convention, water contaminated with more than 15 ppm of hydrocarbon cannot be discharged into the sea. Patent documents US4121993 A and US8696873 B2 describe systems for the separation of hydrocarbon contained in the water, on board a ship.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and a method for the comprehensive management of Marpol I waste, particularly suitable in relation to the conditions that occur on board ships, by means of a single system of compact dimensions, fully automated, which results in a reduction of waiting times for the ships and of the unloading costs of said waste in port.

Another object of the present invention is to obtain a high quality demetallized fuel from Marpol 1C sludge-type waste generated on board a ship, which can be used as fuel oil for the engine of the ship, generating fuel costs savings.

Summary of the invention

The present invention refers to a system and a method designed for the comprehensive management of Marpol I liquid hydrocarbon waste generated on board a ship.

It is a dual functioning system that, depending on the operating mode in which it operates, enables, on the one hand, the processing of Marpol 1C sludge-type waste, and on the other hand the processing of other Marpol I waste, such as Marpol 1C bilge water-type waste or Marpol IB and Marpol IA waste.

Processing of Marpol 1C sludge-type waste allows:

- recovery of the fuel contained therein in the form of demetallized fuel; and

- recirculation of the remaining hydrocarbon water into the bilge water tank of the ship for further processing.

Processing of other Marpol I wastes, such as Marpol 1C bilge water-type waste or Marpol IA and Marpol IB waste, commonly called slops, allows:

- separation of the hydrocarbons contained in the hydrocarbon water, which are recirculated to the sludge tank of the ship, for further processing; and

- discharge of the separated water into open sea, after analysis of the hydrocarbon content in the water, which ensures that the established limits of 15ppm of hydrocarbon in the water are not exceeded.

The system thus allows generating a closed waste processing cycle, converting what is currently considered a waste, Marpol IC sludge, into a product with high added value (demetallized fuel), while offering the ship the possibility to manage its hydrocarbon waters, those of the bilge and those of other Marpol I waste tanks, such as wash water tanks (slops tanks), ensuring that current environmental regulations are met.

This is achieved through a compact and fully automated system that does not require personnel for its operation. It only requires a reagent reservoir to be refilled and periodic maintenance checks performed.

The system of the present invention has application both in existing ships and in newly built ships.

This system allows the ship to manage its Marpol I waste and at the same time recover the fuel contained in the Marpol 1C sludge with the same or similar quality as refinery fuel used by the engine of the ship.

By means of a demetallization process of the fuel contained in the Marpol 1C sludge-type waste, by the addition of a reagent, an extractive reaction takes place allowing elimination of the contaminants present in the hydrocarbon phase of the waste. The main advantage of the system is that it allows the quality of the recovered fuel, in the form of demetallized fuel, to be equated with that of refinery fuel used by the ship for its engine. This level of quality of the obtained product allows it to be introduced into the fuel storage tanks of the ship. The demetallized fuel obtained by the system of the present invention complies with IS08217: 2012 Fuels Class Standard.

In addition, the reaction that is carried out entails a reduction in the viscosity of the recovered fuel, which, together with its minimum level of non-combustible metals, ends up resulting in a double benefit for the ship: the recovery of the fuel contained in the Marpol IC sludge-type waste in the form of demetallized fuel, and, when mixed with fuel oil, the reduction of the overall viscosity of the fuel of the ship.

Alternatively, it is contemplated that the invention also has application in the terrestrial market. The facilities dedicated to the processing of this waste are only located in major ports. The lack of facilities dedicated to the processing of said waste in other ports, islands, isolated areas, makes it necessary to export the waste to the ports that do have such facilities. The system of the present invention is a modular system designed to be placed in a standard 1 TEU (Twenty- foot Equivalent Unit) container, making it easy to transport.

It is also contemplated that the system can be integrated into existing treatment plants to fill their deficiencies, both in terms of production peaks and product quality parameters that are achieved with this system, in order to comply with increasingly strict environmental regulations such as Spanish legislation directive APM/206/2018, of February 22, which establishes the end-of-waste condition for fuel recovered in Marpol I waste treatment facilities.

The system can also be installed on a barge, turning a simple waste transport ship into a ship for the production of demetallized fuel.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1 shows a diagram of the system of the present invention.

Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the system of the present invention.

Fig. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of the emission treatment unit, with automatic cleaning of activated carbon, of the system of the present invention.

Fig. 4 shows a block diagram of the operation mode of the system of the present invention for the processing of Marpol I C sludge-type waste.

Fig. 5 shows a block diagram of the operation mode of the system of the present invention for the processing of waste Marpol I C bilge water-type waste and slops (Marpol I B and Marpol I A).

Fig. 6 shows a table with the technical specifications of the demetallized fuel obtained by means of the system of the present invention.

Fig. 7 shows a diagram of the Marpol I waste processing cycle of the present invention. Detailed description of some embodiments of the invention As shown in Fig. 1 , the system comprises:

- a Marpol I waste inlet (1 );

- a filter unit (2) for filtering said waste, connected to the Marpol I waste inlet (1 );

- at least one reactor (3) arranged at the outlet of the filter unit (2);

- a centrifugation unit (4) for centrifuging the mixture from the at least one reactor, arranged at the outlet of the at least one reactor (3);

- a reagent tank (10) connected to the at least one reactor (3);

- a recovered hydrocarbon tank (5) for storing the hydrocarbon separated in the centrifugation unit (4), arranged at the outlet of the centrifugation unit (4); - a separate water tank (6) for storing the water separated in the centrifugation unit (4), arranged at the outlet of the centrifugation unit (4);

- an analysis unit (7) of the amount of hydrocarbon in water for the analysis of the water coming from the separated water tank (6), arranged at the outlet of the separated water tank (6);

- an emissions treatment unit (8) equipped with an active carbon filter (8a) to eliminate pollutants in the emissions generated by the system, connected to the venting of the tanks of the system;

- a control unit (9) for controlling the system variables; and

- at least four outlets of processed waste; a demetallized fuel outlet (11 a) to a fuel tank, a hydrocarbon water outlet (11b) to a bilge, a separated hydrocarbon outlet (11c) to a sludge tank and a hydrocarbon-free water outlet (11 d) to open sea;

Additionally, the system comprises other elements (such as pumps, exchangers, valves, sensors, etc.) necessary for its correct operation, as shown in the preferred embodiment of Fig. 2.

The filter unit (2) has an automated cleaning system and, therefore, does not require manual cleaning operations.

The at least one reactor (3) is a tank with a special stirrer, designed for this purpose, which avoids generation of unwanted emulsions.

In another embodiment, the system comprises two reactors (3) to increase treatment capacity. In this case, Marpol I waste treatment capacity would double.

The centrifugation unit (4) is a completely automated system, both the operation and the periodic cleaning of the unit. Periodic cleaning is carried out using an in situ automatic cleaning system or cleaning in place (CIP). A cleaning solution such as water with diluted caustic sosa or diesel is preferably the product used for cleaning the centrifugation unit (4).

All possible polluting emissions that are generated in the process are processed by an emissions treatment unit (8) that includes an activated carbon filter (8a), as shown in Fig. 3, equipped with an automatic activated carbon cleaning system (8b). The system of the present invention is at atmospheric pressure and the emissions treatment unit (8) is connected to the venting of the different tanks comprised within the system. The activated carbon filter (8a) is designed to work autonomously, controlling the differential pressure and the temperature of the exhaust gases to ensure that the system is working correctly. In the activated carbon, the pollutants are adsorbed until it loses its capacity and it is necessary to proceed with the change of the activated carbon or its reactivation. The system is designed so that, depending on the differential pressure at the inlet and outlet of the filter, which is the indicator of how collapsed the carbon is, a process of cleaning of the same is initiated automatically, in situ. After the cleaning process, the activated carbon is ready to re adsorb the pollutants. The cleaning process extends the useful life of activated carbon and drastically reduces the volume of waste, since the carbon is no longer single-use.

The control unit (9) makes it possible to select, among other variables, the operating mode of the system between the two available operating modes; processing of Marpol 1C sludge-type waste and processing of Marpol 1C bilge water-type waste and slops waste (Marpol IB and Marpol IA). Said control unit (9) also allows the control of the periodic automatic CIP cleaning of the centrifugation unit (4), the cleaning system of the filter unit (2), as well as the automatic activated carbon cleaning system (8b) of the emissions treatment unit (8).

In a preferred embodiment, the interface between the user and the control unit (9) is a touch screen.

In an alternative embodiment, the system works autonomously by means of a communication system, integrated in the control system of the ship, comprising sensors (12) arranged in the Marpol I waste tanks of the ship, which upon detecting a certain level of waste, activate the pumping of the same to the system, that is then processed automatically. The system can be integrated in the control system of the ship and a report can be executed such that it can be included in the hydrocarbon book register of the ship.

In another alternative embodiment, the reagent tank (10) is connected to a reagent tank of the ship, to be filled automatically, eliminating the obligation to refill reagent manually and thus exponentially increase the treatment capacity of Marpol IC sludge-type waste by batch.

Depending on the selected operating mode, either manually or automatically through communication with the sensors arranged in the tanks, the system is capable of processing the different types of Marpol I waste.

In the Marpol IC sludge-type waste processing operation mode, the system is designed to be able to process 2 - 4 m³/h, with a treatment capacity of 800 - 1000 Tn of waste per batch, until the reagent has to be refilled. In the mode of operation for processing other Marpol I wastes, such as Marpol 1C bilge water-type bilge, the system is capable of processing 2 - 4 m³/h, with an unlimited treatment capacity, since it does not require addition of reagents for processing.

All the elements of the system comply with the requirements of protection against explosions, complying with the standards of the ATEX category. Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 show a block diagram of the two operation modes of the system for the processing of Marpol 1C sludge-type waste and the processing of the other Marpol I waste, bilge water and slops, respectively.

Whether the waste comes from the sludge tank (1a) of the ship, from the bilge (1b) of the ship or from the slops tank (1c) of the ship, the waste is pumped into the system by the ship and passes through a filter unit (2) to ensure that inappropriate solids are not introduced into the system. The filtered solid waste is returned to the sludge tank (1 a) of the ship.

In a preferred embodiment, the pumping of the waste is carried out by using the same pumps that ships have for unloading Marpol I waste to port.

In an alternative embodiment, the system has a pump that pumps the waste from the corresponding tanks (1a, 1b, 1c) to the system.

Subsequently, the filtered waste is sent to at least one reactor (3) where it is conditioned, by means of circulation in a heat exchanger or by conditioning the temperature of the at least one reactor by means of a steam coil, an electrical resistance or similar.

If the waste comes from the sludge tank (1a) of the ship, the reaction is carried out with a reagent, by stirring. The reagent used for the fuel demetallization process is preferably sulfuric acid, FI2SO4.

If the waste comes from the other tanks of Marpol I (1b, 1c), demetallization is not necessary since the objective is to obtain separated water free of hydrocarbon, without being essential the quality of the hydrocarbon separated in the centrifugation unit (4). Flydrocarbon-free water is understood to be water with a hydrocarbon content of less than or equal to 15 ppm.

The mixture from the at least one reactor (3) is introduced into the centrifugation unit (4), where the phases are separated, separating the hydrocarbon (light phase) from the water (heavy phase). Regarding the light phase that comes out of the centrifugation unit (4), whether the waste comes from the sludge tank (1a) of the ship or from the other tanks of Marpol I (1b, 1c), the recovered hydrocarbon is sent to the recovered hydrocarbon tank (5).

If the waste comes from the sludge tank (1a) of the ship, and therefore demetallization is carried out, the recovered hydrocarbon is in the form of demetallized fuel and it is pumped to the fuel tank of the ship, since it meets the requirements of the ISO 8217: 2012 Fuels Class Standard to be used as fuel oil.

As shown in the table of Fig. 6, it is highlighted that the parameters of the demetallized fuel obtained by means of the system of the present invention are analogous to those of refinery fuel, even some of them are improved, such as viscosity; a refinery fuel exceeds 350cP when the fuel demetallized by the system of the present invention does not reach 10OcP. This implies pumping and storage facilities, since when mixed with refinery fuel, the viscosity of the overall fuel is reduced, thus the processed fuel acts as a viscosity reducer.

If the centrifuged waste comes from the other Marpol I waste tanks (1b, 1c), the recovered hydrocarbon is pumped to the sludge tank (1a) of the ship.

In an alternative embodiment, when the centrifuged waste comes from the other Marpol I waste tanks (1b, 1c), if it is a compatible hydrocarbon (for example, fuel or diesel), the separated hydrocarbon is sent to the fuel tank of combustion for steam boilers, since it does not meet the requirements of the IS08217: 2012 Fuels Class Standard to be used as fuel oil, but it does serve to be burned in the ship's boilers and produce steam. If it is an unsupported hydrocarbon (i.e., gasoline), the separated hydrocarbon is returned to the slops tank (1c) of the ship.

In an alternative embodiment, it is contemplated that, when the centrifuged waste comes from the slops tank (1c) of the ship, a hydrometer is installed at the outlet of the filtering unit (2) that upon detecting that what is being introduced into the system is pure hydrocarbon phase, it recirculates it to the slops tank (1c), and the tank management is finished.

Regarding the heavy phase that leaves the centrifugation unit (4), whether the waste comes from the sludge tank (1a) of the ship or from the other Marpol I tanks (1b, 1c), the separated water is send to the separated water tank (6).

If the waste comes from the sludge tank (1a) of the ship the separated water is pumped to the bilge (1b) of the ship. If the centrifuged waste comes from the other Marpol I tanks (1 b, 1 c), the separated water from the separated water tank (6) is circulated through the analysis unit (7) of the amount of hydrocarbon in water, and, If the limits established by current environmental legislation are not exceeded (at present, 15ppm of hydrocarbon in water), the water is pumped to open sea. If the amount of hydrocarbon in water is exceeded, the water is pumped into the bilge (1 b) of the ship.

Thus, a closed cycle of Marpol I waste processing is generated, as shown in Fig. 7.

Once the nature of the invention has been sufficiently described, as well as some examples of preferred embodiment, it is stated for the appropriate purposes that the elements described may be modified, as long as this does not imply an alteration of the essential features of the invention that are claimed below.

Claims

1. Marpol I automatic waste processing system, on board a ship, comprising:

- a Marpol I waste inlet (1);

- at least one reactor (3) arranged at the outlet of the filter unit (2);

- a centrifugation unit (4) for centrifuging the mixture coming from the reactor, arranged at the outlet of the at least one reactor (3);

- a reagent tank (10) connected to the at least one reactor (3);

- a recovered hydrocarbon tank (5) for storing the hydrocarbon separated in the centrifugation unit (4), arranged at the outlet of the centrifugation unit (4);

- a separated water tank (6) for storing the water separated in the centrifugation unit (4), arranged at the outlet of the centrifugation unit (4);

- an emissions treatment unit (8) equipped with an activated carbon filter (8a) to eliminate pollutants in the emissions generated by the system, connected to the venting of the tanks of the system;

- a control unit (9) for controlling the system variables; and

- at least four outlets of processed waste; a demetallized fuel outlet (11a) to a fuel tank, a hydrocarbon water outlet (11b) to a bilge, a separated hydrocarbon outlet (11c) to a sludge tank and a hydrocarbon-free water outlet (11 d) to open sea;

2. System according to claim 1 , wherein the centrifugation unit (4) is equipped with an in situ automatic cleaning system or a cleaning in place (CIP).

3. System according to the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (9) allows control of the automatic cleaning system (CIP) of the centrifugation unit (4), a cleaning system of the filter unit (2) and an activated carbon cleaning system (8b) of the emissions treatment unit (8).

4. Method for the processing of Marpol I waste, on board a ship, comprising the steps of: a) pumping the waste to a filter unit (2); b) filtering the waste in the filter unit (2); c) conditioning the waste in at least one reactor (3); d) centrifuging the mixture from the at least one reactor (3) in a centrifugation unit (4) to separate the hydrocarbon from the aqueous phase; e) circulating the hydrocarbon separated in the centrifugation unit (4) to a recovered hydrocarbon tank (5); f) circulating the water separated in the centrifugation unit (4) to a separated water tank (6);

5. Method according to claim 4, wherein the waste, in step a), is pumped from the sludge tank (1a) of the ship.

6. Method according to claims 4 and 5, wherein a chemical reagent demetallization treatment is carried out in the at least one reactor (3).

7. Method according to claims 4 to 6, wherein the demetallized fuel from the recovered hydrocarbon tank (5) is pumped to the fuel tank of the ship, for its subsequent use.

8. Method according to claims 4 to 7, wherein the water from the separated water tank (6) is pumped into the bilge (1b) of the ship.

9. Method according to claim 4, wherein the waste, in step a), is pumped from the bilge (1 b) of the ship or from the slop tank (1c) of the ship.

10. Method according to claims 4 and 9, wherein the hydrocarbon from the recovered hydrocarbon tank (5) is pumped into the sludge tank (1a) or into the slop tank (1c) of the ship.

11 . Method according to claims 4, 9 and 10, wherein the water from the separated water tank (6) is circulated through an analysis unit (7) of hydrocarbon content in water and, if meeting the discharge parameters of less than or equal to 15 ppm of hydrocarbon content in water, is discharged by pumping it into open sea.

12. Method according to claim 11 , wherein if the hydrocarbon content in water is greater than 15 ppm the water is pumped to the bilge (1 b) of the ship.

13. Method according to claims 4 to 12, wherein pumping, in step a), is carried out by using the pumps available in the ships to discharge Marpol I waste to land and/or to a barge.

14. Method according to claims 4 to 13, wherein the solid waste resulting from step b) is circulated to the sludge tank (1a) of the ship.

15. Method according to claims 4 to 14, wherein pumping is carried out autonomously by means of a communication system, integrated in the control system of the ship, comprising sensors (12) placed in the sludge tank (1a) and the other Marpol I tanks (1b, 1c) of the ship, which upon detecting a certain level of waste trigger pumping of the same to the system.