Danica Diesel Plays Key Role in High-Profile Project to Develop New Emissions Mitigation Technology

In 2005, Danica Diesel and founder Holger Jacobsen was approached by Sea to Sky Pollution Solutions Corporation (Sea to Sky) to participate in the Port of Los Angeles R&D Project. Sea to Sky had applied for funding through the Port Air Quality Mitigation Incentive Program (PAQMIP), a five-year $200 million grant program that attracts a wide array of proposals from competitors from all over the globe. Reducing emissions in the Port of L.A. has become a serious focus due to the deteriorating air quality in California's port and coastal communities as a result of marine air pollution.

In July of 2005 the proposal was submitted to the Port of Los Angeles and was selected for funding by POLA's Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) in December of 2005.

The project was a short-term research and development project for an on demand water in fuel emulsion system to reduce emissions from marine vessels while at berth in port. Danica was selected as a project participant because founder Holger Jacobsen was one of the few marine diesel engine specialists with the requisite knowledge and expertise to enable the technology by retrofitting the new water in fuel emulsion system to an existing vessel's engine.

Project funds were for the research and development of a functioning prototype WiFE on Demand system, and then retrofitting and installation of the prototype by Danica Diesel on leading shipping company Seaspan Ship Management's vessel Jakarta Express's auxiliary engines in order to conduct emissions testing.

In less than one year Sea to Sky, Danica and their development partners successfully designed, retrofitted and installed a functioning prototype on M/V Jakarta Express in the third quarter of 2006. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is supplying additional funding for testing of WiFE on Demand's emission reduction effectiveness on M/V Jakarta Express's auxiliary engine in June 2007.

Project Partners

A number of high-level players including key government bodies and industry stakeholders participated in the Port of Los Angeles R&D Project including:

• Sea to Sky Pollution Solutions Corporation
• Danica Diesel Ltd.
• Seaspan Ship Management
• Port of Los Angeles
• California Air Resources Board (CARB)
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• University of California Riverside (Center for Environmental Research & Technology (C-CERT))
• MAN B&W Diesel

Seaspan Ship Management, one of the world's fastest growing shipping companies, saw value in participating in an R&D project that could contribute to changing the face of water in fuel emulsion technology as a pollution solution for marine vessels. Established in the Marshall Islands in the spring of 2005, Seaspan completed the largest single successful initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange on August 8, 2005 in marine history.

Man B&W Diesel, the world's leading manufacturer of marine diesel engines worked closely with Sea to Sky and Danica to ensure the safe retrofitting of the technology on the demonstration vessel's engine, and was also instrumental in the development and patenting of the WiFE on Demand AutoPurge safety system for both the Jakarta Express Project as well as our subsequent APL Project.

University of California Riverside's Center for Environmental Research & Technology (CCERT) was responsible for baseline emissions testing and will conduct the postinstallation emissions testing in June 2007, which will be funded outside the scope of the original project by CARB.

Danica Diesel Provides Required Expertise to Enable On Demand Water in Fuel Emulsion System

While the effectiveness of any new emission mitigation technology is crucial, just as critical is the specialized expertise required to enable the technology by effectively retrofitting it to an existing engine on a vessel. Danica played this pivotal role for the Port of L.A. R&D Project, providing the requisite marine diesel engine expertise in the form of consulting, design and development, modification and installation for the WiFE system on Jakarta Express.

Danica' role in the project was both multifaceted and extensive. Danica provided consultation regarding the initial design of the WiFE system and equipment specifications, as well as project management for all stages of the equipment's installation, including any necessary modifications to the ship's fuel system. This often included Holger Jacobsen and Danica's engineers sailing on the vessel to conduct performance base measurements and assessing baseline mechanical conditions to ensure that the WiFE system was not damaging the vessel's engine, a crucial requirement for the technology's acceptance by vessel operators and engine makers.

In addition, Danica was involved in the testing protocol, provided advice for the design of the WiFE's AutoPurge flushing safety system and was instrumental in creating the extensive documentation required for WiFE's approval by authorities.

Water in Fuel Emulsion Overview

Water in fuel emulsion is the process of emulsifying fuel and water before injection into the engine's combustion cylinder, thereby reducing the maximum peak combustion temperature which in turn reduces nitrous oxides (NOx). At the same time, when the water droplets vaporize, they produce "micro-explosions" inside the surrounding fuel droplets, and these micro-explosions expose more of the fuel's surface area to the air, which increases combustion. The micro-explosions also release the water's two elements - hydrogen and oxygen - and the additional oxygen inhibits the formation of the compound called PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), thereby reducing particulate matter (PM).

Example of the WiFE Process: Heavy Fuel Oil (For MFO a surfactant is used)

Water in fuel emulsion (WiFE) has been around since the early 1900s and is a proven technology for reducing emissions from diesel engines. Emissions reductions are in the order of 1:1 for NOx and 1:2 to 1:3 for PM based on water percentage (i.e. 30% water reduces NOx by 30% and PM by 60-90%).The in-cylinder evaporation of the water also improves the atomization of the fuel causing it to burn more completely.

However, for a variety of reasons, the use of water in fuel emulsion in the marine industry has been relatively limited to date, partly because up until recently emissions were not a focus for vessel operators.

New On Demand Water in Fuel System a Practical Pollution Solution for the Marine Industry

When designing the demand WiFE system developers specifically incorporated aspects and components into the system that would provide solutions to previous barriers to the use other water in fuel emulsion systems. For one, the system was designed to provide the flexibility of being "on demand" so that a vessel's needs for both emission reduction and engine power can be met simultaneously. The technology can be suspended when more power and torque are required, such as in docking situations.

Another important feature was eliminating the previous need for costly pre-emulsified fuels (PEFs) bunkered from on shore by integrating our WiFE system with an oily water separator so that the system uses the dirty water generated onboard. PEFs are equivalent to purchasing watered down whiskey for the same cost, however the water in the PEF has no caloric value, reduces a vessel's range and takes up extra storage space. By using oily water generated on board for the emulsification process the need to carry fresh water on board for emulsification is eliminated, as is the costly disposal of this polluted water on shore and its associated deleterious environmental impacts.

With the assistance of MAN B&W, the developers also designed a patented AutoPurge evacuation safety system to protect the engine so that the fuel lines would be immediately flushed of emulsified fuel in the event of engine failure, power failures or emergencies.

Danica Diesel in Demand: Success of POLA R&D Project Results in Second High-Profile Project for Danica

The success of the POLA R&D Project resulted in Danica Diesel being selected to participate in a second project led by Sea to Sky - The APL Project - at the Port of Los Angeles, this time a long-term three-year demonstration project of the water in fuel emulsion technology "WiFE on Demand". Funded by the Port of Los Angeles through the Carl Moyer program, the APL Project's purpose is to demonstrate and test WiFE on Demand on the main engine of APL Maritime's vessel APL Singapore to determine its effectiveness in reducing emissions from ocean-going vessels. Danica was an integral partner in this project assisting with technology design, retrofitting and installation of WiFE on Demand on the demonstration vessel. Click here to read about the APL Project.


This picture shows the heart of the WiFE unit which is the fuel processor - all it is for comparison is a midsize electric motor with a sheer force pump attached to it.

Of cause, it's not as easy as that. There are many more elements to the system, but generally the idea and technology is ideal. Even without emulsifying water the engine will run better, because the fuel mix is much more homogeneous when it is consumed in the engine. This is important because the long carbon chains that are a result of an intensive refining including a process call "Cat Cracking" (catalytic cracking), in order to remove every drop of valuable components for use in other high value products, are cut in very small pieces. This results in the fuel burning faster, and will dramatically increase the particulate matter (PM ) in the form of soot and reduce the engine efficiency.