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FORSØK MED
HAMMERDOWN I
U.S. COAST GUARD

(Rapportutdragene er beholdt på engelsk)

US Department of Transportation, United States Coast Guard

22 Mar 1989

From; Commanding Officer, USCGC Key Largo

SUBJ; Use and testing of HAMMERDOWN fuel oil additive from LV PETRO INC. aboard USCGC KEY LARGO

On 23 Jan 1989 this unit purchased a product from LV PETRO called Hammerdown. Hammerdown is a fuel oil additive designed to increase fuel oil cetane level and clean fuel system. This product also aids in removing moisture and suspended particles from fuel.

The main reason this unit started using Hammerdown was because of a severe smoking problem we were having with the main diesel engines. (....) Shortly after treatment we ran a four-day patrol at which time we made several noticeable observations. We had been noticing an increasing knock, which sounded like a valve or fuel knock. Our first day of the patrol after treating the knocking sound went away. On the third day of the patrol, while operating on the port engine only, we attempted to start the starboard main engine. Upon light-off the engine started blowing excessive white smoke and running very rough, investigation showed both primary and secondary filters clogged with suspended carbon and water. Unit engineers changed all filters at that time and upon light-off found that the engine had quite smoking and that the engine seemed to be idling better than ever before. (....) We changed all main engine and s/a generator filters at that time and have not had to change filters since that time.

CWO David E. Tomlinson

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MAR 98

FM USS FIREBOLT

SUBJ/HAMMERDOWN ADDITIVE QUICK-LOOK//

REF/A/RMG/CSBR2/241609ZFEB98//

RMKS/1. REF A IDENTIFIED PC10 AS THE EAST COAST TEST PLATFORM TO EVALUATE HAMMERDOWN FUEL ADDITIVE.
THE ADDITIVE WAS INTRODUCED INTO THE FUEL SYSTEM ON 14FEB98 ALONG WITH A COMPLETE FILTER CHANGE OUT. AN AVERAGE OF 300 HOURS, ON EACH ENGINE, HAS BEEN EXPENDED SINCE THIS ADDITIVE WAS INTRODUCED. SINCE USING HAMMERDOWN FIREBOLT HAS NOTED THE FOLLOWING RESULTS:

AN INCREASE IN FUEL PRESSURE BY 5 PSI. (....) FUEL FILTERS ARE STAYING CLEANER.

ROTATING OF KNIFE EDGE STRAINERS HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED TO ONCE EVERY 3 DAYS STARTING AROUND THE 200 HOUR MARK.

CARBON BUILDUP AND EXHAUST SMOKE HAS BEEN MINIMIZED ON INITIAL STARTUP.

AFTER 300 HOURS NO FUEL FILTER CHANGEOUTS HAVE BEEN REQUIRED BASED ON OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE. PREVIOUS TO INTRODUCTION OF HAMMERDOWN, 2-3 COMPLETE FUEL FILTER CHANGEOUTS WOULD HAVE BEEN REQUIRED GIVEN THE SAME NUMBER OF OPERATING HOURS.

FUEL EFFICIENCY: DATA RECORDED FOR PERFORMANCE CONSIST OF A ROUND TRIP (....) (2636 NM), AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 18-20 KNOTS. (....) BASED ON EXISTING FUEL CURVES THE SHIP SHOULD HAVE BURNED BETWEEN 174 AND 281 GPH AT 18-20 KTS. FIREBOLT CONSUMED AN AVERAGE OF 162 GPH THROUGHOUT THE TRIP, INDICATING A SIGNIFICANT FUEL SAVINGS FROM EXISTING CURVES.

2. RESULTS THUS FAR IN THE TESTING OF HAMMERDOWN APPEAR TO YIELD SAVINGS IN FUEL COSTS, A REDUCTION IN FUEL FILTER CONSUMPTION AND ASSOCIATED MAN HOURS, AND A REDUCTION IN MAN HOURS SPENT CLEANING THE SHIP'S SIDES. TO DATE, FIREBOLT HAS NOTED NO DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PRODUCT AND RECOMMENDS PATROL COASTAL FLEET WIDE INTRODUCTION OF THIS PRODUCT.//

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ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE

May 98

SUBJ/AUTHORIZATION FOR FUEL CONDITIONER FOR PC CLASS//

REF/A/MSG/NSWCCD-SSES/191625ZDEC97//

REF/B/USS FIREBOLT/311600ZMAR98/-/NOTAL//

REF/C/TEL/CNSWC-N9/14MAY98//

NARR/REF A AUTH PC-3 AND PC-l0 TO UTILIZE HAMMERDOWN. REF B IS PC-l0 QUICK LOOK REPORT ON HAMMERDOWN. REF C IS TELCON KARPOVTICH/CDR BLASKO/LCDR THOMPSON.

RMKS/l. REF A AUTH TWO TRIAL SHIPS FOR USE OF THE FUEL CONDITIONER HAMMERDOWN. BASED UPON RESULTS PROVIDED REF B, NSWCCD-SSES HAS CONCLUDED THAT THE ADDITION OF DFT-1500N HAMMERDOWN WILL ASSIST IN STABILIZING FUEL AND INHIBITING ALGAE GROWTH. ENGINES ON PC-l0 WERE INSPECTED 14 APRIL 98 AND RESULTS SHOW NO DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS TO THE ENGINE COMPONENTS. IN ADDITION, SHIPS REPORT FILTER USEAGE HAS DECREASED, THEREBY REDUCING CREW MAINTENANCE.

2. AS DISCUSSED AND CONFIRMED REF C, THIS TRIAL USE IS BEING EXPANDED TO ALL PC SHIPS FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS. PC SHIPS ARE HEREBY AUTHORIZED TO TREAT FUEL WITH DFT-1500N HAMMERDOWN. (....) ONE GALLON TREATS 7000 GALLONS OF FUEL (....) INITIAL TREATMENT MAY CAUSE ALGAE PRESENT TO LEAVE THE FUEL TANKS AND REQUIRE FILTER CHANGEOUT. IDEALLY, STARTING WITH CLEAN FUEL TANKS COULD LEAD TO LESS INITIAL PROBLEMS. (....).

3. REQUEST SHIPS FORCE TRACK THE NUMBER OF FUEL FILTERS CHANGED AND DATES. (....).

4. REQUEST ALL SHIPS PROVIDE FEEDBACK IN THE FOL AREAS TO NSWCCD-SSES AFTER APPROX 300 HOURS OF USAGE (RESPOND WITH INCREASE/ DECREASE/NO CHANGE).

FILTER USAGE

FUEL PRESSURE

ROTATION OF KNIFE EDGE STRAINERS

RACOR VACUUM

ENGINE EXHAUST TEMPS

CARBON SMOKE SIGNATURE

CARBON SOOT ONSIDES

FUEL ECONOMY

5. NSWCCD-SSES WLL REVALUATE HAMMERDOWN AFTER TRIAL PERIOD. THIS WILL INCLUDE BORESCOPING PC-9 AND 10 WHEN AVAILABLE.

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JUN 98

FM USS CHINNOOK

TO NAVSURFWARCEN SHIPSYSENNGSTA PHILADELPHIA PA//9123//

MSGID/GENADMIN/USS CHINOOK/0007/JUN/

SUBJ/PC-9 350 HOUR HAMMERDOWN FUEL CONDITIONER REPORT//

REF/A/ MSG/NSWCCD-SSES/15220MAY98//

AMPN/REF A IS NAVSURFWARCEN SHIPSYSENGSTA MSG AUTHORIZING USE OF FUEL CONDITIONER HAMMERDOWN (DFT 1500-N) FOR PC CLASS.//

RMKS/l. IRT REF A, THE FOL IS SUBMITTED:

A. CHINOOK (CHI) STRUCK DOWN HAMMERDOWN (DFT-1500N) ON 15 MAY 98 TO VALIDATE THIS PRODUCT AS PER REF A. CHI ACQUIRED 12 GALS OF HAMMERDOWN FROM PC-l 0 PRIOR TO DEPARTURE ON 15 MAY 98 FOR MED/BLACK SEA.

B. AFTER 350 HRS OF OPERATION AND 60,000 GALS OF FUEL OIL CONSUMED, THE FOLLOWING DATA IS PROVIDED:

FILTER USAGE - DECREASED

FUEL PRESSURE - INCREASED

ROTATION OF KNIFE EDGE STRAINERS - DECREASED

RACOR VACUUM - DECREASED

ENGINE EXHAUST TEMPS - NO CHANGE

CARBON SMOKE SIGNATURE - DECREASED

CARBON SOOT ON SIDES - DECREASED

FUEL ECONOMY - INCREASED

C. CHI HAS PERFORMED (1) COMPLETE F/O FILTER CHANGE OUT ON ALL (6) DSL ENGINES DURING BSF IN ROTA, SPAIN. CHI REC APPROX 200 GALS OF WATER FROM USNS CONCORD, DURING RAS, DUE TO HOLE IN THE FUELLING RIG. ALTHOUGH CHI STRIPPED THE WATER FROM THE F/O TANK, THERE WAS SOME WATER INTRUSION INTO THE F/O SYS. CHI BELIEVES THE SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER, AND INITIAL EFFECTS OF HAMMERDOWN, WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS FOR F/O FILTER CHANGE OUT IN ROTA.

D. CARBON SOOT ON THE SIDES OF CHI HAS DECREASED AT LEAST 75% SINCE THE USE OF HAMMERDOWN, SIGNIFICANTLY APPROVING THE PHYSICAL APPEARANCE OF CHI, AND REDUCING MAN HRS PREVIOUS SPENT CLEANING THE SIDES OF THE SHIP.

E. F/O ECONOMY HAS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED SINCE USING HAMMERDOWN. CHI DISPLACEMENT IS APPROX 390 TONS SINCE THE F/O TANKS AND CCRS ALTERATIONS WERE ACCOMPLISHED, THEREFORE BURNING MORE F/O AT THE SAME SPEEDS AND DISTANCES THAN ANY OTHER PC. CHI ESTIMATES AN APPROX 750 TO 1 000 GALLONS SAVED FOR A FULL TANK OF F/O (18,050 GALS) SINCE THE USE OF HAMMERDOWN.

E. CHI IS CURRENTLY OUT OF HAMMERDOWN, BUT WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE MORE FEEDBACK WHEN MORE HAMMERDOWN IS RECEIVED.//

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ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE

JUN 98

NAVSURFWARCEN SHIPSYSENCSTA PHILADELPHIA PA//9123//

MSGID/CENADMIN/COMSPECBOATRON TWO//
SUBJ/AUTHORIZATION FOR FUEL CONDITIONER FOR PC CLASS//

REF/A/GENADMIN/NSWC SSES PRILA/152200ZMAY//

AMPN/ REF A IS ISEA APPROVAL TO USE HAMMERDOWN//
POC/THOMPSON/LCDR/CSBR-2/-/TEL:757-363-4096//

RMKS/l. THE PURPOSE OF THIS MESSAGE IS TO AUTHORIZE AND CLARIFY THE USE OF HAMMERDOWN (TRADE NAME) FUEL ADDITIVE ON BOARD EAST COAST PATROL COASTALS.

2. TO DATE, A TEST WAS PERFORMED BY PC-10 AND PC-3 TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF THIS ADDITIVE ON THE PC CLASS. INTENDED AS ONE PART OF A MULTI PART RESPONSE TO FUEL ISSUES IN THE CLASS, THE USE OF AN ADDITIVE IN THE FUEL IS TO MINIMIZE GROWTH OF BIOLOGICALS IN THE FUEL TANKS AND ULTIMATE CLOGGING OF THE FILTRATION SYSTEM. RESULTS OF THIS TEST INDICATED NOT ONLY A REDUCTION OF BIOLOGICALS, BUT ALSO THE ADDED SIDE BENEFIT OF MORE COMPLETE BURNING OF FUEL, LESS EXHAUST SMOKE, AND A POSSIBLE DECREASE IN FUEL USAGE.

3. AS INDICATED REF A PARA 4, RESULTS OF THE USE OF HAMMERDOWN ARE STILL BEING TABULATED AND ALL SHIPS USING IT ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT RESULTS. TANKS SHOULD BE CLEAN PRIOR TO INITIAL USE DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF DISLODGING EXISTING GROWTH AND CLOGGING OF FILTERS. PARTICULAR ATTENTION SHOULD ALSO BE GIVEN TO THE CORRECT DOSAGES FOR EACH ADDITION. (....).

4. FOR ALL CSBR2 PATROL COASTALS: USE OF HAMMERDOWN IS APPROVED. TAKE REF A FOR ACTION.//


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