EMD00013EN 0511_EcoStream.qxd 05-11-14 10.35 Sida 1 www.fotoskrift.

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EcoStream
Oily water cleaning system

EcoStream oily water cleaning system.

Towards cleaner oceans

Bilge water generated onboard ships is a major environmental
concern for the shipping industry. Regardless of its source,
bilge water must be treated to reduce the oil content to levels
that meet international regulations for release into the environment. This is critical to keeping the worlds oceans and their
vast marine ecosystems healthy and productive.
The impact of ship propulsion on the marine environment can
be minimized and heavy fines avoided if efficient bilge water
treatment is carried out onboard. The need for waste disposal
ashore can also be reduced. Over the years, the cost for
waste disposal has continued to climb as local authorities
enforce stricter laws for the land-based companies that
process this waste.

Application
Cleaning bilge water poses distinct challenges. Not only does
the composition and flow of bilge water change, making continuous and efficient treatment difficult, but treatment onboard
presents another set of constraints.
Treatment methods must meet individual ship requirements
and demands for safety, reliability, compactness, automation,
low maintenance and the ability to withstand rough weather
conditions.
Centrifugal separation has proven to be a reliable, efficient
and flexible method for continuous removal of oil and other
contaminants suspended in the bilge water onboard ships
and at land-based power plants.

EcoStream: Reliable, efficient,

continuous
The Alfa Laval EcoStream solution is a
reliable single-stage centrifugal separation system for highly efficient treatment
of large bilge water volumes at sea as
well as ashore. The compact modular
system generally cleans bilge water to
less than five parts per million (ppm) oil
in water.

bilge water systems thanks to minimized volumes of waste that require

disposal.

Based on a standardized concept,

EcoStream is a complete stand-alone
system that is easy to install for any
new or existing installation. Continuous,
fully automatic operation even when
subjected to oil shock and rough
weather conditions reduces the need
for large bilge water holding tanks. This
increases payload capacity.

Benefits for designers of ships and

power plants
Compact, modular, easy-to-install
system saves time, space and
money.

EcoStream significantly reduces operating costs compared to conventional

Easy integration with existing communications systems onboard.

Benefits for owners and operators

Reduced operating costs thanks to
low maintenance, automated control,
minimal waste disposal and an
absence of filter elements that require
replacement.

EcoStream complies with the Marine

Environment Protection Committee
Resolution, MEPC.107(49), of the
International Maritime Organization
(IMO).

Reliable, always-available system.

Operates continuously, regardless of
variations in feed, oil shocks and
rough weather conditions.
Easy to operate. Automated control
and monitoring system integrates
with existing Alfa Laval systems, providing a single user-friendly interface.

Continuous, single-stage operation

requires less holding tank volume and
provides more space for payload.

Safe operation. A key-locked switch

can be set in manual/locked position
to ensure that only the individual
responsible for environmental compliance may authorize overboard
discharge.

Recycling to tank

VFD

PT

Steam inlet

8
TC

5
6

TT

TT

Feed inlet

PT

13

9
Ventilation
11

Condensate
outlet

Clean water outlet

QT

12
12

QC

10
10

Alpacon Alpacon
MP 300 MP 302

2
Feed recycling

14

Sludge outlet

1. Feed pump with variable

frequency drive
2. Chemical dosing units
(optional)
3. Automatic filter (optional)
4. Pressure transmitters

14

5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Schematic diagram of EcoStream cleaning system.

Dual basket strainer

Steam pre-heater
Temperature transmitters
Temperature controller
Three-way changeover valves
Cyclone

11. BWPX 307 high speed

centrifugal separator
12. Oil-in-water monitor
13. Constant pressure module
14. Intermediate sludge tank
with sludge pump (optional)

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Bilge water
Bilge water can be a mixture of water,
fuel oil, lube oil, hydraulic oil, detergents, oil additives, chemicals, catalytic
fines, soot and other substances. This
mixture is normally collected in a bilge
water settling tank and maintained at
an elevated temperature.
The marine sector uses large amounts
of chemicals for cleaning, service and
maintenance activities in the engine
room and many of these products are
surfactant-based. As such, these
chemicals contribute to emulsion formation in a ships bilge water system.
An emulsion is a mixture of oil and
water, where small oil droplets are
dispersed in the continuous water
phase.
Separation efficiency can be compromised by the formation of stable emulsions. This becomes challenging when
an emulsion is stabilized by surfactants,
water-soluble polymers or colloidal
particles. Centrifugal treatment of bilge
water using the EcoStream system
effectively handles separation.

System description
The EcoStream bilge water treatment
system comprises four main functions:
Forwarding/pumping
Oily water pre-treatment
Centrifugal separation
Process control and monitoring
Oily water is pumped from the settling
tank to the pre-treatment stage by a
positive displacement pump with variable frequency drive, providing a feed
range from 1500 to 2000 litres per
hour.

A three-way changeover valve is

located after the heat exchanger in
the pre-treatment stage. The purpose
of this valve is to direct the fluid to the
separation stage when all process
conditions, such as feed temperature,
pressure and separator speed match
pre-set values. If any condition is not
met, the valve will re-circulate the fluid
to the bilge water settling tank.
When all process conditions are fulfilled the fluid is directed to the separation stage. Fluid then enters a highspeed centrifugal separator that is
designed for continuous, high-efficiency
separation of large volumes of bilge
water. Oil and emulsion separated
from the bilge water are continuously
discharged and directed to a sludge
or waste-oil collecting tank. Solid
material is discharged intermittently
through the self-cleaning mechanism
of the centrifuge.
Treated water is also continuously
discharged. An oil-in-water monitor
measures the oil content in the treated
bilge water in full compliance with
IMO Resolution MEPC.107(49). When
the oil content is below a pre-set value
(15 ppm or lower), the treated water
can be directed either to a holding tank
for discharge overboard at the ship
operators convenience, or pumped
directly overboard. If the oil content is
above the pre-set value, the water is
re-circulated to the bilge water settling
tank.

Revolutionary design features

EcoStream incorporates the Alfa Laval
BWPX 307 high-speed centrifuge and
the latest achievements in fluid dynamics technology:

In the pre-treatment stage the bilge

water is fed through a dual basket
strainer that traps large particles from
the fluid. The fluid then passes through
a heat exchanger, which raises the temperature of the fluid to the required level
for optimal separation efficiency, generally between 60C to 95C.

A patented Alfa Laval disc inlet,

Optiflow, gently accelerates the bilge
water into the separator bowl with
minimal shearing and foaming. This
greatly improves the separation efficiency by preventing droplet splitting
and further emulsion formation.

If the formation of a stable emulsion is

expected and this temperature range
does not enable adequate separation
efficiency for the given capacity, an
optional chemical dosing unit can be
installed.

A new disc-stack and bowl design

provides the maximum surface area
for separation. Specially designed
distribution holes and optimized caulk
configuration further enhance separation efficiency.

EPC 50 process controller.

These design features, as well as

stable, continuous operation, ensure
proper handling of oil shocks that
generally bring static cleaning systems
to a standstill.

EPC 50 process controller

This new generation of the easy-tooperate, computer-based Alfa Laval
process controller facilitates advanced
fully automated monitoring and control
of EcoStream functions by displaying in
clear text process parameters, alarms
and other data.
The EPC 50 process controller shows
the status of the process, system
valves and transmitters, activated or
deactivated.
A push-button, light-emitting diode
(LED) panel indicates the status of
motors, cleaned bilge water for discharge overboard and for re-circulation,
feed pump, optional chemical dosing
unit and automatic cleaning device of
the oil-in-water monitor.
The process controller is based on
the same hardware used in other
Alfa Laval units, making it easy for
operators who are already familiar
with this equipment.

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Options
Automatic, self-cleaning filter.
Chemical dosing unit.
Sludge removal kit (SRK) with intermediate sludge tank,
sludge pump and level switches.
Cleaning-in-place (CIP) unit for the centrifuge.
Pneumatic cleaning device for the oil-in-water monitor.
Connection of the process controller via serial bus to an
external computer or communications system.
Steam control valve with safety shut-off function.

Capacity
EcoStream is designed for a throughput capacity ranging
from 1500 to 2000 litres per hour.

Operation
Recommended maintenance intervals:
Intermediate service: Every 2000 operating hours
(or every three months)
Major service: Every 8000 operating hours
(or once a year)

Technical data
Power and connections
Supply voltage
Frequency
Power consumption
Instrument air
Operating water
Steam inlet

Three-phase, 220 V up to 690 V

50 or 60 Hz
12 kW
DN 12
7002000 kPa
DN 12
300600 kPa
DN 25
700 kPa saturated

Net weight
Separator with frame
Valve and piping rack
Feed pump
Control cabinet

580
455
150
325

kg
kg
kg
kg

Dimensions

635 mm
750 mm
Access area
1070 mm
1810 mm

EMD00013EN 0511

How to contact Alfa Laval

Up-to-date Alfa Laval contact details
for all countries are always available on
our website at www.alfalaval.com

Alfa Laval reserves the right to change specifications without prior notification.

ALFA LAVAL is a trademark registered and owned by Alfa Laval Corporate AB.

Commissioning and technical services to start up the

system and to offer advice about operation and maintenance are available from Alfa Laval offices worldwide.

1450 mm

The system manual includes detailed information in

electronic format or as paper copy for:
System description
Operating instructions
Parameter list
Alarms and fault finding
Installation instructions
System reference, including instrument list
Service and spare parts
Connection instructions and drawings

1768 mm

Service spares kits contain all necessary parts for

each service.