AFIDA SA6000-0

Advanced Fuel Ignition Delay Analyser

ASTM D8183; IP 617; EN 17155

Correlates with ASTM D613; EN ISO 5165 & DIN 51773

Specifications ASTM D975; ASTM D1655; ASTM D6751; ASTM D7467; EN 590

Indicated Cetane Number by CVCC
Range 35 – 85 ICN
Highly automated with autosampler
Reference Fuel Calibration
No bias correction to engine values
Excellent precision to minimize giveaway
Easy to use, suitable for 24/7 operation
Load and go

Middle Distillates • Biodiesel • FAME • Jet A1 • HVO • XTL

AFIDA is a revolutionary development providing a fully automated determination of the Indicated Cetane Number (ICN) of diesel and diesel related fuels.

The analyzer incorporates a unique and patented high-pressure injection system that generates fine fuel droplets similar to modern common rail injectors in most diesel engines.

A temperature controlled piezoelectric injector provides rapid switching and highly repeatable fuel metering, offering improved performance and consistency when compared with solenoid controlled injectors and pintle type nozzles.

The analyzer provides very fast, efficient, and calibrated ICN determinations; tests are fully automated via an integral 36 position carousel and auto sampler.

Features

Excellent correlation to ASTM D613, EN ISO 5165 & DIN 51773
Integral 36 place carousel and auto sampler
Calibrated with industry approved reference fuels
Fully automated measurement
Small sample volumes (approx 40 ml/analysis including flushing)
Short analysis time of approximately 25 minutes per sample
Precise and reproducible software controlled determination of ICN
Advanced electronically controlled high pressure fuel injection system with piezoelectric injector
Safe operation – integral safety monitoring functions
Results saved to PC or for download
Proven calibration stability – minimizing downtime (see figure 3)
Uninterruptable power supply to maintain cooling in the event of power failure

Sample Carousel

Piezo Electric Injector

Calibration with 7 PRF covering measurement range

Figure 1: Calibration with 7 PRF blends covering measurement range CN 85 to CN 35

Figure 2: ICN correlation to Cetane Engine – R² = 0.9941

New Generation AFIDA Technology

Direct correlation to ASTM D613 (ISO 5165) engine tests

The traditional Cetane Engine methods establish an ignition delay period for the test fuel which is referenced to a primary reference fuel scale.

Existing Constant Volume Combustion Chamber (CVCC) technology provides a Derived Cetane Number (DCN) result based on a historical averaged correlation equation applied to the ignition delay of the fuel sample.

The new generation AFIDA technology is a significant step forward as it uses the original Primary Reference Fuels as specified in the Cetane Engine method to provide a calibrated Cetane Number measurement (see figure 1). This approach eliminates the need for temperature tuning and uses fixed test conditions.

Standardisation by CEN, ASTM and the Energy Institute

An EI inter-laboratory study was successfully completed with excellent precision and concluded no bias correction to ASTM D613 (cetane engine).

ASTM D8183, IP 617 and EN 17155 have now been included in EN 590; ASTM D975; ASTM D6751; ASTM D7467; ASTM 1655

Operating Sequence

Prior to the analysis, each sample is filtered by the operator using a 0.45 μm filter.
Software controlled autosampler selects the sample to be analysed
System is cleaned automatically with the selected sample
High pressure pump generates the injection pressure, while the heating tubes keep the fuel at a constant temperature
Test sample is injected into the pressurized combustion chamber
Nebulized fuel ignites spontaneously and leads to a pressure increase; see figure 4
The pressure variation curve is recorded at high resolution by a dynamic pressure sensor
ICN is read directly from the calibration curve; see figure 1

Features of the Chamber and Injector

Fuel reservoir maintains high fuel pressure during injection
Piezo-electric fuel injector as used in modern passenger cars’ diesel engines
Water-cooled injector jacket maintains constant fuel temperature during operation
Effective nozzle tip cooling to avoid fuel degradation due to high temperatures
Real internal chamber temperature measurement
Pressure transmitter connection free of acoustic oscillation

Figure 3: ICN variation during operation time

Figure 4: Pressure variation curves of four different fuels (B0, B30, GTL and Jet A1)

1. Place sample in carousel and select location

3. Monitor instrument status, pressure, temperatureor CN curve during test

2. Select test sequence and press go

4. View results

AFIDA SA6000-0 Technical Specifications
Operation
Measurement Conditions	Chamber temperature: 580 °C Chamber pressure: 17.5 bar Injection pressure: 1000 bar Compressed air (20.9 ± 0.5 % O2)
Sample volume	approx. 40 ml for analysis and cleaning
Warm-up time	approx. 45 min
Analysis time	approx. 25 min per sample
Range for ICN	35 - 85 in standard mode
Carousel capacity	36 samples
Reporting
Test parameters	All measurement values are stored in the data file
Reports	Detailed report of test results, date and time, operator name and calibration date
Safety
External cooling	Backup power supply and liquid level sensor
Waste	Liquid level sensor
Various	Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) based
Requirements
Operating Requirements	Ambient temperature: 10 °C to 35 °C (recommended 15 °C to 25 °C) Humidity: up to 80% non-condensing
Size (WxHxD)	130 x 80 x 60 cm
Weight	Approx 100 kg (excluding platform)