The approval to test the final HCO filter design comes after successful concept testing on the crude oil tanker Stena Suède. The Alfa Laval HCO filter is a high-performance solution for the new generation of two-stroke engines where traditional camshafts have been replaced by hydraulic control systems. The hydraulic control system core components are dedicated valves fed with oil from the main system flow, which must be very finely filtered with minimal pressure drop. Due to the sensitivity of the large centrifugal main pumps used to move the oil, additional pressure drop across the HCO filter would ultimately risk engine damage. The Alfa Laval HCO filter, now set to begin validation testing, easily achieves this balance of fine filtration and excellent flow passage. “Between its high performance and its compact nature, the Alfa Laval HCO filter will remove much of the cost and installation complexity associated with hydraulic control system protection,” says Herve Gourdon, Business Manager, Filters at Alfa Laval.
