Gear Pump for Fuel

Liquid fuels cover a wide range of viscosity and volatility that requires distinct gear-pump configurations. Diesel (pure B0 or B12 with biodiesel) has viscosity between 2.5 and 4.5 cSt at 40 °C (~40-50 SSU) — low range which, combined with the non-sparking requirement, defines small-to-medium FBE (1/2" to 3") at 1,150 rpm with type 21 mechanical seal and cast iron or carbon steel casing. Regular and additive gasoline (E27 with ethanol) has even lower viscosity (~0.5-0.7 cSt) and flash point below 40 °C — highly flammable product requiring ATEX Zone 1 in the transfer area. The FBE for gasoline is supplied with magnetic coupling (zero leakage) or double mechanical seal with nitrogen purge, anti-spark guard and Ex-proof motor IIA T3. Kerosene and Jet A-1 (aviation kerosene) follow similar safety pattern to gasoline, with viscosity ~1.5 cSt. Fuel oil BPF (Low Pour Point, type A1/A2 or B1/B2) is the opposite: very high viscosity when cold (up to 15,000 cSt at 20 °C) requiring pre-heating to 60-80 °C before pumping. Thermal power plants and ships use FBE 2" to 6" with heating chamber (CA), high-temperature seal and motor sized for cold-start torque. B100 biodiesel (methyl or ethyl ester) and HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) operate at 4-6 cSt viscosity and are compatible with stainless or hardened carbon — stainless is preferred in biodiesel because esters can attack ferrous components in the presence of residual moisture.

• Diesel B0-B12 — FBE 1/2" to 3", cast iron or carbon steel, 1,150 rpm
• Regular and E27 gasoline — FBE with magnetic coupling, ATEX Zone 1 IIA T3
• Kerosene / Jet A-1 — ATEX FBE with double seal, Ex-proof IIB motor
• BPF / fuel oil — FBE 2" to 6" with heating chamber (CA)
• Biodiesel B100 / HVO — FBE in 316 stainless, viton or PTFE seal
• Liquid LPG (propane/butane) — cryogenic FBEI, outside standard FBE scope

Transfer of fuels with flash point below 60 °C (gasoline, kerosene, Jet A-1, ethanol fuel, solvents) occurs in areas classified per IEC 60079 and ABNT NBR IEC 60079-10. Terminals, distribution bases and refineries have defined zones: Zone 0 (continuous gas presence), Zone 1 (intermittent presence), Zone 2 (occasional presence). Most fuel pump areas in terminals are classified as Zone 1 or Zone 2, with group IIA (gasoline, diesel, kerosene vapors) and temperature class T2-T3. ATEX pump compliance applies to three components: pump body and rotating parts themselves, drive electric motor and coupling with guard. FB Bombas FBE ATEX is supplied with II 2G Ex h IIB T3 Gb marking for Zone 1 or II 3G Ex h IIB T3 Gc for Zone 2, with Inmetro certification by accredited body. The electric motor must be specified separately (WEG W22X, SEW DR or equivalent) in the same gas class and group. Coupling protection is the third component: replaces standard carbon-steel guard with anti-spark material (aluminum bronze or treated aluminum), eliminating spark risk from friction in case of mechanical failure. In very-high-safety applications (tanker ships, LPG terminals, refineries with expanded zoning), the preferred option is magnetic coupling — totally eliminates dynamic sealing and makes flammable-product leakage impossible.

BPF fuel oil (used in industrial boilers, thermal power plants, bunker ships and cement kilns) has typical viscosity between 3,500 and 15,000 cSt at 20 °C — unfeasible to pump without pre-heating. Correct industrial practice is to keep BPF stored at 40-50 °C (handling temperature) and heat to 70-90 °C at pump inlet to reduce viscosity to 200-600 cSt, a range compatible with FBE 2" to 6". The CA (With Heating Chamber) FBE variant is specific for BPF. The casing is cast with an integral jacket circulating saturated steam at 6-10 bar or thermal fluid. Jacket temperature must always be at least 20 °C higher than product temperature to compensate radiation losses. On bunker ships, it is common to use additional electrical tracing on suction and discharge lines to ensure thermal continuity in offshore pumps. Cold start with BPF is the most common failure mode. Minimum casing temperature before energizing the motor is 55 °C for BPF A1/A2 and 70 °C for BPF B1/B2 (heavy type). Below that, viscosity exceeds 2,000 cSt and start torque breaks keys or trips the breaker. Correct procedure includes prior jacket warm-up for 45-60 minutes, confirmation via local thermocouple (not just steam gauge) and reduced-flow operation for the first 3 minutes.

B100 biodiesel (methyl or ethyl ester of vegetable oils or animal fat, per ANP Resolution 45/2014 and ASTM D6751) and HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) have viscosity close to fossil diesel (4-6 cSt at 40 °C) but differ chemically: contain methyl or ethyl esters and glycerol residues. These compounds can attack ferrous components in the presence of residual moisture, forming soaps and corrosion products that clog filters and damage seals. Correct specification for biodiesel pump includes AISI 316 stainless casing (ASTM A743 CF8M) or, in large plants with strict moisture control, hardened carbon steel with epoxy-phenolic interior coating. Sealing: type 21 mechanical seal with ceramic × graphite faces and viton or PTFE elastomer (EPDM is not compatible with esters). For long-term stored biodiesel (where moisture absorption can occur), preference is magnetic coupling. HVO, being a pure paraffinic hydrocarbon (no esters), does not present the same issues as conventional biodiesel and can be pumped in standard FBE in carbon steel. HVO viscosity is slightly lower than diesel (3-4 cSt at 40 °C), and specification follows the fossil-diesel pattern. Increasing use in captive fleets (buses, trucks), thermal power plants and sustainable aviation makes HVO an expanding market for FBE pumps.

FB Bombas is registered in Petrobras CRCC Family 6 (Rotating Equipment) with active homologation for direct supply to refineries, bulk-liquid terminals, distribution bases and thermal plants in the Petrobras chain. The FBE line serves RNEST (Abreu e Lima-PE), REPLAN (Paulínia-SP), REDUC (Duque de Caxias-RJ), REVAP (São José dos Campos-SP) and other assets in diesel, BPF, kerosene and biodiesel transfer projects. In distributors and fuel resellers (ANP distribution base), FBE is applied in tanker unloading lines, internal recirculation, tank-to-tank transfer and outbound tanker loading. Standard configuration is cast iron or carbon steel for diesel, magnetic coupling for gasoline and kerosene in Zone 1, and heating chamber (CA) for BPF in thermal power plants and bunker fleets. For replacement of imported pumps (Viking L, Viking K, Blackmer, Tuthill), FB offers dimensional analysis of current model, equivalent FBE specification and drop-in dimensional replacement in 90% of cases. Typical 25-45 day lead time versus 4-8 months for direct imports — decisive factor in unplanned terminal maintenance or accelerated captive fleet expansion. Technical contact: comercial@fbbombas.com.br or +55 11 4898-9200.