Biofuel pumps ready to help customers decarbonize in EU and US

Monday, August 14, 2023

Danfoss Burner Components is now playing in the premier league! BC is the first supplier in the world to launch a line of Bio100 BFP pumps for biofuel and the only supplier to have both UL and TÜV/DIN CERTCO approvals.

Danfoss Burner Components (BC) is now a leader in the important field of fuel pumps for liquid heating systems. BC is the first supplier in the world to launch a line of Bio100 BFP pumps (compatible with up to 100% biofuel) and the only supplier to have the pumps certified in Europe and USA, approved by both UL and TÜV/DIN CERTCO. The DIN CERTCO certificate according to ISO 23553-1:2022 signifies the approval of the safety solenoid valve used in the pump.

“This is the second step – and an important one - for us on our decarbonization journey in Burner Components,” says Stefan Spornberger, Head of Application, Development & Project Management, and elaborates: “We acquired the first TÜV certification for our Bio30 pump and the first UL approval for Bio20 back in 2021, and now we have two new upgrades for up to 100% biodiesel. The approvals will be very valuable especially for our efforts to market the pumps in Europe and the US. Obtaining these approvals for our new biofuel pumps demonstrates our commitment to be first movers and set the industry standards for quality, safety, and not least sustainability. We already supply our Bio100 pump to one of the major burner manufacturers in North America, who also announced the launch of their first Bio100 compliant burner at the beginning of this year".

No brass components in new biofuel pumps: no corrosion

Ina Corneliussen, Product Manager, Burner Components, explains how the new biofuel-ready pumps address the known challenge of biofuel versus brass components: “Safety is and always has been a main priority for us. That is why we have changed the brass components in our Bio100 pumps. We make sure that all product components are biofuel compatible.”

BC introduced the new line of biofuel pumps at the ISH exhibition in Frankfurt back in March 2023 (watch the video). “And shortly afterwards, we started the process of acquiring the certificates,” says Stefan, who handled the project together with his team of engineers.

The future is yesterday

A few years ago, BC started to develop a future-ready portfolio of nozzles for water spray applications and pumps for liquid low-carbon fuels as part of their decarbonization journey. Today, the portfolio includes preheaters, boiler thermostats, fuel pumps, nozzles, and ignition units. “In the future, which actually started yesterday, our new nozzle program will be used increasingly in water spray systems, and the pumps in installations that use new types of synthetic oils and biofuels,” confirms Stefan and Ina.

“Some of the largest OEMs are already using our Bio30 pumps and have approved them for their applications, and we can see that more of our existing customers are interested in switching to Bio30 pumps or even higher content of biofuels. France changed its regulations to only install Bio30 ready products in their boilers since July 1, 2022, but they are already planning to increase to much higher content and now we are ready for that with UL and TÜV certificates / DIN CERTCO approved Bio100 pumps”, comments Stefan Spornberger. “We are pleased to support our customers’ decarbonization efforts by providing them with best-in-class solutions for transitioning to carbon-neutral energy sources.”

Learn more about the new Biofuel pumps

See the certificate: TÜV/DIN CERTCO 5S222

 

FACT BOX :

Facts - Biofuel versus brass components in fuel pumps:

Traditional fuel pumps contain copper or copper-containing metals, for example brass. Independent research has shown that contact between parts made of brass and biofuels should be avoided. When biofuel comes in contact with this type of nonferrous metal, it oxidizes and polymerizes. The fuel’s acid content increases and it becomes more corrosive. The fuel will then react with these metal parts in the pump, which can adversely impact pump performance, cause leakage, or lead to the safety function (e.g., solenoid valve) failing.

Additionally, the combination of copper-containing parts and higher temperatures harms the biofuels because of the internal circulation process. The fluid passes these parts several times, thereby reducing the biofuel’s stability and causing the fuel to degrade.