Trip To The North (5)

Installing and testing the water diesel emulsion fuel delivery system were plagued by a number of problems. First the pre-heating equipment's thermostat failed and the fuel overheated to vapour; next the rubber hoses connecting to the various equipment collapsed under pressure. We had to make two trips to Taiping, 30 kilometres away to buy the required materials which were hard to find. Time was wasted in travelling by boat to and fro which took about 20 minutes each trip. Finally, working on the main barge against the incessant growling of the huge extraction machine required wearing ear plugs that made only communication by sign language possible. It was only about 7.30 pm that the delivery system worked satisfactorily. The workers were given a dinner treat for working late.

The blending machine that blends water, diesel and a surfactant

The emulsified fuel is pumped and stored in this storage tank

The pre-heating device where the fuel is heated to the right temperature before it is fed to the engine

The engineer from China installing and connecting hoses to the diesel tank as well as the engine

Emulsified fuel is pumped into the engine below

Workers given a dinner treat, among them two Bangladeshis and a Chinese national