By Ross Moody, Director IPWEA FLEET
Modern engines and emission standards mean fuel and oils need to be in pristine condition.
New fuel doesn't necessarily equal clean fuel, and it's important to understand the damage that contaminants can do to an injector system.
Today's engines use high pressure common rail fuel injection systems that operate upwards of 40,000 psi. These systems require very clean fuel to operate as designed for their entire service interval. Unfortunately, in most cases, new fuel does not mean clean fuel.
While is may seem to be fairly straightforward, delivering clean and dry fuel consistently to an engine's fuel injection system can be a great challenge.
From the refinery fuel is typically very clean, but as it gets transported throughout distribution (which can include pipelines, terminals and delivery trucks) it gets more and more dirty. Once onsite, as it's stored in bulk tanks and moved for distribution and use, it picks up contaminant from the infrastructure as well as ambient conditions.
There are also contaminants that can come from a variety of sources at or downstream of the refinery, such as lubricity improvers, cold flow improvers, biodiesel and corrosion inhibitors.
Some contaminant will cause permanent damage to the injector system, while others can cause fouling with deposit build up on the injectors. In both cases the engine does not run as designed and can result in a decrease in fuel economy, a decrease in power and an increase in emissions.
The 2018 Plant and Vehicle Management Workshops session on contamination control will explore the challenges presented by contaminants and how they can be overcome, with a large focus on handling fuel prior to being pumped into your vehicle, with the end goal of keeping fleets running. This practical session looks at the background and application of contamination control in tanks and tankers, diesel standards, after market fuel filtration and oil catch cans.
About the 2018 Plant and Vehicle Management Workshops, 12-29 November The IPWEA Plant and Vehicle Management Workshops have been providing continuing professional development and networking for people working with fleet for more than 15 years. Providing a mix of training and technical sessions, the workshops are a roadshow that is delivered to eight locations around Australia, enabling attendance by people who would not be able to attend a national event. Find your closest event here.