Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/565622
DIESEL FUEL QUALITY EquipmentWorld.com | September 2015 37 M ost of us know that clean fuel is necessary for the high-pressure common rail fuel injec- tors (HPCR) used in today's Tier 4 Final engines. Fuel system pressures approaching 40,000 psi require particle filtration as small as one or two microns. The problem is that as fuel system requirements are becoming more stringent, actual diesel fuel quality is going down. Maintaining diesel fuel quality and cleanliness has never been easy. To give you an idea of how long the industry has been dealing with this issue, a Caterpillar Op- erators Manual published 90 years ago stated "dirt and water causes 90 percent of all the problems with diesel fuel systems." So, who is designated with that responsibility? The old adage, "When it's everyone's job, it is no ones' job" seems to be the modus operandi for most companies. Nonetheless, it's now critical for operators, mechan- ics, fleet managers and fuel suppliers to pay even more attention to the issue of diesel fuel cleanliness. Lubricity challenges resulting from ULSD In 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandated the shift from low sulfur to ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD), reducing sulfur in the fuel from 500 parts per million (ppm) to 15 ppm. After the transi- tion to ULSD people started com- plaining about higher than normal maintenance | by Preston Ingalls and Richard LeFrancois FROM THE REFINERY TO THE DELIVERY TRUCKS TO YOUR STORAGE TANK, the chances for contamination are ever present AIR & CONDENSATE VENT DIESEL BACTERIA WATER SLUDGE A typical diesel storage tank requires fuel monitoring and good maintenance practices to keep sludge, water, and bacteria from becoming a problem. LAYERING EFFECT IN A FUEL TANK Source: Authors