Dirty Fuel: Are You Managing Yours?
Doug Condra
President
If we are to believe the points made in this month's cover series (page 78), we have a serious problem to contend with in regard to those new environmentally friendly diesels.
The contention is that these engines — with fuel system pressures as high as 10 times what they were a decade ago — may be worn down prematurely by particles in the fuel you must put through them.
The higher pressures are part of engine manufacturers' push to meet emissions requirements while delivering better performance and saving as much fuel as possible. They've done a good job of that. Maybe too good.
When particles as small as 5 to10 microns are likely to be fatal to the new smaller-orifice injectors, it's bad news. (Factoid: a human hair is 40 microns in diameter; the new injector orifices are much smaller than that). And today's injectors are big-time expensive to replace.
We're told that when fuel leaves the refinery, it has generally been filtered down to 30 microns. But it picks up more particles as it goes through several phases of transport to reach the final fueling station.
Truckstop fuel filters also filter to around 30 microns, so the task of taking out anything smaller than that falls on you.
Engine filters have generally picked up particles down to 15 microns. But with research indicating that 5- to 10-micron particles are the most abrasive, some engine manufacturers are taking filtration down to as low as 2 microns.
And is there a problem with that? Maybe not, if you change your filters often enough.
There are a number of ways to cope with the situation in your own operation. You'll find details on what the experts are saying about it — and what some fleets are doing about it — in our cover series.
With all the research, engineering and manufacturing expertise that has gone into developing better engines, it's sad that they can be brought down by fuel that isn't keeping up with the technology.
Will we see cleaner fuel soon? Don't count on it. And don't expect your engines to last if you don't have a fuel quality management program.
Email Doug Condra at dcondra@truckinginfo.com, or write PO Box W. Newport Beach, Calif. 92656.
