Conclusion

As engine and fuel injection technology changes at a rapid pace, so are the challenges of maintaining supreme reliability of a diesel engine and its fuel system. New HPCR fuel injection systems require a vast improvement in fuel cleanliness levels in order to maintain this high degree of reliability and as such, advancements must be made in the way operators deal with the ever-growing problem that fuel contamination brings.

The reliance on the engine fuel filter to perform the entire function of fuel cleanliness control can no longer be accepted. Certainly the filtration technology used in today’s engine fuel filters has improved, however, the physical size of filters has changed little to offset reduced filter life and neither have the problems of vibration and flow surges been addressed. Operators of diesel engines must now look towards alternative solutions by using contamination control technologies throughout the diesel distribution and storage system.  This can help to reduce contamination levels so that the engine fuel filter can perform its design function which is to achieve a fuel cleanliness that will enable the fuel injection components to function reliably and within their designed operating parameters throughout the life of the component.

Just as the medical profession utilizes specialist practitioners to treat special or difficult medical conditions, so too does diesel fuel contamination control require a specialist. Choosing solutions (treatments) because they represent the lowest cost will never provide an economically viable solution and in many cases can actually make matters worse. Contamination control solutions for diesel distribution and storage systems should only be designed by experienced practitioners who understand the complexities surrounding them and the benefits that can be obtained following the improvements. Such professionals are able to call upon the most recent technologies and advancements in design along with experience to bring them into practice for each new application or system.