Mining

The standards for diesel fuel storage around the world have changed little over the past few decades, with existing standards tending to focus on safety, fire prevention and environmental containment of the fuel. Little, however, is done to improve the standards that relate to maintaining the purity of the fuel while in storage.

 

AXI’s Fuel Additives have a chemical affinity to the hydrocarbons in your diesel fuel, helping your engine tap into your fuel’s full potential by burning it more completely. While it is doing so, it’s also cleaning out your fuel system.

Diesel Fuel and the Mining Industry

Diesel fuel begins to degrade after only 22 days from the time it is refined. As such, any industry that requires diesel fuels to be stored for long periods of time, must look towards technologies or systems that can help slow down or prevent the degradation.

AXI International understands the importance of diesel fuel purity and how this directly relates to the reliability of customer diesel engines and fuel systems. AXI believes that diesel fuel is not a commodity, but an integral reliability component of the engine. Our engineering and sales teams design “solutions” not “products” to ensure diesel fuels under storage conditions remain as close to “as refined” as possible, thus helping to ensure ultimate reliability within a diesel engine.

Common Mining Diesel Issues

Diesel fuels, by their very nature, are unstable organic hydrocarbons which degrade over time, depending on a multitude of factors. As a fuel breaks down over time, gums and insoluble contaminants are formed within the fuel stock. These factors, along with solid particulate and water contamination, contribute to the majority of fuel system component wear and failures. It is a well-known fact that poorly maintained diesel fuel is directly responsible for greater than 80% of fuel system failures and even higher in new advanced HPCR fuel injection systems, which are now finding their way into the industry. As such, the diesel fuel must be maintained in a pristine condition and as close to an “as refined” condition as possible to ensure ultimate reliability.

Diesel fuel that is not maintained correctly as close to “as refined” as possible can cause the following common problems:

  • Poor starting or failure to start
  • Reduced product rates
  • Reduced availability
  • Low power from the engine
  • Poor or rough idle
  • Increased fuel consumption
  • Excessive Smoke
  • Hunting
  • Vibration
  • Increased emissions

Resolution to Mining Diesel Issues

Diesel fuel that is maintained in a condition as close to “as refined” as possible will outperform a diesel fuel that is under or poorly maintained. The solution then is simple: employ corrective measures that ensure fuel stability and cleanliness. The solutions include the use of AXI International fuel conditioning devices, filtration and separation control systems, breathers, and monitoring devices.