According to the legislation contained in the EU Directive 2009/30/EC it is mandatory that from the 1st January 2011, gas oil marketed for use in non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) must contain no more than 10 milligrams of sulphur per kilogram of fuel (commonly referred to as 10 ppm (parts per million) sulphur). Gasoil used for home heating purposes, stationary equipment, or marine fuel will continue to have a specification of 1,000 milligrams of sulphur per kilogram of fuel or 1,000 ppm sulphur.
Automotive diesel has met this specification for some time. As a result oil distributors are colouring road diesel “green” to meet the requirements of legislation. Ordinary road diesel or DERV as it is known contains up to 7% Biofuel or FAME. Biofuels are known for their ability to retain water and as solvents. This means that an existing tank with water or sludge in it is likely to see fuel with biofuel loosening the sludge from the tank.
What does this mean to you?
You may experience blocked filters or water damage to your fuel system. This is especially so on modern tractors as they have common rail diesel engines which require fuel that is free from water and sediment. Water in particular is an enemy to common rail engines. Due the high pressures generated within the fuel injection system the diesel becomes hot and any water present may turn to steam in the injectors. This steam expands and in turn can damage the injectors. In catastropic cases, the injector tip is blown off completely and an uncontrolled flow of diesel is released into the cyliner. This results in rough running, black smoke and washes away the lubricating oil layer in the cylinder. The worst case scenario is a seized piston or broken connecting rod.
It is not all bad news though!
The answer:
Keep your fuel storage tanks clean and your engine will reward you with reliability, smooth running and optimum performance.
A common sense approach and some good housekeeping practices will ensure that contamination levels are kept to a minimum and you are always in control of your fuel quality.
Offline filtration is the single greatest weapon in the battle agains dirty fuel. An offline filter has its own pump to circulate the fuel through a high capacity fine filter. Contaminants are removed before accumulation occurs. This will ensure there is no water in the bottom of the tank.
If there is no water there can be no:
Rust and scale
Microbes, bugs and sludge
An offline filter will also remove the solids or asphaltenes which are generated as the fuel degrades in long term storage. This process can occur in as little as a month.
We have supplied offline filters to fit directly on to vehicle tanks right up to units for large bulk storage tanks of over one million litres.
Contact Fleury Engineering at info@fleury.ie for a solution that works, permanently.