Fuel conditioning – avoiding critical system failure due to dirty diesel

It’s a common misconception that to incorporate a fuel conditioning programme is a major undertaking. Many organisations also assume that for a tank to be cleaned it needs to be drained and that fuel purchased in June will be just as good in December. But these myths are not entirely true.

If left untouched, fuel WILL become contaminated. This is because it’s virtually impossible to stop water from entering the supply chain. Water encourages microbial growth (aka the diesel bug) which can lead to the clogging up of fuel filters and the early wear of critical injection system parts. IPU’s fuel conditioning programme can keep your fuel clean and dry without draining your tanks and ensuring it remains clean and dry. Leaving you with one less thing to worry about.

Why does fuel need conditioning?

In 2011 biofuel was introduced to diesel to improve the environmental impact of using the fuel but this also introduced a limited shelf life. If stored under normal conditions, fuel suppliers advise that diesel can stay in a useable condition for 6-12 months. If stored any longer than this (for example in a typical hospital, data centre or critical power back up installation) you are required to actively maintain your fuel otherwise you could void your engine manufacturer’s warranty.

But what does an IPU Fuel Conditioning programme involve?

1. Fuel Testing – Regular testing detects water, microbial and particulate contamination before it reaches dangerous levels.
2. Fuel Cleaning – Cleaning is an essential part any fuel conditioning programme. IPU can clean your stored fuel without requiring diesel uplift and without man-entry.
3. Fuel Polishing – Even clean biodiesel attracts water and water encourages microbial growth (aka the diesel bug). IPU’s Diesel Defence on-tank polishing units and our mobile polishing buggies use circulation and filtration to keep contamination to an absolute minimum.
4. Fuel Stabilisation – Every time you top up your tank with diesel you’re introducing water. It’s an inevitable part of biodiesel. But you can stabilise the fuel with IPU’s ADV+ additive as it isolates water at a molecular level. This prevents water molecules joining to form clusters that could harm the engine and prevents bacteria from feeding on the water and causing microbial contamination.

Life seems to become more and more complicated as time passes. Modern fuels are now more economical and environmentally benign; but this has introduced a new set of challenges. Don’t let fuel conditioning cause you sleepless nights.

IPU can take care of the entire process from start to finish, after all it’ll be less expensive to call IPU than it will be to replace entire gensets and less disruptive than a critical equipment failure.