If you own a yacht, you must know how important it is to filter the diesel regularly to protect your yacht’s engine from contamination. Filtering diesel guarantees that the engine receives clean and dry fuel to maintain high-performance levels. If you are not aware, then today is your lucky day! In this blog, we will discuss the importance of regular diesel filtration in yachts.
What is Fuel Contamination in Diesel Engines?
Fuel contamination is an issue that has existed for ages; it is not new. Despite all the improvements in refinement technology and better fuel regulations, you need filtration. The contamination is caused by common contaminants, such as dust, rust, microscopic particles, and even water. These can enter the fuel supply at any point during production, storage, and transportation. To you, they may seem insignificant, but these particles can have the potential to harm your yacht’s engine seriously.
Fuel systems have to maintain an extremely tight tolerance while operating at high pressure. The operation has to run with precision, and fuel pumps and injectors need to guarantee that the appropriate quantity is supplied at the appropriate moments. These contaminants can, however, cause abrasion, clogging, and damage, resulting in engine failures. In general, even water can cause corrosion in the fuel system and result in injector failure. Hence, having a diesel filtration system is necessary to do periodic filtration.
How is Diesel Filtration Important to Protect Your Yacht’s Engine?
The fuel filtration acts as the first line of defense to protect your yacht’s engine against dangerous impurities. They keep the moisture and particulates out of the engine’s fuel injection system. This essentially preserves the functionality and health of the engine. Let’s have a look at what else fuel filtration does to provide protection:
- Engine Performance: The quality of your yacht’s fuel system directly affects its engine performance. A clean and effective fuel system can enhance engine performance, while vice versa can degrade it. This is because the fuel contaminants can lower the combustion efficiency and result in poor acceleration or power loss. However, when cleaner fuel is delivered through a filtration system, it can improve fuel economy, power output, and engine smoothness.
- Fuel Pumps: High-pressure pumps are necessary to deliver the fuel to the injectors in the fuel system. However, any impurities that get inside the fuel pump can have the potential to harm its parts, which could result in pressure loss or eventual failure. If you have a high-quality fuel filter, it can help keep the dangerous particles out of the fuel pump to maintain optimal performance.
- Injector Deterioration: Fuel filtration can help you prevent wear and tear in the injectors. These fuel injectors are engineered to atomize fuel for the best possible combustion. However, contaminated fuel can wear them down or abrasively damage these sensitive injectors while flowing through. This will eventually result in poor fuel atomization while decreasing both fuel efficiency and power output. In other words, high-quality fuel filtration can extend the life of the injectors by keeping these abrasive particles from getting to them.
- Overfueling: In certain engines, contamination can cause even fuel flow, which can cause overfueling. This can lead to increased fuel consumption, poor combustion, and elevated exhaust emissions. However, a consistent fuel supply through a dependable fuel filter can help you maintain the ideal air-fuel ratio for proper combustion.
- Emission: If your yacht’s engine has poor combustion due to contaminated fuel, it can release two hazardous gases: Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). This puts your yacht at risk of failing emission testing and negatively impacting the environment. Hence, a filtration system can ensure that you have clean combustion to help diesel engines fulfill strict emission regulations while having less environmental impact.