Fuel Management Issues That Cannot Be Ignored In Diesel Generating Sets

Regular maintenance of the generator is the most powerful guarantee to ensure the normal operation of the generator. Generally speaking, most backup generators need to be maintained every two years or every year so that they can work effectively. Usually, people pay more attention to the management of generator components, while ignoring the management of diesel fuel.

Moreover, most people will check whether the generator's fuel tank is full. But they do not understand that the fuel itself has its own life cycle. Here, Starlight Power will take you to understand how diesel fuel management for backup generators is done, because diesel is the most commonly used fuel in generators.

Maintaining the generator is usually a key component. Each unit needs maintenance to increase the life cycle of the unit. In some cases, most generators require simple visual inspections every month. Others require specific steps to be maintained every two years. And some generators require maintenance in the range of two to one year.

Maintenance of diesel fuel has not received much attention and is not part of the maintenance plan, as the generator itself may receive the required maintenance. The integrity of the fuel is difficult to maintain and monitor, especially when the diesel fuel is stored in the fuel tank for a long time. This may be the biggest worry.

When the diesel fuel life cycle has problems, it cannot be easily understood. Therefore, leaving it to experts to manage potential problems, professionals must fix and mitigate risks.

A simple and unique mistake is to use low-grade diesel or fail to test the quality and condition of the fuel. It may cause multiple failures of your generator. There is also a mentality that after purchasing the fuel inventory, use it when needed. This type of negligence can cost the company money, because the loss of productivity and unreliability can cause serious damage to the company’s reputation.

Why is a backup generator important?

Diesel management is necessary for all types of generators because it helps to extend the life of the generators. If the fuel management is done correctly, the generator can provide better backup results.

Inferior fuel will affect the efficiency of the generator and will not provide better results. Cleaner diesel fuel helps maintain the integrity of the unit. The quality of diesel fuel can help determine whether the generator is reliable.

The reason behind diesel pollution.

Generally speaking, this type of fuel can only be stored for 6 to 12 months. In the best case, it may stay longer. To increase this length, the fuel must be clean from the beginning, maintained at a temperature of approximately 70°, properly maintained, and continuously treated with stabilizers and biocides.

If this does not happen, hydrolysis, microbial growth and oxidation will occur, which will damage the quality of the fuel. For example, when diesel oil comes into contact with water, it can cause the fuel to decompose. This includes condensation buildup of water droplets hitting the fuel surface from the top of the fuel tank. Microbial growth produces acids that can degrade fuel and prevent liquid flow when the fuel tank is blocked, which will quickly make you look for a new engine.

Finally, when the fuel comes into contact with oxygen, oxidation occurs in the form of a chemical reaction. When the product leaves the refinery, this risk occurs immediately-the process may be slow, but it will not stop. Oxidation can produce high acid values, which can lead to the formation of sludge and sediments.

Clean diesel for diesel generators.

Without maintenance, diesel can last for 6-12 months, and in some cases even longer, but it will certainly not last forever.

Carbon dioxide emissions may be cleaner, but the unexpected result is that our current fuel contains many additives that cannot be used in conjunction with engines. This requires more management and monitoring than ever before, because it is more susceptible to bacterial growth and sludge accumulation.

If diesel is stored in the storage tank for too long, all diesel will deteriorate over time. When you run a diesel generator with dirty diesel fuel, it will damage the generator's engine. The result may be sludge accumulation, filter clogging and many other problems. The accumulation of sludge and clogged filters in the generator will cause the generator to function normally.

The overall condition of the diesel can be easily traced from the fuel tank of the diesel generator and should be paid attention to, of course, it cannot be ignored. Diesel is an organic material that will degrade naturally over time. You can't ignore this process. At some point, water is usually found during fuel delivery or enrichment. This is the beginning of bacterial growth.

To prevent diesel fuel from decomposing over time, regular fuel evaluation and cleaning-also known as fuel polishing. Fuel polishing usually involves fuel testing, sampling, analysis, and disinfection and cleaning of particles, fungi, bacteria, and rust removal with filters and chemicals, sometimes including algae-based solutions, depending on the product.

Clean fuel and dirty fuel.

The point at which "good" fuel becomes "bad" fuel is not always obvious. In other words, you can say that conversion is a regular process that occurs over time. It is important to regularly sample, maintain and test the fuel of diesel generators to ensure its integrity. The quality of fuel is directly related to the reliability of diesel generators.

How to find contaminated diesel?

If you have not sampled, monitored and analyzed the diesel in the diesel generator or fuel storage tank. The following problems may occur in the fuel tank or inside the generator:

1.The fuel in the tank will appear very dark.

2.The water tank emits an unusual smell.

3.At the bottom of the tank, deposits will be generated.

4.The color of the generator engine becomes darker when it is running while exhausting.

5.The fuel line or filter of the generator will become clogged.

6.The starting system is damaged, such as batteries, relays and electrical components.

7.The fuel injection pump and fuel injector will be damaged.

8.Generator output and engine performance may be interrupted.

Jiangsu Starlight Electricity Equipments Co.,Ltd. is one of the earliest manufacturers of generators and diesel generator sets in China. The company relies on high-quality products and good services. It has been widely recognized by users in many fields. At present, it can provide various specifications of diesel generator sets in the power range of 15KW-2500KW. For more details, please contact us with sales@dieselgeneratortech.com