Diesel Fuel Storage Treatment

Diesel fuel that is stored for a long time and improperly maintained can cause a range of problems for the equipment and storage systems. The usual problems that are associated with long-term diesel fuel storage include accumulation of water and sludge. Uncontrolled diesel fuel dependent microbial growth in fuel storage tanks can produce dense masses. Periodic checking and proper maintenance of diesel fuel tanks can help solve these problems.

Common Storage Problems

• The accumulated problems over diesel fuel have the capacity to greatly diminish the efficiency of the stored fuel. In fact, if proper care is not taken, these problems can even lead to problems in the diesel fuel storage tank, which leads to seepage of fuel from the storage tank. Other problems associated with diesel fuel storage include blocking of the fuel filter and injectors. Cold weather may also be the culprit, as low temperature can cause wax crystallization in the fuel.

Prevention

• Only regular checking can give a full estimate of the condition of the diesel fuel storage tank. The main problem in the diesel tank is the accumulation of sludge. However, in this context it should be remembered that the filter and fuel lines clogging is not caused by the microbes, but fuel components that have solidified due to the activity of the microbes.

Storage Parameters

• The examination of several parameters in a diesel fuel sample helps determine the contamination of the diesel fuel storage tanks. The parameters that should be checked include fungus contamination or other microbe contamination levels, water concentration in parts per million, cetane index, distillation index and API gravity. After determining these values, necessary precautions or preventive measures are taken to treat the diesel fuel tank of contamination.

Microbial Contamination

• The microbial contamination level is an essential value to be checked because uncontrolled growth of microbes, coupled with accumulation of water in the fuel storage tank, can lead to formation of sludge that has the ability to clog the filters, fuel lines and pumps. In addition, these microbes can produce organic acids that may lead to corrosion of the fuel tank, thus leading finally to seepage and loss of the diesel fuel.

Protection Methods

• After determining the level of diesel fuel contamination, special additives are added to the storage tank that does not affect the quality of the fuel, but removes the threat from the fuel tank. These additives are of two basic types, they can be water inhibitory or they can be microbe inhibitory. Before adding the additive, you should make sure that the additive does not inhibit the fuel quality.