 |
||
 |
||
| Friday, July 30, 2010 | ||
|
||
FILTRATION SERVICES DIVISIONFuel Filtration/Polishing & Fuel Tank Cleaning Services
IORC is one of the largest and most successful Fuel & UST/AST Fuel Tank Cleaning service providers in the Western US Region. Our service facilities are strategically located on the West Coast which gives us the ability to be a “Ready Mobile” operation that offers onsite services when needed. As one of the largest most experienced providers of Hydrocarbon Filtration Services. IORC is highly skilled in the filtration and polishing of Fuel Products and Cleaning UST/AST Fuel Tanks. IORC owns and operates a full inventory of advanced fuel cleaning equipment designed and equipped with our proprietary “CLEAN-BRIGHT” ©™ Fuel Cleaning Technology. This provides us with the ability to approach each job with their specific issues, using the appropriate equipment size and process needs. Call IORC today for your Fuel & UST/AST Fuel Tank Cleaning needs. It makes “Dollars & Sense” to use IORC services at 1-800-999-0699 Fuel Filtration Services
Quality Results Guaranteed
I. Fuel Contamination and Maintenance Topics & Emergency Power Service Units “EPS” ASTM Reference: Digital Library / STP / STP1005-EB / STP 10036 Chesneau, H.L., “Fuel System Contaminants: An Introduction,” Distillate Fuel: Contamination, Storage and Handling, ASTM STP 1005, H.L. Chesneau and Michele M. Doris, Eds., American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, 1988 , Fuel System Contaminants: An Introduction The relative decline of distillate fuel quality in the United States over the past several years has been discussed in many recent publications [1-6]. This decline has taken the form of lower cetane numbers, heavier fuels, poorer stability characteristics and poorer cold weather characteristics [7]. These factors combined with increasing demands made by economical realities, environmental concerns and equipment refinements have placed a heavy burden on both the suppliers and users of fuel. Compounding this issue are new laws under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) signed by the President of the United States in 1984, which define the storage of liquids underground [8]. The law, in effect, has forced suppliers and users to look more closely at their fuel storage facilities. This action was brought about because of estimates that in excess of 100,000 underground storage tanks are currently leaking in the United States [9,10]. The focus of this symposium is to provide awareness of fuel storage problems, some of the chemical solution alternatives and practical experiences with solutions. Sources of Contaminants There are three basic ways in which contamination is introduced into a fuel system: air, water and the fuel itself. Air Air enters a system through venting pipes. It may be clean or filtered, but can be contaminated by dust, microbiological spores, hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria or other gases. It also may contain large amounts of moisture. Air is generally used to displace the volume of fuel consumed in a storage system. It is not practical to keep air from entering the storage tank; however, it may be practical to utilize filters designed to limit the amount of airborne debris and moisture that may enter through the vent system. Air itself may be considered a contaminant because of the oxygen present can increase the oxidation of the fuel. This is especially important because of the general trend toward less stable fuel [2,11]. Water The second major source of contamination is water. It is the easiest contaminant to identify and one of the most destructive. Free water in the fuel system can lead to corrosion and fuel degradation, and the presence of water can create a fertile growing place for microbiological contaminants [12,13]. Water is arguably one of the simpler contaminants to control although, in many systems, poor tank design has made complete removal of water impossible. Also, systems lacking of positive filtration equipment will allow water to be passed downstream. Water can enter the fuel system as condensation from the air in the tank. Vents and seals that are poorly designed, improperly installed, or are faulty or damaged can allow water to enter. Also, water is often used for tank cleaning and as ballast. Contaminants that can enter with the water include dirt, rust and microbiologicals. Preventing water from entering the system will reduce the amount of these contaminates; however, removal of the water will not always guarantee removal of these other contaminants. Fuel The third source of fuel system contamination is the fuel itself. Fuel in storage may degrade to form insoluble materials. These fuel insolubles can plug filters, foul injectors, form combustion system deposits and promote corrosion. The stability of the fuel is a measure of its resistance to this chemical change. Fuel stability is dependent on several factors including crude sources, refinery processes, base fuel components, base fuel blends and storage conditions [5,14]. As with air and water, fuel can bring in or pick up contaminants during the delivery process. As the fuel cools, water will condense and create free water droplets. When housekeeping practices are not strictly enforced, dirt, debris, water and bacteria can gather in tankers, fill lines, fill areas and storage tanks. Storage Tank Problems Throughout the distribution chain, large or small storage tanks, for the most part, have been poorly designed. Improper placement of water drawoffs or a complete lack of an adequate water drawoff system have left many storage systems seriously lacking in ability to perform proper housekeeping procedures. This not only accentuates the problem of water contamination, but leaves the system without any viable means of controlling water and contamination. Since water is a major contaminant, it is important to understand some of the problems associated with it in storage tanks. With the increasing examination of tank interiors prompted by the RCRA laws, older steel tanks have become suspect of serious internal corrosion. While the water itself can create internal corrosion, the more complex corrosive mechanism of microbial activity has to be addressed. These organisms, both aerobic and anaerobic, produce sludge’s and slimes known commonly to cause filter plugging. In addition, their activity creates corrosive by-products that can cause severe pitting of metal fuel tanks and can lead to leaks [15-17]. These bi-products can also cause fuel to become unstable [18]. The interlocking relationship between microorganisms, water, air, corrosion and unstable fuel needs to be understood so that by controlling them, one can minimize their effect on the storage of fuels. This Special Technical Publication (STP) does not try to provide all the answers. It does suggest, however, several ideas towards assisting the end user in dealing with fuel storage related problems. II. Reference from Authorities Regarding Long Term Diesel Storage The NFPA recommendation for stored diesel fuel maintenance states, “Diesel fuel has a storage life of approximately 1.5 to 2 years. Tanks should be sized so that the fuel is consumed within the storage life, or provision should be made to replace stale fuel with fresh fuel”. This recommendation has been in place since the mid 1980’s. In 1991, Caterpillar, Inc. published, “Diesel Fuels and Your Engine”. “Fuel stability additives are extensively used in diesel fuels to prevent oxidative breakdown of the fuel into gums and polymeric sediment during storage. But the fuel still has a finite storage life which is usually limited to about one year”. 1994, University of Idaho scientists conducted tests to determine the timeline and percentage of degradation of stored diesel fuel #2. The result of this testing was that petroleum diesel fuel #2 degraded 26% after 28 days of storage. 1997, Factory Mutual Research Corporation, 1B1A9.AF Class 6063, “Fuel contamination is a potential cause of premature shutdown for standby engine generator sets and other diesel engine support functions. Contamination can commence as soon as the storage tanks are filled and will remain until the fuel is used”. 1998, Technical Review, Diesel Fuels, Chevron Products Company. While storage stability should not be a concern for the majority of diesel fuel users, those who store diesel fuel for a prolonged period, i.e., one year or longer, can take steps to maintain fuel integrity. The actions listed below provide increasing levels of protection:
Contact Industrial Oil Recovery Corporation at 800-999-0699 |
||
| Industrial Oil Recovery Corporation • info@industrialoilrecovery.com • 800-999-0699 | ||
IORC HOME |
||
