A more technical blog this time, here we look at the role of the diesel filter.
The diesel filter is an integral part of any diesel engine. It is a crucial component in maintaining the engine’s performance.
Many people will already by aware that the amount of water contained in fuel these days can have a harmful effect on common rail injectors. These work at a high pressure and if the water present in fuel isn’t filtered properly it can create serious damage to the injection system in the engine.
Today’s diesel contains a much higher level of biodiesel compared to the past, this type of fuel is made from vegetable oil. This is great from an environmental point of view, but biodiesel can promote the growth of bacteria. This bacteria causes what can only be described as sludge. The sludge that is formed is deposited mainly in the tank and can block the filter causing clogging. Because of this, many modern diesel vehicles rely on innovative filtration solutions to try and combat this known issue.
The filtration system has a number of important jobs to carry out and it not only filters water, but it also performs pre-filtering, paraffin retention and fine filtration. All of these tasks are performed in the very same filter.
Because of these changes in fuel, the systems have developed and new innovative filters are now seen in many modern vehicles. These new filters are made of synthetic materials which allow the production of a deep filter element. This allows the filter to perform all of the necessary filtration functions efficiently and effectively. Because of this the contaminants are selectively accumulated prolonging the life of the filter.
The effect of increased depth combined with the particular type of polymer used allows the filter to perform greatly improved water separation.
