Low-Pressure Side Components

Overview
In order for the fuel injection system to fulfill its purpose, fuel must
be transferred to it from the fuel tank. This is the role of the low-
pressure fuel system components. The low pressure side of the fuel
system consists of a number of components including the fuel tank,
one or more fuel supply pumps and one or more fuel filters. In
addition, many fuel systems contain coolers and/or heaters to better
control fuel temperature. Figure 1 illustrates two examples of
schematics for low pressure fuel systems, one for a heavy-duty diesel
truck and one for a light-duty diesel passenger car [CRC 2007][CRC
2008].
Figure 1. Examples of Low Pressure Fuel Systems for Heavy-Duty and Light-
Duty Diesel Vehicles

Fuel Tank and Fuel Supply Pump

The fuel tank is a reservoir that holds the fuel supply and helps
maintain its temperature at a level below its flash point. The fuel
tank also serves as an important means of dissipating heat from the
fuel that is returned from the engine [Bosch 1971]. The fuel tank
should be corrosion-resistant and leakproof to pressures of at least
30 kPa. It must also use some means to prevent excessive pressure
accumulation such as a vent or a safety valve.
The fuel supply pump, often referred to as the lift pump, is
responsible for drawing fuel from the tank and delivering it to the
high pressure pump. Modern day fuel pumps can be electrically or
mechanically driven by the engine. Using an electrically driven fuel
pump allows the pump to be placed anywhere in the fuel system
including inside the fuel tank. Pumps driven by the engine are
attached to the engine. Some fuel pumps may be incorporated into
units that serve other functions. For example, so called tandem
pumps are units that incorporate a fuel pump and a vacuum pump
for the brake booster. Some fuel systems, such as those based on a
distributor type pump, incorporate a mechanically driven supply
pump and the high pressure pump in one unit.
Fuel pumps are commonly sized to deliver more fuel than is
consumed by the engine at any particular operating system. This
extra fuel flow can serve a number of important functions including
providing extra fuel to help to cool injectors, pumps and other engine
components and maintaining a more constant temperature of the
fuel in the entire fuel system. Also, the excess fuel that is heated by
its contact with hot engine components can be returned to the tank
or fuel filter to improve the vehicles low temperature operability.

Fuel Filter
Trouble-free operation of a diesel injection system is possible only
with filtered fuel. Fuel filters help reduce damage and premature
wear from contaminants by retaining very fine particles and water to
prevent them from entering the fuel injection system. As shown in
Figure 1, fuel systems can contain one or more stages of filtration. In
many cases, a course screen is also located at the fuel intake located
in the fuel tank.
Two stage filter system typically uses a primary filter on the inlet side
of the fuel transfer pump and a secondary filter on the outlet side.
The primary filter is required to remove larger particles. The
secondary filter is required to withstand higher pressures and
remove smaller particles that can damage the engine components.
One-stage systems remove larger and smaller particles in a single
filter.
Filters can be a box-type or replacement element design, as shown in
Figure 2. The box-type filter is that which can be completely replaced
as needed and does not require cleaning. Filters with a replaceable
element have to be thoroughly cleaned when replacing elements and
care must be taken to avoid any dirt residue that could migrate to the
intricate parts of the fuel injection system. Filters can be constructed
of metal or plastic.

Figure 2.
Two Types of Fuel Filters
(a) Box type; (b) Element type
Common materials for modern fuel filter elements are synthetic
fibres and/or cellulose. Micro glass fibres can also be used but
because of the risk of migration of small glass fibre pieces broken off
from the main element into critical fuel system components, their
use in some applications is avoided [Petiteaux 2009]. In the past,
pleated paper, packed cotton thread, wood chips, a mixture of
packed cotton thread and wood fibres and wound cotton have also
been used [Brady 1996].
The degree of filtration required depends on the specific application.
In general, when two filters are used in series, the primary filter
retains particles down to about 10 - 30 m, while the secondary filter
is capable of retaining particles greater than 2-10 m. As fuel
systems evolve, clearances and stresses on high pressure components
increase and the need for clean fuel becomes event more critical.
Both the capability of fuel filters to keep up with demands for cleaner
fuel [Salvador 2009] as well as methods quantifying acceptable fuel
contamination levels have needed to evolve [van Stockhausen 2009].
In addition to keeping solid particles out of the fuel supply and
injection equipment, water in fuel must also be prevented from
entering critical fuel injection system components. Free water can
damage fuel lubricated components in the fuel injection system.
Water can also freeze in cold temperature conditions and ice may
block small fuel injection system passages thus cutting off the fuel
supply to the rest of the fuel injection system.
Water can be removed from the fuel using two common approaches.
The incoming fuel can be subject to centrifugal forces that separates
the denser water from the fuel. Much better removal efficiencies can
be achieved with a filter media that separates water. Figure 3 shows a
filter using a combination of media-type and centrifugal approaches.
 Figure 3. Fuel Filter Equipped with
Water Separator
Different water separation media operate under different
principles. Hydrophobic barrier media, such as silicone treated
cellulose, rejects water and causes it to bead up on the upstream
surface. As the beads become larger, they run down the face of the
element into a cup under the force of gravity. Hydrophilic depth
coalescing media, such as glass micro-fibre, has a high affinity for
water. The water in the fuel associates with the glass fibres and over
time as more water enters from the upstream side, massive droplets
are formed. The water moves through the filter with the fuel and on
the downstream side, falls out of the fuel flow into a collection cup.
Increased use of surface active fuel additives and fuel components
such as biodiesel have rendered conventional separating media less
effective and filter manufacturers have needed to develop new
approaches such as composite media and ultra-high surface area
coalescing media [Stanfel 2009][Pangestu 2009][Bessee 2009]. Methods
of quantifying fuel/water separation performance have also been
affected [Stone 2009].
Fuel filters can also contain additional features such as fuel heaters,
thermal diverter valves, de-aerators, water-in-fuel sensors, filter
change indicators.
A fuel preheater helps minimize the accumulation of wax crystals
that can form in the fuel as it cools to low temperatures. Common
 heating methods use electric heaters, engine coolant or recirculated
fuel. Two approaches that use warm return fuel to heat the incoming
fuel are shown in Figure 1.
Fuel overflow and leak-off fuel returning to the tank also carries air
and fuel vapor. The presence of gaseous substances in the fuel can
cause difficulties in starting as well as normal engine operation in
high temperature environments. Therefore, bleeder valves and de-
aerators are used to rid the fuel supply of vapors and air to ensure
trouble-free engine operation.

References
Bessee, G.B., Hutzler, S., 2009. The effects of diesel fuel additives and water
separation performance, SAE Technical Paper 2009-01-
0868, doi:10.4271/2009-01-0868
Bosch, 1971. Fuel Injection Equipment for Diesel Engines - Fuel Injection Pumps
PE and PF, Robert Bosch GmbH, 1st ed., 1971
Brady, R.N., 1996. Modern Diesel Technology, Vancouver Community College
and HiTech Consulting Limited, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
CRC, 2007. Evaluation Of Low Temperature Operability Performance Of Light-
Duty Diesel Vehicles For North America, Coordinating Research Council,
Inc., Atlanta, GA, CRC Report No.
649, http://www.crcao.com/reports/recentstudies2007/CRC%20649%20Co
mplete%20Report.pdf
CRC, 2008. Biodiesel Blend Low-Temperature Performance Validation,
Coordinating Research Council, Inc., Atlanta, GA, CRC Report No.
650, http://www.crcao.org/reports/recentstudies2008/DP-2a-
07/CRC%20650.pdf
Pangestu, F.D., Stanfel, C.M., 2009. Media for water separation from biodiesel-
ultra low sulfur diesel blends, SAE Technical Paper 2009-01-
0871, doi:10.4271/2009-01-0871
Petiteaux, M., 2009. Innovative Water Separation Technology and Electrostatic
Discharge System Developed and Validated for the New Diesel Fuel Filtration
Module of the Future Ford Diesel F-Series, SAE Technical Paper 2009-01-
1459, doi:10.4271/2009-01-1459
Salvador, C., 2009. Filtration technology challenges for common-rail diesel
engine fuel systems, SAE Technical Paper 2009-01-0874, doi:10.4271/2009-
01-0874
Stanfel, C.M., 2009. Fuel filtration: protecting the diesel engine, Filtration +
Separation, May/June 2009, 22-25
Stone, W., et al., 2009. Diesel fuel/water separation test methods - where we are
and where we are going, SAE Technical Paper 2009-01-
0875, doi:10.4271/2009-01-0875
van Stockhausen, A., et al., 2009. Procedure for determining the allowable
particle contamination for diesel fuel injection equipment (FIE), SAE
Technical Paper 2009-01-0870, doi:10.4271/2009-01-0870