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CONTAMINATION CONTROL |
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Enhances Performance |
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Contamination control is increasingly important for maximizing performance and service life in fuel systems. Some Cat® fuel systems exceed pressures of 30,000 psi in order to deliver more horsepower, better fuel economy and fewer emissions. This necessitates tolerances smaller than five microns between parts. These tolerances and injection pressures make fuel systems more vulnerable to wear and abrasion.
- Injector Nozzles— Contaminants move quickly in high-pressure systems, causing damage, eroding orifices and resulting in incomplete atomization of fuel and over fueling. This harms performance and fuel economy. It also results in hard starts and increased emissions. Larger contaminants can actually clog orifices.
- Injector Plungers and Barrels—Abrasive particles cause wear between an injector's plunger and barrel. Contaminants scuff metal surfaces, causing metal-to-metal contact and eventual injector seizure.
- Control Valves—Contaminants damage valves that control fuel pressures, eroding mating parts of the valves. This excessive wear causes leaks and eventual loss of engine power
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1. Human hair (80 microns)
2. Standard filtration (15 microns)
3. Damage fuel systems (5-10 microns)
4. HE filtration (4 microns) |
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Size of Contamination
A particle five microns across can damage fuel systems. A micron is one-millionth of a meter. To give you an idea of how small that is, an average human hair is 80 microns in diameter. Tolerances in Cat fuel injectors are 1/1,000th the diameter of a human hair. It’s easy to understand how even small contaminants can damage today’s fuel systems. |
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Sources of Contamination
- In the Fuel—Contaminants can enter during storage or transportation of fuel. A reliable supplier, filtered dispensing and periodic sampling and testing assures consistent quality.
- During Operation—airborne particles can be drawn into your fuel tank through the vent tube. A fuel tank vent can ingest dust when it is not properly sealed.
- External—Contamination can enter during maintenance and service, even when changing filters.
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Filtering Contamination
The precision components in today’s fuel systems require specially designed fuel filters. Cat Advanced Efficiency Fuel Filters use exclusively designed filtration media to remove more than 98% of particles, four microns in size and larger. Cat Advanced Efficiency Fuel Filters feature:
- spiral roving and acrylic beads to maintain pleat stability and spacing to better trap and hold contaminants
- non-metallic center tube for strength and to prevent metal contamination
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Measuring Contamination
Contamination is measured by counting particles and reported by comparing those results to an International Standards Organization (ISO) code. ISO codes contain two numbers. The first refers to the number of five-micron and larger particles in a one-milliliter sample. The second number indicates the quantity of 15-micron and larger particles in the same sample.
An ISO 21/17 rating means a one-milliliter sample contains 221, or about two-million particles five microns and larger, and 217, or 130,000 particles 15 microns and larger. A 55-gallon barrel of fuel with a 21/17 rating would have a half-teaspoon of fine dust. That is not clean enough for today's machine systems and components. |
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Cleaner fuel maximizes the performance and service life of Cat fuel systems.
Call our experienced parts counter sales representatives to assist you with your Genuine Cat filters!
(800) 447-3115 or Order Parts Online |
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