The recent engine developments bought a seminal change for the diesel engine.
The once noisy and smoky diesel engines are now replaced with powerful, quieter
and smoother diesel engines. However, in terms of quality, diesel fuel is
lagging. Diesel fuel has not improved at the same rate as the diesel engines.
Diesel fuel starts deteriorating once it has been produced. Within 30 days after
it goes through the refining process, diesel fuel undergoes oxidation. In the
oxidation process, varnishes and gums are formed, triggering the lengthening and
bonding of the molecules of the fuel.
After reaching the fuel tank and forming a diesel sludge, the diesel fuel turns
into a very dark color. The diesel fuel also starts to emit a bad odor and if
used, will cause the engine to emit smoke. The smoke emission originates from
the engine filtration and from the combustion chamber. Inside the fuel tank, a
small portion of the molecules will be burned and the remaining will be
exhausted out as an unburned fuel and smoke.
Poor quality and contamination are considered as the evils of the diesel engine.
Eight out of ten diesel engines encounter contamination in the fuel systems and
storage tanks, which can really clog filters and lead to engine damage or engine
shut down.
Somehow the refinery process itself proves to be the contributing factor behind
the contamination of diesel fuel products. In the past, diesel fuel was stored
in refinery tanks long enough for the clean fuel to be separated. However, with
the demand for diesel products becoming higher, diesel fuels are not given
enough time to settle and naturally refine itself. Thus, consumers end up with
thicker, lower grade diesel products.
Presently, the quality of diesel fuel is unfavorable, but we can all hope that
through future research and technology, we will be able to attain a satisfactory
diesel fuel in the long run. |
