Diesel Fuel "Algae" Causes & Effects

[Trailer Trash 2]

I found this on the web about new Diesel fuel thought it might interest a few.




Diesel Fuel "Algae" Causes & Effects

Most people who operate and maintain Diesel engine systems are familiar with the black slimy material frequently seen in their fuel filter elements, and found in the bottoms of their fuel tanks. It is known by many names e.g. algae, mud, sludge, dirt, BS&W , and many other unsavory sounding terms - all of which are misnomers. Many people think this material is some sort of microbe, thus in the marine industry, it is most commonly called "algae". While bacteria and other microbes contribute to and accelerate this process, sludge is no more bacteria than milk that has turned into cottage cheese - it's still milk, only in a physically different form -- Diesel fuel forms wax and asphalt, not "algae".

To understand the source and nature of this material, it is helpful to know a little about how Diesel Fuel and other distillate products are made in today's modern refineries. In the "old days" (15 - 25 years ago) processing of crude oil into the light distillate products we all know as gasoline, Kerosene, home heating oil, jet fuel, and diesel was basically done through heating the crude oil. At different boiling points, the various fractions of the crude were evaporated then condensed and sent to a storage tank for distribution. The distillate product, diesel fuel included, were fairly stable products with shelf life measured in the several months range.

The residual oil left over after the distillation process, approximately 50% of the barrel of crude that we start with, is the very heavy oils that are used for large ships and power plants, along with other industrial applications e.g. manufacture of products such as plastics, pharmaceuticals, nylon, asphalt, etc.

The refining process is dramatically different today. Demand for these light distillate products has increased rapidly, forcing the refiners to find new ways to extract more of them from the crude oil. Catalytic, or chemical cracking now allows the refiner to make more of the valuable lighter distillates from each barrel of crude, leaving only about 16% of the residual as heavy fuel oils. Environmental concerns have resulted in additional treatment of diesel, for example to lower sulphur content. This also contributes to instability of today's fuels.

Diesel fuel refined with these new methods is far less stable than that made with simple distillation. This results in more rapid deterioration in the form of solids precipitating to make sludge. Key fuel components such as paraffins and asphaltenes begin to oxidize and re-polymerize resulting in dark coloration, clogged filters and tank sludge that is commonly called "algae". In reality, this stuff is actually wax and asphalt !!

When this condition is present, the fuel does not combust rapidly causing a loss of engine efficiency. When the exhaust ports open, still smoldering fuel clusters become smoke and soot, leaving carbon buildup in the engine and exhaust trunk. Eventually, when it precipitates to the bottom of the tank, or is trapped in your filter, these key components cannot contribute to transferring the energy in the fuel to power the engine.

So the cause of the so called "algae" is simply the result of ageing fuel, which can occur in as little as 60-90 days, and depending on the cleanliness, and maintenance of the tanks in which it is kept, possibly even sooner.

The results of using fuel in this condition include
• Tank Sludge that must be removed manually or dissolved with chemicals
• Clogged filters that must be replaced(and disposed of)
• Incomplete combustion
• Wasted BTU's
• Smoking engines
• Carbon Deposits in the engine
• Shortening the life of major (read expensive) engine components
• Dirty engine Oil
• Poor engine performance

Solutions for Recovering Diesel Fuel Quality
Traditional technologies used to protect engines from poor quality fuel include filtration to remove particulate e.g. dirt and sludge, separation of water content, and use of biocides to control microbial activity, which can contribute to more rapid formation of solids. Equipment to provide this protection is of course, still necessary. However, what many operators are seeing is a much shorter life of the filter elements, resulting in more frequent filter changes. This is due to the paraffins and asphaltenes (and other fuel components) having re-polymerized, or agglomerated to form solids. This will happen even without the presence of microbes, so biocides cannot prevent this problem from occurring.

Summary
Today's Diesel Fuel is refined in a much different way than that of 15-20 years ago. Catalytic cracking produces a far greater volume of light and middle distillate products from each barrel of crude oil, however the stability of the fuels has been dramatically shortened.

Key fuel components such as paraffins and asphaltenes begin to form clusters that precipitate into the sludge commonly known as "algae". They comprise the bulk of this material that clogs filters, causes engines to smoke and perform poorly, and makes tank sludge.

ALGAE-X stops and reverses this process by impacting these clusters of molecules with inductive energy. This breaks up the clusters that have formed resulting in better filterability and combustibility of the fuel, and preventing the formation of tank sludge by the return line, which delivers clean treated fuel back to the tanks.

[Art-n-Marge]

So the summary seems to be a product called Algae-X. How do you know you need it and how often should it be used? If I don't see black stuff am I okay?

I just changed the small fuel filter on top of the engine and didn't see any of this. I hope to be doing the large one under the chassis soon and I'll report back what I find. I'm guessing this is gonna be the messy one so I'm trying to get up the courage.

[camper4]

Thanks for the post.

[ragdoll]

Art changing the filter on the frame isn't so bad. I just put a flat pan under the filter and have a rag handy when I remove filter from line it was easier than I had expected. Jack

[junglejim]

Thank you for posting that.

I have heard about the "algae" problems in the equipment and trucks from the mechanics at work and have always worried a little about this being a problem for me. Now that I understand the topic better I am not concerned as much.

It seems like we could help prevent this some by using fresh fuel, like from truck stops. Change filters regularly and don't let your truck sit so you use the fuel in your tank. Which is getting harder to do with the price of fuel going up with no stopping in sight.

[boylanag]

Thanks for the info, Don.

[SlickWillie]

Ha....our diesel doesn't stay in the tank long enough for algae to form! Wish it did. IIRC, some of the other additives on the market prevent algae also. Thanks for posting up.

[nosticks]

That's a very informative post although in the end an advertisement promoting Algae-X products. The inductive energy claimed is nothing more than a magnet, through which the diesel fuel flows. Just imagine how that miraculously, "stops and reverses this process by impacting these clusters of molecules with inductive energy. This breaks up the clusters that have formed resulting in better filterability and combustibility of the fuel, and preventing the formation of tank sludge by the return line, which delivers clean treated fuel back to the tanks". Marine users have debunked this for quite a long time knowing that the only thing that really works is removing condensation and thus the sludge from the fuel through multi-stage filtration.

We do not have this problem to begin with as in some marine applications. We don't carry 500 to 1000 gal. with us and keep our fuel around long enough for deterioration to take place and we have better control over water ingestion into our TV fuel systems. I could go on about this for about ten pages, but if you want to read endless arguments both pro and con, google up the issue and go to some of the marine forums. I think you'll find it entertaining.

[Trailer Trash 2]

I agree the end does look like a advertisement but its the body of the post I was trying to convey,
I have heard about algie but didnt know too much about it, and it looked interresting, just thought I would share it.

[8e3k0]

Quite an interesting article. On the flip side we collect, restore, operate and pull antique John Deere tractors which include diesels. Some of these tractors have had diesel sit in their tanks for 20 plus years and I have never had a problem with any age of diesel and algae in tractors. We also run the newer ones that run on todays diesel where the tractors sit sometimes 8 to 10 months without startng and when put to the test in the field no problems have been encountered and I am talking about engines with 10,000 and 12,000 hours of hard running on them.
Could this be the are diesel is refined in, dryness of area; or is the article a marketing ploy? We hear that diesel is different today that years back; is it really and what is the variance?? IMHO

[Hooker]

I have not read the article, but if you drive the truck, and use the fuel, algae will not have time to grow and you don't need an additive. If it sits (like all winter in my boat) you need to add a biocide to kill the algae. Get it at a marine store.

[Trailer Trash 2]

quote:Originally posted by Hooker

I have not read the article, but if you drive the truck, and use the fuel, algae will not have time to grow and you don't need an additive. If it sits (like all winter in my boat) you need to add a biocide to kill the algae. Get it at a marine store.

I'll have to get some of that and keep it at home, sometimes I dont use my truck fo a week or more it stayes parked in front of the house.

[hazmic]

You are so right about the parts. I had to replace the rail pump on my 2000. 400 bucks for just the pump. I use Lucas Bio Medic and install a filter that is like a oil filter from Real Truck. That took care of the algae. You can get algae anywhere because of old diesel fuel. That is why it is best to get fuel that sells lot of it a week like a truck stop that moves a lot of diesel. I put in anti algae about every 5-6 tanks of fuel.

[Art-n-Marge]

I guess I'm thinking like Hooker. I use the fuel too much to worry about. I'm glad that hazmic mentions he does something about the algae since it's a possibility. Is this an IOWA thing?

And changing the fuel filter under the chassis wasn't so hard either. A bucket to catch the fuel and a great hint I read to drain the fuel first using the drain plug that is used to get rid of water. No water, just fuel and took a few seconds to drain. Other than having to maneuver around some rubber hoses and metal lines, parts of the frame and the 4x4 transaxle, I was able to get the filter changed. The best of all this, is the engine fired up just fine afterwards. Drove about 10 miles, then smelled something awful, like the engine was burning. I stopped to look underneath, and saw nothing. Then a little Honda hot rod drove by, spewing white and blue smoke. It wasn't me and that dude has a serious problem - probably a head gasket.

What color is diesel fuel supposed to be? I've never seen it in volume and I'm just curious. For example, Gasoline is a faint pink color. Does anyone know what color(s) diesel come(s) in? In case it matters, I live in Southern California. I've heard California diesel is more expensive than elsewhere. Maybe they put algae in it. There's certainly plenty of it in the ocean.

[nosticks]

Road fuel is yellow, off road fuel is red.

[Trailer Trash 2]

quote:Originally posted by nosticks

Road fuel is yellow, off road fuel is red.

Thats for sure it being red, I guess thats why some people with tanks in the bed dont run a clear filters instead they use a steel can filter, red will be seen very quickly in glass bowl. and if it is red you better have construction equiptment or farm tractors.

Yellow in your tank your a good fella. Red in the tank you might wish you were dead if you get cought.

[Rondo]

The Dot here in Nebraska pull over farmers pickups every so often just to check their fuel being used. If it's red, they had better pray for a good lawyer. Some of the farm trucks (tractor trailers hauling grain) are pulled over also. The red fuel is suppose to be used only in farm equipment(tractors,combines,and the like) only.

[sreigle]

One thing I learned the hard way when changing that filter on the frame when I was driving Ford diesels -- when removing the filter keep my arms angled upwards. Otherwise, as diesel leaks out of the filter it runs down my arms, not only making cleanup more difficult, but also getting onto my shirt. We've never figured out how to save a diesel soaked shirt.

[DonandBonnie]

I question the so-called algae thing is relatively new. I started railroading in 1966 and it was a problem in locomotive fuel tanks then and it is today. If a locomotive ran out of fuel and sucked the sludge off the bottom of the tank, it took five or six filter changes to clean out the supply lines. When I bought my Silverado, my first diesel vehicle, I was advised to only buy fuel at a station that obviously sells a lot of fuel. That would eliminate fuel that could have gunk in it from sitting to long. I was also told not to run the tank to empty before refilling. That would eliminate sucking sludge from the bottom of my tank if there was any. Lastly, the red in the off road fuel is a dye that can be detected by the fuel tax police long after the red fuel is gone.

[hazmic]

Algae is a diesel thing and mostly marine but a fuel station that dose not maintain their system,you have high chances of problems. This is not only a Iowa problem as we think we got ours in PA on I 80.