How Long Can The Diesel Of Diesel Generator Set Be Used

As we known, diesel is the important fuel for diesel generator set. In an emergency, fuel is one of the first resources to be used. Having sufficient fuel reserves helps to prepare for unexpected situations, such as long-term power failure. Although beneficial, the shelf life of diesel is not as long as people think. Due to stricter regulation and environmental and economic problems, modern refining processes make today's distillates more unstable and vulnerable to pollution.

So, how long can diesel be used?

Research shows that diesel fuel can only be stored for an average of 6 to 12 months - sometimes longer under optimal conditions.

Generally speaking, there are three main threats to the quality of diesel oil:

Hydrolysis, microbial growth and oxidation.

The existence of these three factors will shorten the service life of diesel, so you can expect the quality to decline rapidly after 6 months. Next, we will discuss why these three factors are threats and provide tips on how to maintain diesel quality and prevent these threats.

Hydrolysis

When diesel oil comes into contact with water, it will cause hydrolysis reaction, which means that diesel oil decomposes due to contact with water. During cold condensation, water droplets will drop from the top of the storage tank to the diesel oil. Contact with water produces a chemical reaction - as described earlier - to decompose diesel and make it vulnerable to the growth of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi).

Microbial growth

As mentioned earlier, microbial growth is usually the product of conditions resulting from the contact of water with diesel fuel: microorganisms need water to grow. At the performance level, this is problematic because the acid produced by microorganisms will degrade the diesel fuel, block the fuel tank filter due to the formation of biomass, restrict fluid flow, corrode the fuel tank and damage the engine.

Oxidation

Oxidation is a chemical reaction that occurs immediately after the diesel fuel leaves the refinery when oxygen is introduced into the diesel fuel. Oxidation reacts with compounds in diesel oil to produce high acid value and unwanted colloids, sludge and sediments. High acid value will corrode the water tank, and the resulting colloid and sediment will block the filter.

Tips for preventing pollution of diesel

Several steps should be taken to ensure that stored diesel fuel is clean and uncontaminated:

Short term management for hydrolysis and microbial growth:

Use fungicides. Bactericides will help prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi that can reproduce at the water diesel interface. Once microorganisms appear, they multiply rapidly and are difficult to eliminate. Prevent or eliminate biofilms. Biofilm is a thick sludge like material, which can grow at the diesel water interface. Biofilms reduce the efficacy of fungicides and encourage re infection of microbial growth after fuel treatment. If biofilms are present before fungicide treatment, mechanical cleaning of the water tank may be required to completely successfully eliminate biofilms and obtain the full benefits of fungicides. Fuel treatment with demulsification characteristics is used to separate water from fuel.

Short term management for oxidation:

Keep the water tank cool. The key to delayed oxidation is a cool water tank - about - 6 ℃ is ideal, but should not be higher than 30 ℃. Cooler tanks can reduce exposure to sunlight (in the case of field work) and contact with water sources by investing in underground tanks or by providing a roof or some type of shell. Dispose of fuel. Additives, such as antioxidants and fuel stability treatment, maintain the quality of diesel fuel by stabilizing diesel and preventing chemical decomposition. Treat fuel, but treat it correctly. Do not use treatment methods or fuel additives that claim to be effective for both gasoline and diesel fuels. How you deal with diesel should be for diesel, not for any given fuel source.

Long term management of pollution prevention:

Empty and clean the water tank every ten years. Thorough cleaning every ten years will not only help maintain the life of diesel fuel, but also help maintain the life of fuel tank. Invest in an underground storage tank. The initial cost may be higher, but the long-term cost is lower: it makes the tank safer, the temperature lower, and the quality of the fuel will last longer.

In short, you need to develop a monitoring and maintenance plan for your diesel fuel tank storage system that includes all the above tips. If you have any questions about diesel generator, please contact Dingbo power immediately.

Dingbo power is proud of its strong customer service and providing customers with the best value. With many years of experience in the generator industry, Dingbo power can provide you with all generator needs at any time.