The Problem-bugs In Diesel Fuels
Diesel fuel is an organic fuel and it's subjected to microbial contamination, a problem diesel engine owners frequently encounter. Ask a marine vessel owner or diesel motor mechanic, s/he is able to tell you the range of problems associated with contaminated diesel fuel they often encounter. Complaints on such problems as sludge in diesel fuel tank, dirty, clogged diesel fuel filters requiring regular replacement, blocked fuel line, engine stop-start, emission of black smoke, stinking diesel fuel, engine lacking power, corroded fuel injector and fuel pumps, high fuel consumption etc¡ The list can go on and on. Little do they know that the contributory factors to their woes are actually microbial diesel bugs contamination.
Wind
back the clock to more than 30 years ago in New Zealand, three diesel engineers
in Wellington, New Zealand discovered that magnetic fluxes effectively treated,
eliminated and prevented the growth of microbial bugs in diesel fuel. Through
regular R&D, over the years, the De Bug units were perfected for commercial
applications. Since then, more than 80,000 units of various sizes are sold
worldwide.
Today, De Bug is the highly recommended first choice panacea for treating, eliminating and preventing microbial diesel contamination. It is not only more cost effective than poisonous chemical additives such as biocide, but it does not pose health risks to both humans and the environments. It is very cost effective, long payback period and is very environmentally friendly.
Diesel
Fuel as Foods for Microscopic
Organisms
Diesel
fuel is an organic compound made up of hydrogen and carbon. It provides a good
source of food for a range of
microscopic organisms. Inside the fuel tank, there is water for
germination, carbon for food, dissolved oxygen and sulphur for respiration, and
trace elements for growth.
De Bug Microbial Fuel Decontaminator Treatment Systems are
ceramic permanent magnets designed especially for treating, eliminating and
preventing diesel fuel from microbial contamination.
The
Problem
Diesel fuel is an organic fuel and it
provides food for a range of microscopic diesel bugs or bacteria known as
microbes. There are bacteria, yeast and fungi. The most common bacteria are the
Cladisporius Hormonicus resinae.
Microbes
are living organisms and grow in colonies. They degrade the hydrocarbon and feed
on the degraded by-products.
Inside
the diesel fuel tank, there is air, water (condensation droplets) and warmth
(engine room) and food supply (diesel from fuel tank). These are important
elements for any living organisms and these elements provide ideal breeding
grounds for diesel bugs.
The microbe is a soft jelly like single cell weighing only one - millionth of a gram and is one micron in diameter. It can grow into a large biomass of ten kilograms or more in just twelve hours, given the correct conditions. This large biomass floats on the surface of the diesel fuel tank and can be easily seen with the naked eyes.
Diesel
Bugs - "Microbes"
The presence of diesel bugs causes many
problems to the diesel fuel. As a single cell, the microbe is quite harmless but
when it is in a large biomass, it causes havoc to the primary fuel filter. The
bugs floating on the fuel tank surface blocks the narrow fuel line, restricting
smooth flow of diesel fuel from the fuel tank to the engine, thus causing a
stop-start problem to the engine.
Generally,
a fuel filter has a diameter of 5 to 15 microns. When diesel fuel carrying
biomass of microbes enters the fuel filter, it clogs the fuel filter. This
results in regular replacement of the clogged fuel filter.
Contaminated diesel fuel then enters the engine combustion chamber. The bugs present in the diesel fuel then burns in the engine combustion chamber, leaving carbon deposits and emitting black smoke at the exhaust. Contaminated with diesel bugs does not burn efficiently, resulting in higher fuel consumption.
Contaminated diesel fuel also contributes to other problems. The acids present in diesel fuel causes corrosion to the fuel injectors and fuel pumps, pitted bottom in the fuel tank, brittle rubber and plastic components and engine metal parts.
Problems
Caused by Diesel Bugs
In
a nutshell, negative effects of microbial contaminated diesel fuels
include:
- Further
contamination in fuel tanks
- Formation
of biological sludge, slimes and surface scum in fuel tanks and blocking fuel
filters
- Clogging
fuel filter restricts fuel flow. Fuel blockage results in fuel starvation,
causing the engine to start and stop
- Engine
wear due to variation in fuel flow
- Contaminated
fuel does not burn efficiently and causing emission of soot/black
smokes
- Corrosive
by-products including strong organic acids and sulphides degrade protective
paints, rubber, some plastic and metal, causing metals to become brittle.
- Black
deposit on copper or alloy in pipe work and bearings
- Sludge and
slimes corrodes the fuel system including fuel seals, fuel injectors, fuel
nozzles and fuel pumps
- Generation
of hydrogen sulphide (smell of rotten eggs) in confined spaces creates health
risks to personnel during fuel tank cleaning.
Symptoms
of Microbial Diesel Contaminations
Marine engineers, mechanical engineers, technicians and motor mechanics
who regularly deal with diesel fuel and diesel engines are aware there is "something funny or peculiar" in
diesel fuel which is hard to explain. They notice ¡°dead bugs sludge¡± at the
bottom of the fuel tank, sludge like gunk blocking the fuel filter, usual colour
and composition of contaminated diesel fuel and corroded tips of the fuel
injector. They know the problems exist in diesel fuel, but are unaware that the
source of the problems is caused by the presence of diesel bugs (horomonicus resinae) in diesel
fuel. Why and how it happens, they
find it hard to fathom.
Common symptoms which indicate that diesel fuel is degraded and microbial
contaminated with diesel bug are:
a)
Appearance: murky, slimy, matted ¡°gunk¡± in filters,
fuels tank or fuel lines
b)
Odour:
smells like rotten eggs due to hydrogen sulphides
c)
Colour: fuel is darker, often khaki in colour and can be more
opaque
d)
Corrosion: acid corrodes the diesel engine, crankcase components, fuel injector
etc.
e)
Loss
Of Power: engine lacking power and encounter stop-start
problem
f)
Excessive
Black Smoke: emitting excessive black smoke
g)
High
Fuel burn
-
high fuel consumption
h) Premature wear of piston rings and engine liners
How De Bug Works?
The De Bug Microbial Diesel Fuel Decontaminator Treatment
System is not a fuel filter but consists of three or
more cone shaped
static permanent ceramic magnets - the "Tri-Mag" and "Multi-Mags". There is no
electricity to run it or chemicals to dispense. The magnets are arranged in such
a way that they creative optimum magnetic flux field density directly
responsible for the destruction of the diesel bugs cell membrane. By exposing
the contaminated fuels containing microbes will ensure maximum destruction of
the cells.
The patented De Bug device with the multiple ceramic permanent magnets when properly sized and strategically placed, Laboratory Tests have shown to have a 97.5% efficiency rate in destroying and damaging micro-organisms within a single pass.
Click
here to watch Demo Video of How De Bug Works
Click here to watch Demo Video in Mandarin
Refer to ICI New Zealand Ltd Corporate Research Laboratory Report No.CRL/4/88:7/7
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