Stanadyne Introduces 2-Micron Filter
14 December 2000
Stanadyne Introduces 2-Micron Filter
HARTFORD, Conn.--Dec. 13, 2000--Element Provides Nearly 100 Percent Protection from Particulate; Is Designed for Today's High-Pressure Diesel Fuel Injection Systems
Stanadyne Automotive Corp. has begun production of a new 2-micron diesel fuel filter/water separator element that was developed to meet growing customer demand for ever cleaner diesel fuel, said Simon Garner, director of sales and marketing for the company's Power Products Division.
Contaminant-free diesel fuel is increasingly important for today's high-pressure diesel fuel injection systems, such as common rail designs, Garner noted. These systems' high-precision components are designed to provide greater engine performance, increased fuel efficiency and decreased emissions. But they also are much more easily fouled and damaged by fuel impurities than their predecessors of just a few years ago.
Designed for use as a final filter with Stanadyne's Fuel Manager(R) diesel fuel filtration system, the 2-micron filter is independently rated at 99.99 percent efficiency. By comparison, while a 5-micron filter will remove water and particles as small as 2 microns, the 2-micron filter is nearly 8 percent more efficient at the 2-micron level. Overall, the new filter element removes nearly 100 percent of all particles, versus 92 percent of all particles for a 5-micron filter element.
"The 2-mciron filter combines the finest diesel fuel filtration now available with highly efficient water separation," Garner said. "With Stanadyne's 2-micron filter media, diesel OEM's (original equipment manufacturers) and their customers can have complete confidence that their high-pressure, high-precision engine components are operating with the cleanest possible fuel."
Initially, the new filter is available only through OEMs that install it on their products. The first to do so will be Liebherr, the Swiss manufacturer of cranes and other industrial equipment. However, Power Products anticipates broad-based demand for the new filter, particularly among OEMs whose products employ a common rail fuel system.
"A common rail fuel system is manufactured to much tighter tolerances and operates at much higher pressures than does a conventional fuel system," explained Vincent Attianese, senior applications engineer at Stanadyne. "Those tighter tolerances and higher pressures require ever cleaner fuel because the fuel system's components are ever more susceptible to costly wear and damage from particles in the fuel."
A conventional system typically employs a transfer pump to send fuel to a fuel injection pump that then supplies fuel to the injectors. A common rail system employs one high-pressure pump to supply the injectors directly through a common rail, or tube, from which the injectors draw their fuel.
"Low quality and contaminated diesel fuel are the primary causes of diesel engine damage and poor performance," asserted Garner. "Diesel fuel quality can vary from country to country, region to region and even from station to station. Moreover, easily contaminated on-site tanks or 55-gallon drums often are used to supply diesel fuel in many off-road applications, such as those involving industrial, construction, agricultural and marine equipment."
Stanadyne recommends using both a pre-filter and a final filter to protect sensitive injection systems from the perils of fuel impurities, Garner said. The pre-filter--also called a primary filter--should employ a large-media filter of between 30 and 150 microns located near the fuel tank to screen out whole water and larger particulate. The final filter--also known as a secondary filter--should be located near the fuel injection pump and employ a 5- or 2-micron media.
"A 2-micron filter, of course, provides the greatest protection by supplying the finest filtration and ensuring the cleanest fuel," Garner added.