Parker Hannifin fuel polishing system protects marine engines

Motion and control technology

The Racor Division of Parker Hannifin, the global leader in motion and control technologies, has introduced an ultra-low power marine fuel polishing system for use in pleasure and smaller commercial vessels.  The new system has been developed to remove the moisture and fine particles that accumulate in fuel tanks and lines, especially when vessels have been lying idle for extended periods, preventing filtration systems from becoming clogged and protecting the operation of diesel engines.

Fuel contamination can be a major problem for many owners and operators of boats.  In particular, moisture and condensation forming in tanks and fuel lines can lead to the growth of bacteria and algae.  Together with particles of debris forming from corroded surfaces or entering the fuel during refueling these can quickly affect the function of engine filters, reducing the efficiency of engines and, in the worst case, a complete failure of an engine.  This problem can often occur if a vessel has been standing idle for a while or if the vessel is at sea in rough weather when sediment in tanks becomes disturbed.

Parker’s latest fuel polishing system eliminates these problems by using extremely low power piezo-electric pumping technology to circulate fuel from the tank through a specialised polishing filter and then either back to the tank or direct to the engines.  Ideally, the system is set to run when engines are shut down, for example when the vessel is in dock or under sail, with the polishing unit steadily removing contamination in the fuel tank, ready for when the engines are next required.

The fuel polishing system can be set to run automatically and is capable of circulating up to 325 litres per day, with the system drawing less that 1.0W on power; typically only 1Ah is required to circulate 900 litres of fuel, representing just 2% of the stored power from a normal group 27 marine battery.

The latest Parker fuel polishing system has been designed to be easy to retro-fit to existing vessels.  It also incorporates an internal automatic diverter valve, so that no manual intervention is required in switching from normal operation to polishing mode.