Diesel Dirt Spells Doom

摘要

Mike Vorster's article suggesting fleets create a Fluids Czar within the equipment-management organization has struck a chord. Fleet professionals agree that fluid management has become more than a part-time responsibility. This idea of a fluid czar resonates with fleet managers when the discussion turns to fuel management. Three years ago, editor Walt Moore wrote about how critical clean fuel would be in the diesel engines developed to meet emissions standards. It's worth repeating what Philip Johnson, Donaldson Filtrations Solutions, said: "Total machining clearance for a typical fuel injector in a common-rail fuel system today might be just two microns-about the thickness of a single cell of bacteria. Tighter tolerances are needed, because injection pressures are increasing in order to more precisely control combustion. Ten or 15 years ago, pressures were 7,000 to 10,000 psi; today, pressures of 30,000 psi are routine and may be as high as 60,000 psi in the future."