Fuel Polishing

Weld Power Generator’s fuel polishing program helps ensure your generator runs with clean diesel fuel to avoid future engine failure, reduce sludge buildup, and help diminish your carbon footprint. By implementing fuel polishing into your maintenance program  the following will occur:

• Cleans and lubricates the injection system
• The diesel power generator/fire pump will run with less smoke
• Sludge buildup (sediment, rust, water, etc…) becomes less of a problem
• Fuel injectors are far less likely to fail
• More reliable fuel for outages and emergencies
• Maintenance expenses can be kept lower

Generator fuel quality testing has been included in the NFPA 110 standard as well as the Joint Commission standard.  Weld Power Generator’s fuel analysis package has been structured to meet NFPA 110 as well as ASTM D975 standards as our testing parameters follow ASTM methods.  We go even further with analytical parameters that are much more relevant to diagnosing the issues we see with fuel in storage for back-up generators which are listed below: 

Appearance

Simply a visual inspection of the fuel.  The bright result is optimum.  Cloudy or hazy can indicate water entrainment.  Dark can indicate poor fuel quality with suspended sediment.

Microbe Count

• <1,000 means less than 1,000 colonies of bacteria and/or fungus per milliliter of fuel sample which basically equals no measurable bacteria or fungus contamination.                       
• 1,000 = 1,000 colonies/milliliter is considered slight contamination.
• 10,000 = 10,000 colonies/milliliter is considered moderate contamination
• 100,000 and above are considered heavy contamination

Centrifuge

The fuel sample is spun in a centrifuge to determine the amount of bottom sediment and/or water.  Trace sediment or water reported is not considered a problem but is something to be monitored in the tank and in future analysis.  Anything more than a trace will be reported in % present which prompts attention to corrective action. 

Inorganic Components

Determines the presence of metallic content in parts per million(ppm).  <1 means less than 1ppm present = no measurable presence.  The presence of metals is reported numerically in ppm.  Metals present and reported in measurable quantities indicate a level of metallic contamination that can affect engine performance or damage engine components.  Elevated levels can indicate possible waste oil contamination, tank rust, or lubrication oil in the fuel.

Organic Contaminants

Identifies organic contaminants such as gasoline, solvents, fuel polymer(sludge), biodiesel, sediment (dirt, sand, dead microbes, etc.)  Satisfactory indicates no measurable organic contamination.  If unsatisfactory, the material will normally be identified.

Accelerated Aging Stability Index

The patented stability test predicts how stable the fuel will be in 6-12 months.  Determines the fuel’s potential to generate particulate and solids.  A result of 3 or less indicates fuel will most likely remain in current condition with little to no further degradation within the 6-12-month range. Result of 4-10 indicates fuel is unstable and further degradation is imminent.  The result of 11 and greater indicates the fuel is highly unstable and is forming sediment at an accelerated rate and prompts immediate attention to the correct condition.