Maximizing Diesel Engine Life: The AirDog® System Advantage
Diesel engines are built to last, but just because they keep operating does not mean they are operating efficiently. Components can wear out, expensive fixes can be necessary, and an engine can keep pushing along for years while using more fuel than it needs to.
If you want to know how to prolong the life of a diesel engine—and equally important, maintain its performance—you need to understand the fundamentals of how they work and prioritize maintenance. It’s also a good idea to invest in high-quality components, like AirDog® Heavy Duty Diesel Fuel Systems.
AirDog® works to keep diesel engines in good condition by removing moisture, particulates, and entrained air and vapor. By ensuring only pure, clean diesel enters your fuel injectors and therefore your engine, you can make significant strides towards prolonging the life of your engine.
The Basics of Diesel Fuel Systems
The life expectancy of a heavy-duty diesel engine can be greater than 1,000,000 miles. Part of what makes these engines last so long is their simplicity. The fuel system only has five major components: fuel tank, fuel transfer pump, filters, injection pump, and fuel injectors.
The fuel transfer pump pulls fuel from the tank and through the filters, which remove particulates and separates water from fuel. The injection pump pushes the cleaned fuel through the injectors and into the engine for combustion.
Stock systems do a serviceable job of getting fuel to the engine without too many contaminants. However, there are drawbacks to these standard systems. The gear-driven pumps can introduce air into the fuel, adding the air that already occurs through fuel slosh. Over time, this can lead to wear and tear on the fuel injectors, reduce fuel economy, and even prevent the engine from starting.
The Role of AirDog® Systems
AirDog® was designed by our engineers to solve the common problems that come with basic diesel fuel systems. Our systems accomplish this goal in several ways, including:
Removing Entrained Air
A diesel fuel system that is operating perfectly never lets air reach the fuel injectors. One of the main purposes of AirDog® fuel systems is to remove entrained air from diesel fuel before pushing that fuel to the fuel injectors. Along with removing solids from the fuel, it also sends the fuel through the AirDog® Fuel Preporator, the world’s first patented system for removing air from fuel. When the air is removed, it is sent back to the fuel tank.
Optimizing Fuel Pressure
Removing existing air is not enough to protect your engine. It’s also necessary to minimize air and vapor in the fuel lines and to ensure that the air-free fuel makes it from the Preporator without the reintroduction of air. Our systems accomplish these goals in a few different ways.
Fuel pressure is maintained by integrated fuel pumps included in the AirDog® system along with the filtration components. These pumps maintain appropriate pressure to minimize vapor creation in the fuel lines and reduce strain on the existing transfer pump, which extends its life.
After filtration, the system uses patented air bleed port vents to release air and vapor with a barely discernable drop in pressure, which, along with the help of the integrated pumps, keeps the filtered fuel air-free as it moves into the injectors. The fuel that reaches the injectors is at optimal pressure for peak performance.
Impact on Engine Components
AirDog® fuel systems offer several advantages that can have a long-term positive impact on important engine components.
Transfer Pump Wear Reduction
In a traditional diesel fuel system, the transfer pump has a lot of work to do. It needs to take fuel from the fuel tank to the filters and onward to the fuel injectors. These pumps can wear out over time. However, with an AirDog® fuel system, the load put on the transfer pump is significantly reduced.
Part of what makes AirDog® so effective is its integrated fuel pump. The basic transfer pump that comes with the vehicle is not sufficient to maintain pressure and minimize air and vapor. In fact, it can introduce air and vapor as it pulls fuel from the tank. AirDog®eliminates this condition by optimizing the fuel pressure supplied to the gear-driven transfer pump, thereby preventing the cavitation that can occur under suction, which contributes to wear in the transfer pump.
Injector Longevity
Fuel injectors need diesel fuel for lubrication. If air enters the system and reaches the fuel injectors, it leaves them without lubrication and causes metal-on-metal contact. This wears out fuel injectors in addition to reducing their performance noticeably.
AirDog® keeps air out of the fuel as it enters the injectors. It ensures that the injectors are always lubricated with diesel and ensures maximum longevity.
Benefits Beyond Engine
Eliminating air from the fuel system before the fuel reaches the engine has additional advantages beyond protecting engine components. The process also helps protect what comes after the engine—the emission system.
Emission System Advantages
Air and water contamination in diesel fuel leads to less efficient combustion. The cleaner the fuel going into the engine before combustion, the fewer contaminants come out after combustion. That leads to reduced emissions and the benefits that come with that reduction. There is less build-up in the diesel particulate filter (DPF), which extends its life. The need for diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) is also lower.
Reduction in DPF and DEF usage is a major advantage of using an AirDog® fuel system, but there is also a reduction in wear and tear on the emission system in general. If you have ever had to replace the emission system on a diesel, you know how expensive it can be. Burning clean diesel that is air and vapor-free can, over time, result in few replaced emission system components and extra cost savings.
Conclusion
It only makes sense to want to keep a diesel engine in good condition. It’s a major investment and should last a long, long time. But to get the most out of a diesel it’s a necessity to take excellent care of the fuel system. That’s where AirDog® comes in.
Any reputable fuel filter can remove particulates from diesel fuel. AirDog® is unique in what else it does—like removing air and vapor before the fuel reaches the engine. By removing the air and maintaining optimal fuel pressure, AirDog® systems improve engine performance while simultaneously minimizing wear and tear on transfer pumps, fuel injectors, emission systems, and more.
AirDog® is an investment, one that pays off in big ways over the life of a diesel engine. When you choose AirDog®, you are choosing the best in fuel system health for your diesel.
For more information about AirDog® systems and how to make a diesel engine last longer, please contact us for information.
