Fuel powers the world, so the quality of fuel matters. However, it is not immediately ready for use when it is pulled from the earth. The process of filtering is what allows for its use in applications ranging from your commute to powering international flights. But why does fuel need to be filtered? As specialists in fuel filtration services, we have the answer.
What Is Filtered Out of Fuel?
When we talk about fuel, we generally mean fossil fuels. Namely, oil. While the end-product of oil acquisition can run your car or a power plant, it is far from ready when it is harvested. Oil fresh from the ground is a sludgy black liquid that is not much good on its own.
Thus, even before being processed into other materials (like gasoline), oil would need to be filtered. When filtered, we remove contaminants such as dust, dirt, paint, rust, and more. Imagine collecting water from a lake. It might look fine to the naked eye, but it can contain scores of impurities. Even a single sip can cause issues, including infection.
Oil and water are different, of course, but the idea remains the same. Any material that contains pollutants or unwanted materials will first require purification (i.e., filtration). This certainly applies to fuel.
Why Does Fuel Need to Be Filtered?
Filtering fuel has financial, productive, and even ethical benefits. From being better for the environment to saving you money, fuel filtration is the right choice. Below, we highlight four reasons why fuel needs to be filtered.
Clean Fuel Prevents Mechanical Failure
Unfiltered fuel may still function, much as unfiltered water can quench thirst. However, the impurities in it can cause problems. Materials like rust and dirt can clog systems or even cause damage to components. These issues typically occur gradually, up until a system breaks or your machinery shuts down.
Fuel filtration services will always save industries money in the long run. Repairing expensive equipment will always cost more than simply filtering out those impurities in the first place. Cleaner, purer fuel can significantly increase the lifespan of manufacturing and industrial equipment.
Clean Fuel Improves Efficiency
When using any fuel, any component included that is not fuel can impede efficiency. At the very least, these extra components will not serve any practical function. Filtering them out ensures you have a power source that runs more efficiently, which saves money over time.
Purity matters for fuel. Purer fuel will also burn more efficiently. The issue is not that you have extra nonfuel weight in your power source but that you need even more of that impure fuel to achieve the same result.
Improved efficiency means you can accomplish more while spending less. This will mean higher productivity and improved revenue for your industry.
Clean Fuel Reduces Emissions
Fuel filtration reduces emissions in two key ways. Improved efficiency, as mentioned above, means you use less fuel to achieve the same result. Secondly, dirtier fuel leads to impaired, incomplete combustion. This means more particulates and pollutants are emitted while using that fuel source. Hydrocarbon compounds may escape the combustion process and then be released into the environment.
You may wonder why this matters if filtering does not destroy the pollutants but merely relocates them. However, when you filter out pollutants ahead of use, you have more control over where they go. A disposal company can responsibly manage that waste and ensure it has minimal impact on the environment.
And Clean Fuel Helps You Meet Compliance Standards
In California, a number of regulations exist concerning emissions from factories and industrial complexes. Impure fuel could put your industry at risk of running afoul of those regulations. Working with a registered environmental property assessor can allow you to confidently stay within those standards.
Even accidentally breaking those compliance regulations can result in costly fees or even litigation. Staying responsible from the start proves the right choice, any way you look at it. However, understanding if you are within the required emissions ranges can be a challenge on your own. When in doubt, we recommend consulting with an expert to evaluate your factory or establishment and see where your fuel quality sits.
Work With Experts in Fuel
In addition to environmental consulting services, Ramtox offers on-site fuel filtration services to keep your machinery running. Contact us to learn more about our services and why we are leaders in Southern California.