Fuel Tank Design
For the life of me I cannot understand why marine diesel fuel tanks for
recreational boats are designed the way the are -- where the fuel is
withdrawn from the tank through a vertical tube that terminates near (but
not at) the bottom of the tank.
Seems to me this is like drinking half the milk out of the bottle or carton
and then refilling the container from a fresh supply. Do this again, and
again, and after a few days (much less a few weeks or few months), none of
us would want to take a swig out of that milk carton.
Isn't that what we do with diesel fuel tanks when we siphon fuel from a few
inches above the tank bottom? The tank is never really emptied, and all the
crud, goo, water, etc. sits on the bottom, until it is stirred up by rough
water to be drawn into our fuel systems.
Why not design our tanks so they drain from the very lowest point of the
tank, say, from a welded depression (sort of grapefruit-sized) at the bottom
of the tank. This way our fuel filters would actually filter out the crud,
removing it from the tank, so that at least we wouldn't be recycling the
same gook again and again.
Comments? Surely I can't be the first guy to think on this issue. Or am I
missing something important reason it wouldn't work better?
CAPT Mike Pandzik, USNR (Ret.)
Kansas City
Rosborough RF-246 HSV 'Wanderer'
The pickup is off the bottom so you will not pick up the crud and clog your
filters. You should have a low point drain on your tank to get the crud
drained in addition to the fuel pickup pipe. Just like airplanes that have
a fuel sample valve in the bottom of the tank.
Vance B. Nelson
Superior Dreams GB32-340
Houghton, MI 49931
KC8RGO
-----Original Message-----
From: trawlers-and-trawlering-bounces@lists.samurai.com
[mailto:trawlers-and-trawlering-bounces@lists.samurai.com] On Behalf Of Mike
Pandzik
Sent: Saturday, July 08, 2006 2:56 PM
To: trawlers-and-trawlering@lists.samurai.com
Subject: T&T: Fuel Tank Design
For the life of me I cannot understand why marine diesel fuel tanks for
recreational boats are designed the way the are -- where the fuel is
withdrawn from the tank through a vertical tube that terminates near (but
not at) the bottom of the tank.
Seems to me this is like drinking half the milk out of the bottle or carton
and then refilling the container from a fresh supply. Do this again, and
again, and after a few days (much less a few weeks or few months), none of
us would want to take a swig out of that milk carton.
Isn't that what we do with diesel fuel tanks when we siphon fuel from a few
inches above the tank bottom? The tank is never really emptied, and all the
crud, goo, water, etc. sits on the bottom, until it is stirred up by rough
water to be drawn into our fuel systems.
Why not design our tanks so they drain from the very lowest point of the
tank, say, from a welded depression (sort of grapefruit-sized) at the bottom
of the tank. This way our fuel filters would actually filter out the crud,
removing it from the tank, so that at least we wouldn't be recycling the
same gook again and again.
Comments? Surely I can't be the first guy to think on this issue. Or am I
missing something important reason it wouldn't work better?
CAPT Mike Pandzik, USNR (Ret.)
Kansas City
Rosborough RF-246 HSV 'Wanderer'
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Vance:
Mike is frustrated because, as is the case for many of us, his tanks are
not fitted with a low point drain. Take a small (relatively) vessel and
mount the tanks as low as possible for stability and, in some cases,
access to the low point of all tanks may be impossible. On the other
hand it might just be a manufacturing economy that we only comprehend
after years of ownership. Retrofitting such drains is not practical.
One measure we can take if we have access to the inside of the tank is
to extend the pickup pipe with a flexible tube to insure that the crud
and water on the bottom of tank are picked up and passed to the
filter(s) continuously rather than waiting for rough weather to stir up
all of the sediment at one time. Not having done this for myself, it
could be that this is a really bad idea.
Regards,
Wesley
weldred@adelphia.net
Regards,
Wesley
weldred@adelphia.net
Vance Nelson wrote:
The pickup is off the bottom so you will not pick up the crud and clog your
filters. You should have a low point drain on your tank to get the crud
drained in addition to the fuel pickup pipe. Just like airplanes that have
a fuel sample valve in the bottom of the tank.
Cap'n, that's been tried again and again, a long time ago. The problem is
that the many contaminants in diesel fuel clog up the tank bottoms, often to
an inch or more, so that they would permanently interrupt fuel flow from the
tanks. Yes, the current practice is a bit wasteful, but the diesel kept in
fuel tanks does not suffer from the problems of milk that you described.
Bob Peterson
"Lopaka Nane"
47' Lien Hwa CPMY
San Francisco
-----Original Message-----
From: trawlers-and-trawlering-bounces@lists.samurai.com
[mailto:trawlers-and-trawlering-bounces@lists.samurai.com] On Behalf Of Mike
Pandzik
Sent: Saturday, July 08, 2006 11:56 AM
To: trawlers-and-trawlering@lists.samurai.com
Subject: T&T: Fuel Tank Design
For the life of me I cannot understand why marine diesel fuel tanks for
recreational boats are designed the way the are -- where the fuel is
withdrawn from the tank through a vertical tube that terminates near (but
not at) the bottom of the tank.
Seems to me this is like drinking half the milk out of the bottle or carton
and then refilling the container from a fresh supply. Do this again, and
again, and after a few days (much less a few weeks or few months), none of
us would want to take a swig out of that milk carton.
Isn't that what we do with diesel fuel tanks when we siphon fuel from a few
inches above the tank bottom? The tank is never really emptied, and all the
crud, goo, water, etc. sits on the bottom, until it is stirred up by rough
water to be drawn into our fuel systems.
Why not design our tanks so they drain from the very lowest point of the
tank, say, from a welded depression (sort of grapefruit-sized) at the bottom
of the tank. This way our fuel filters would actually filter out the crud,
removing it from the tank, so that at least we wouldn't be recycling the
same gook again and again.
Comments? Surely I can't be the first guy to think on this issue. Or am I
missing something important reason it wouldn't work better?
CAPT Mike Pandzik, USNR (Ret.)
Kansas City
Rosborough RF-246 HSV 'Wanderer'
Folks,
A little humor and a point....
It is alright to talk to yourself.
It's even alright and sometime better when you answer.
But, when you find yourself saying huh! Remember this is a clue that you
need to take some action.
So you have tanks with all these warts including years of accumulated stuff
in the bottom. Is this a good time to consider an fuel polishing rig or
service?
What ever you do make your every action take you closer to where you want to
be and enjoy the trip!
Best Regards!
Alan
With Tugnacious
-----Original Message-----
From: trawlers-and-trawlering-bounces+alan=agschaaf.com@lists.samurai.com
[mailto:trawlers-and-trawlering-bounces+alan=agschaaf.com@lists.samurai.com]
On Behalf Of Wesley & Patty Eldred
Sent: Saturday, July 08, 2006 8:31 PM
To: trawlers-and-trawlering@lists.samurai.com
Subject: Re: T&T: Fuel Tank Design
Vance:
Mike is frustrated because, as is the case for many of us, his tanks are not
fitted with a low point drain. Take a small (relatively) vessel and mount
the tanks as low as possible for stability and, in some cases, access to
the low point of all tanks may be impossible. On the other hand it might
just be a manufacturing economy that we only comprehend after years of
ownership. Retrofitting such drains is not practical.
One measure we can take if we have access to the inside of the tank is to
extend the pickup pipe with a flexible tube to insure that the crud and
water on the bottom of tank are picked up and passed to the
filter(s) continuously rather than waiting for rough weather to stir up all
of the sediment at one time. Not having done this for myself, it could be
that this is a really bad idea.
Regards,
Wesley
weldred@adelphia.net
Regards,
Wesley
weldred@adelphia.net
Vance Nelson wrote:
The pickup is off the bottom so you will not pick up the crud and clog
your filters. You should have a low point drain on your tank to get
the crud drained in addition to the fuel pickup pipe. Just like
airplanes that have a fuel sample valve in the bottom of the tank.
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trawlers-and-trawlering-request@lists.samurai.com with the word UNSUBSCRIBE
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Unauthorized use is prohibited.
When my "Marine Trader originals" finally die, and they will, my plan is to
craft fuel tank replacements with a low point pick-up regardless of whether
ABYC thinks it's a good idea. Meanwhile, I'll just "escrow" a few dollars
each month to prepare for the fuel tank replacement adventure...
Y'all know how anal I am about clean fuel, and storing crud at the bottom of
the tank waiting for the first surprise "Gulf Stream Norther" is not my idea
of an exciting crossing...
Regards....
Phil Rosch
Old Harbor Consulting
M/V "Curmudgeon" MT44 TC
Currently lying Bond Creek, NC