How to Use And Maintain Filters for A Diesel Generator

Do you know about the classification and function of a filter for a diesel generator? If you don't know, don't worry, in this article, you will learn the related knowledge about oil filter & fuel filter.

Oil Filter

Engine oil will be polluted by the parts wearing particle and outer impurity which enters into the engines, also for being subjected to heat radiation of the hot parts; it will be oxidized, and produces acidic material which can dissolve in oil and colloidal deposit which is not solube. These impurity arid contamination is very harmful to the engines, if they are not be filtered, the hard particle in the oil will accelerate parts to abrase, and jam the oil passage. The acidic material will bring the corrosive abrasion of the alloy bearings. The colloidal deposit will lead the pistons and piston rings and valves and valve stem guide to cement, even the engine can not run, and shorten the oil drain interval. It is said that if the total valve of the solid contamination in the oil is less than 0.15%, the harm to the engine is limited, if this valve is more than 0.5%, the harm to the engine is very serious. Therefore, the oil filters should be assembled in the lubrication system of the engine ALL

In addition to depend on the correct selection and use of lubricating oil, the maximum life span of a diesel engine also depends on the selection and use of the appropriate oil filter, fuel filter, and the suitable replacement cycle.

Note:  All Chongqing Cummins engines for a generator set are equipped with full flow oil filter, bypass oil filter, and fuel filters.

Full flow oil filter

Full flow oil filter is also called primary oil filter, mainly connecting between the oil pump and the lubricating main oil channel, the purpose is to remove particulate pollutant. All the circulating lubricating oil of the diesel engine is filter through it, so as to protect the diesel parts from suffering a wear damage.

The element of this filter is made from synthetic fibre filter paper, it can not be cob lapsed on high temperature and high pressure and filter jamming.

There is a bypass valve in the filter head, when the restriction arrives at or exceeds a pressure which is preconfirmed, the oil will not pass the filter and flow the filter head to the main rifle directly, so that there are sufficient oil to lubricate the engine’s parts.

There is a alarming equipment in the filter head in some engines, when the restriction arrives at or exceed a pressure which is pre-confirmed, it can give a alarming signal to the alarming amp which can remind the driver to replace the oil filter A.S.A.R.

There are some jamming types about the oil filter:

a. The filter is polluted unduly. When the carbon deposit and oxid and burning  by product in the engine oil exceed the limit that the oil can absorb, this will appear. It may be the primary reason for that the oil drain interval is very long and the maintenance or service is very bad, or the blow by is very high.

b. The ability that the oil disperses the deposit is weakened. When the coolant leaks into the oil pan, the humidity will be formed, the humidity will weaken the dispersing ability of the oil, this will cause the lampblack and charry dust to agglutinate and deposit. It is the primary reason for the coolant leaks into the oil pan and engine idles for long time at cold status.

c. The additives separate from the oil. The additives will separate from the oil for coolant or humidity in the oil, this will cause jam.

a) Gel and latex. When the oil has been polluted by the coolant, these things will form in the oil.

b) Oxid. When the oil is diluted and the oil is eradiated by the high temperature, the oxid will form in the oil.

c) Abrasion material. These things are caused by the triturate and the dust in the lubrication system.

Note: Full flow oil filter must always be used with bypass filters, but a bypass filter can not be used to instead of a full flow oil filter.

Bypass oil filter

This filter will filtrate out those granules which can not be percolated by the fad flow oil filter. Because the oil flow which passes the filter is very small. It is allowable that the restriction of this filter may be greater than the full flow oil filter. Granule dimension after filtrating by bypass oil filter is between 0.005mm and 0.010mm.

Some customers think that the full flow oil filter has seen assembled on the engine, it is not necessary to use the bypass oil filter again. At the same time, they consider the using cost will increase if the oil filter is replaced by a new one after the engine runs for 250 hours or 6 months or 16000 kilometers, therefore, they don’t replace the filter. It is proven that when the engine only use furl flow oil filter, the abrasion of the engine’s parts are very serious, when the engine use fuill flow and bypass oil filters, the abrasion of the engine’s parts will be decreased observably.

The combo filter has the function of fill flow oil filter and bypass oil filter.

Here, let me turn to talk about fuel filter of the Cummins engine.

Fuel filter

There are two types fuel filters assembled on Chongqing Cummins diesel generator, light duty and heavy duty fuel filter. The light fuel filter is applied to those engines. Whose power is below 700HP. The heavy duty one is applied to those engines whose power is above 700HP. After the filter have been used for a period of time, the filter will be contaminated and jammed, it must be replaced termly. The interval of the oil and fuel filters can be determined by the consumption curve of the oil and fuel, also, it is recommended that the oil and fuel filter are replaced every 250 hours, 16000 kilometers or 6 months.

The methods for replacing the filters can be seen on the filter.

For fuel/water separator, the user can dram the water from the separator by turning on the drain valve. When you estimate that the water have been drained drastically, you can turn off the drain valve.

Corrosion resistors

One of the essentialities for maintaining to the coolant system is to replace the corrosion resistor.

If the customer do not use the corrosion resistor recommended by the engine manufacturer correctly, it will cause the following problems:

a. The deposit will be formed on the surface of the water pump and the cylinder liner;

b. the parts in the coolant system will be eroded and abrased, and the thermostat will be jammed;

c. The tube of the oil cooler and radiator and aftercooler and the coolant hose and passage will be jammed;

d. Greasy deposit will be formed on the surface of which transmitting the heat of the engine.

The above problems are caused by the followings in the coolant; sand, dirty, dust, oil dust, oil, mineral, corrosive product, alterative and dissipative chemical additives and the chip of the sealing. The coolant in the engine must be filtrated; the corrosion resistor is a better filtration equipment. If you use corrosion resistor correctly, the life of the engine and parts will be extended.

Note: When the engines are running, the chemical additives in the coolant will be depleted and diluted gently so the customers must check the concentration for the additives termly. The check methods can be seen in the engines service bulletin.

When the corrosion resistor isn’t used or needed to be replaced, the customer can turn the valves on the inlet and outlet coolant tubes to the close position. When it will be needed to use, you can turn the valves on the inlet and outlet coolant tubes to the full open position.