Application and validation of a laboratory test method for classifying diesel fuels according to their tendency to form deposits in injection components as a function of temperature (short title: JFTOT Diesel II)

Background

The project aims to develop detailed knowledge on how the laboratory test method developed in the ‘JFTOT I’ project can be used in practice to identify fuels that are prone to deposit formation. To this end, a fundamentally new evaluation method for diesel deposits generated using the ‘DTOT – Diesel Fuel Thermo Oxidation Test’ must be developed and verified, which differentiates very precisely between the different temperature ranges on the heating rods. Classification into different fuel classes will enable component manufacturers/developers to define requirement levels depending on the robustness or operating conditions of their injector systems and their areas of application. Furthermore, additive manufacturers and mineral oil processors should be able to improve their preventive screening of commercial fuels. This involves, in particular, the rapid detection of critical combinations of additives and/or impurities from the fuel (e.g. soap formers) using the smallest possible sample quantities. In the event of field anomalies, the method should also facilitate the investigation of causes. To prove the practical relevance and validate the test results, parallel tests are being carried out on the injection system test bench with selected fuels, and possible injector malfunctions are included in the evaluation.

Funding body: FVV

Project team:

• Ulrike Schümann
• Silvia Berndt
• Sebastian Cepelak