Diesel Oil Filters
An oil filter is used to remove impurities from different types of oils such as lubricating oil, engine oil, transmission oil, hydraulic oil etc. Oil filters are widely used in hydraulic machines and automobiles. Internal combustion engines of motor cars and jet engines are usually equipped with in built oil filters. Unfiltered fuel might contain paint chip, dirt, rust from the fuel tank as well as solid impurities like lead and other metals. If these contaminants are not removed from oil before entering the combustion chamber, they combustion engine components such as injectors and fuel pumps will wear rapidly because of abrasive action of the contaminating particles. Fuel filters also allow efficient burning of fuel and thus enhance the performance of an automobile.
It is important to run maintenance checkup on fuel filters on a regular basis otherwise the clogged dirt on the surface of the filters will obstruct the free flow of fuel from the tank to the internal combustion chamber. In some cases, cleaning can be easily done by simply disconnecting the filter and blowing air from jet nozzle at high speed, in other cases a replacement of filter media will do the trick.
There are five types of oil filters available in the market, namely, mechanical, magnetic, cartridge and spin-on, centrifugal and sedimentation. The basic purpose of all these types of fuel filters remains the same, i.e. to sieve the contaminants off the fuel and thus produce a cleaner oil for proper combustion and less pollution.
Mechanical filters:
These filters have folded filter media attached to them, which traps the solid contaminants from the oil. The oil flow is hindered as the pollutants slowly build up on the pleated filter paper. The filtering element of mechanical fuel filters has to be replaced on a regular basis.
Magnetic filters:
Magnetic filters are practically permanent magnets or electromagnets used for removing ferromagnetic materials from the oil. Unlike mechanical filters, magnetic filters do not have a filter media and thus periodic cleaning of the filter surface ensures a free flow of uncontaminated oil.
Cartridge and Spin on filters:
Cartridge filters are the earliest form of engine oil filter. The mechanism of cartridge filters is pretty simple; the filter is a cartridge attached to a permanent cover. This cover is put directly across the engine or joined to the supply and return pipes which connect the filter to the engine.
Sedimentation filters:
Sedimentation filters are often called gravity bed filters. These filters allow the contaminants, denser than the oil to settle down at the bottom surface, from where they can be siphoned off.
Centrifugal filters:
It’s a sedimentation filter which uses centrifugal force rather than gravitational force to sediment the impurities.
Filters found in diesel engines are specially designed to have a bowl type structure to collect water in the bottom part. All the water is then tapped out through an outlet at the bottom of the bowl making sure that the bowl contains diesel only. Diesel oil filters are often fitted with a water sensor, which signals the engine control unit if the water level reaches a precarious height. If water enters the diesel system it can heavily disrupt the normal working conditions of the engine and can cause overheating and unnecessary wearing and tearing of the internal parts. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that, a diesel oil filter should have water based sensor to steer clear from unwanted predicaments. In addition to a water sensor, a diesel filter usually has fuel heater to avoid paraffin wax from forming inside the filter media- which can completely stop the fuel from flowing in the engine.
