New Total Tank Maintenance and Fuel Quality Management Solution based on the Aquafighter® Technology Platform
Ad
The Total Tank Maintenance and Fuel Quality Management Solution (TTFQ) from DieselCare AS offers cleaner tanks for longer, better-than-spec diesel at all times and maintenance on cruise control in perpetuity.
How Important Is Water-Free Diesel?
It depends on how much you want to pay for all the damage water causes to the tank, the fuel and the pump systems; not to mention the occasional, or for some of us more than occasional; customer claim. Water is the creator of most of the problems with diesel fuel. From bacteria and microbe growth (no water = no bacteria) to tank corrosion and clogged filters; there is a massive list of problems and costs due to either neglecting the water in the fuel and the tank or the inability to handle this water effectively. Since 2017 one major international fuel company has been utilizing this technology to save big money and reduce maintenance costs and labor. Now DieselCare AS is making it possible for all fuel stations and diesel tank operators to remove water from the fuel directly inside the tank and create a new simplified and supremely effective tank maintenance and fuel quality management program.
Per Jahnsrud, CEO of DieselCare AS, “Water has always been a problem with diesel, but when 5% biodiesel was implemented, the free water that used to be normal was now no longer at the bottom of the tank. What we found is this water is now being absorbed into the fuel as bound water which presents all the same problems as free water but is impossible to remove with filters and other in-tank measures and the out of tank solutions were far less than effective and very expensive. That is why we put much effort into solving this and out of that effort came the Aquafighter technology. With Aquafighter we can allow every diesel tank operator to effectively remove bio-bound water with a simple product that keeps both the tank and the fuel free of water at all times.”
Today and for the last half century fuel companies and maintenance providers use chemical additives, cancer-causing biocides, fuel polishing, tank draining, constant filter replacements and all manner of other rigged up efforts in an attempt to lessen the impact of water in diesel. In some cases, stations just ignore it and pass the problem along to their customers. And it’s important to consider that with each additional percentage of biodiesel this bound water becomes more severe as biofuel is up to 25 times more susceptible to bound water saturation than petroleum diesel.
“Often I hear from fuel professionals that they don’t have a water problem and sometimes they say that they don’t even have water. But water is a fact of life because no matter where you are on Earth, water is in the air. From the condensation from the air or the water entering the tank from the delivery process, water accumulates in some form in every single tank in every part of the world. But today, Aquafighter is available to manage it beautifully.” claims Steve Schultz with DieselCare AS, developers of the Aquafighter technology.
How is it possible to achieve bound water removal from inside the tank?
One word: Aquafighter. The development and implementation of the Aquafighter technology has proven to be a revolutionary advancement both in its ability to matchlessly remove bound and emulsified water from diesel fuel immediately upon contact; but also in its ability to make fuel quality management and diesel tank maintenance much simpler, much more effective, much less expensive and much less resource intensive.
As of February 2021, Aquafighter has been used at fuel stations for more than 3 years. Through this real-world application there is the benefit of more than 7,000 third-party laboratory tests, primarily with two major international fuel companies. In 100% of these lab tests Aquafighter has proven perfect fuel quality and the water content in every test was between 40ppm and 64ppm, which is effectively zero. These results come from a simple, easily to install, inexpensive solution that replaces or reduces the need for many current products, machines, procedures, chemicals, repairs, HSE oversight and filter replacements.
The DieselCare TTFQ Solution, based on this Aquafighter technology, is designed to bring a tank back to like-new condition and to keep it that way permanently. Aquafighter technology is the only solution that can accomplish this because it is the only solution that is able to remove all water from diesel fuel directly inside the tank to less than 65ppm and keep it that way on an on-going basis. That is real and has been proven over several years in saving one major customer nearly $2 million in that span.
Excellent Results Every Time
As mentioned, before being introduced to the world market in 2020, the first two plus years of Aquafighter in application was exclusively with a major international fuel company in Europe and then subsequently with a large fuel company in the United States. Aquafighter was used for two purposes with this fuel company. The first was to remove water from 1.7 million liters of water-logged gray diesel, which would otherwise be disposed of as waste fuel. These 1.7 million liters of bad fuel were removed from the tanks at cleaning, treated with Aquafighter and then returned to the fuel stations for retail sale. The second and more permanent use was to install Aquafighter into the freshly cleaned tanks to keep the fuel in those tanks clear and bright at all times. Of the diesel tanks at these 170 stations there were zero fuel complaints from customers to date, a 50% reduction in pump filter usage, no build-up of bacteria and zero waste diesel. This represents a true revolution in maintaining diesel tanks as it has proven to now be the most effective management of superior diesel fuel quality. It also represents millions of euros of savings for fuel companies.
Also, it proves that it is possible to have a well-managed tank and high quality fuel at all times without significant cost, environmental hazards, cumbersome equipment and complicated maintenance procedures. Steve Schultz explains, “When introducing this technology I am often met with a defensive posture and a very interesting blend of disbelief and hopefulness that this new technology cannot work. However; with such brilliant outcomes in operative fuel tanks and 7,000 third-party lab tests with perfect results; we can put an end to the “does it work” question. Also, it’s important to understand that our purpose is not to ruin anyone’s business, make fuel polishers angry or cause someone not to sell more symptom-solving products; but we are singularly focused to help tank owners and operators have the absolute best tank control and fuel quality at all times.”
6 Steps and 4 Products
As explained, the DieselCare Total Tank and Fuel Quality Solution (TTFQ) is a simple and extremely effective system that only requires 4 easy-to-install products and a simple 6-step installation process that requires only one half-day installation per tank. These products work in concert to create a barrier to keep water out and isolated from the tank structure as well as the fuel in the tank and also to create a failsafe to prevent bad fuel from being served to customers in the event of a large incursion of water that exceeds the capacity of the installed Aquafighter.
4 Unique and Complementary Products
The first product and foundation of the TTFQ Solution is the Aquafighter membrane that rests at the bottom of the tank. Depending on the access opening size, there are several options for which Aquafighter size will be used. If manhole access is possible, you will utilize the Aquafighter Fuel Station Mat that is a 1 meter by 2 meter fabric membrane that can process out and remove 40 liters of water from your fuel and tank (For 4 inch openings the Aquafighter Anaconda will be used). Aquafighter is able to cause immediate separation of water from diesel fuel upon contact. In the tank, the Aquafighter Mat actively causes separation of the water from the fuel molecules on-contact; it quickly captures the water molecules into isolation and repels the fuel molecules back into the tank to assure exceptional fuel quality containing less than 65ppm water. This is unprecedented and provides the ultimate in fuel quality and tank protection.
The second product is the DieselCare Skimmer that assures best-in-tank fuel through the suction line or submersible pump at all times. The DieselCare Skimmer floats on the surface of the fuel and consistently delivers fuel from 10cm below the surface assuring that you only deliver the best fuel in the tank to customers and, almost equally as valuable, it allows tank operators to avoid delivering water to customers in the event of a bad delivery or tank leak. The DieselCare Skimmer will give your floating water indicator the time it needs to react before the bad fuel is pumped into customers’ cars and trucks.
The third is the Aquafighter Chinook Vent Filter that is installed on the vent pipe to block 100% of water that would enter the tank through the vent. This will eliminate condensation, which is typically about 50% of the water that enters a fuel tank, and verify that any water that accumulates in the tank is either from the fuel delivery or from a leak. This valuable tool will extend the life span of the Aquafighter that is inside the tank and it will provide valuable information to the station or tank owner on the origin of water content in the fuel.
The fourth product is the Aquafighter Dipstick Indicator that is installed into the dipstick pipe. This Aquafighter Dipstick Indicator will remain in the dipstick pipe and is used to indicate when the in-tank Aquafighter membrane is full and needs to be replaced. The Aquafighter Dipstick Indicator can also be used independently to check for the presence of both bound and free water in tanks that are not using Aquafighter as it is markedly more effective than tank paste for indicating free water and is the only solution that can detect the presence of bound or emulsified water. This water-check is done by simply placing the Aquafighter Indicator inside the fuel tank for 3 minutes.
DieselCare Total Tank and Fuel Quality Solution Set-up
The set-up for the DieselCare TTFQ is very simple, especially considering what is normal for other fuel station equipment. This installation is completed in less than 4 hours per tank.
The first step will be tank cleaning that should be as thorough as possible. We strongly recommend man-in tank cleaning to assure a complete clean as any contamination left in the tank will not magically disappear and will remain a threat to filters if not removed.
The next step is to clean the pipelines. The pipelines are often neglected and ignored, but this is the source of many fuel station challenges. DieselCare AS has developed a proprietary pipeline cleaning process that insures 100% clearing of pipelines. It is common to have 4 to 5 KG of bacteria in the pipelines and it is even possible to have much more. This pipeline bug will constantly render pump filters needing replacement. By clearing the pipelines and cleaning the tank, you are starting at essentially brand new from a fuel containment and fuel delivery stand-point.
From there it is a simple install for the DieselCare Skimmer to be attached to the suction line or submersible pump. The Aquafighter Chinook Vent is twisted onto the vent pipe as you would any other vent pipe cover. The Aquafighter Fuel Station Mat or Aquafighter Anaconda is easily placed at the bottom of the tank and the Aquafighter Dipstick Indicator is lowered into place in the dipstick pipe.
Once these six simple steps are completed the station is ready to begin serving customers clear and bright, better-than-spec fuel at all times. Add this to the new “Maintenance on Cruise Control” that your station will experience for many years to come and you have put your operation on track for better profits, better environmental stewardship, better fuel quality and better customer service; all for significantly less money.
Maintenance on Cruise Control
The major value points of the DieselCare TTFQ Solution is to deliver excellent fuel to customers at all times, to maintain a clean tank at all times, to save on filters, additives and other what-used-to-be normal procedures and to make maintenance easy and quite nearly effortless. The yearly maintenance will require only 6 month checks to monitor the Aquafighter Dipstick Indicator and to take bottom-of-the-tank samples to document fuel quality. The in-tank Aquafighter and the Chinook Vent Filter should be replaced on schedule or as needed. DieselCare AS is welcoming Zoom meetings from any interested customers to explain further about the TTFQ Solutions and to answer your questions about it.
