C6.

Fuel system Issue Review

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Field Reliability Program
 6 cylinder engine
 120 machines
 2 years field experience
 85,000 hours accumulated

 4 cylinder engine
 53 machines
 14 months field experience
 15,000 hours accumulated

 200,000 Injector Hours accumulated in Lab testing

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CR200 Fuel System

Injectors

Rail

ECM

HP
Pump Secondary
Filter

From tank
Primary
Transfer Pump
Filter
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Fuel Pump Function
 Pump raises pressure
 ECM tells injector to fire
 Rail pressure drops
 ECM detects pressure drop
 Sensed by fuel rail
pressure sensor
 ECM tells pump solenoid to
increase volume
 Also tells pump solenoid
to spill fuel once
pressure is reached
 Do it again!

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Fuel Pressure Relief Valve
High Pressure Relief
 Protects system from Valve

over-pressure
 Opens at constant
pressure of 1600
MPa (23,000 PSI)
 Withstands spikes to
190 Mpa (27,500
PSI)

 Returns fuel to tank

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CR200 Fuel Injector
Electrical
Connection
Solenoid
Fuel
Inlet Control Valve

Injector
Body
Fuel Return

Nozzle

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CR200 Injector – Control Valve

Lower valve seat

- controls fuel flow

Open = Injection

0.040mm

Valve Ø = 3mm Closed = No Injection

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Engine Starting Problem
 Symptom:
 Slow/no engine start

 Failure Mode:
 High injector leakage

 HP Pump cannot build rail pressure at cranking

speed with high injector leakage

 Root Cause:
 Damage on injector control valve

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Injector Control Valve Damage
SEM Image

Valve

SEM Image
Housing

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Seat Damage Investigation

 Injector materials checked

 Material and heat treatment correct

 Injector and pump inspected for wear / material fall out

 No evidence of system “self generated” debris

 Fuel samples taken from low pressure system

 Found silica particles

 Conclusion:
 Damage caused by particulate contamination of
the fuel flowing through the injector

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Fuel Filtration Investigation
 Fuel sample analysis
 Multiple samples analyzed
 Failed Machines
 Samples taken at OEM “first fill sources”
 PEC test fuel
 Conclusion
 High levels of fine, very hard, abrasive
particles found
 Particle type in fuel matches dust type from
work site
 Current filtration / injector system not
sufficient to manage type, size and volume of
debris being found in fuel

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Action Plan/Status
 Introduction of new filter media planned for
Jan 07
 Implementation of “2” final filter option for
severe duty applications such as Rock Drills
& Rock Crushers 3 filter system (1- primary,
1- secondary, 1-tertiary.)
 Tertiary and secondary are same “new
media” element.
 Improved filtration proving to provide 8000
hours + of injector life on test rig.
 Field validation feedback very encouraging.
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Clean fuel system

Just what is a micron?…..

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Fuel Filters
 Filter head supplied
with primary filter,
water separator &
sensor only

 20 micron

 Secondary filter with

head
 2 micron

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Secondary Fuel Filters
 Recently (Jan 07)
changed design

 Dia now 9.4mm larger

 22mm longer

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Secondary Fuel Filters
 Internal O-ring to
reduce debris ingress
during service

 Longer spigot

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Secondary Fuel Filter – 1104D
 5mm spacer to
maintain clearance for
LP pipe and harness

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Fuel System Cleanliness
 Thoroughly clean equipment before disassembling

 Use only NEW protective caps to seal fuel

connections

 Replace HP Fuel Lines if they have be loosened

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C6.6 Fuel System Review Dec
2006
 TDI Rig
 An accelerated test for filtration judgements
 Rig has been validated by SWRI

 Uses injector leakage threshold as the measure of success

 Doses silica contamination into the fuel system
 Very severe test on injector because :
 8000 hrs of contamination in 7 hrs of test
 Rock drill level of contamination
 1 injector per test of 13 contamination doses
 3 filter changes (4,5,4 doses) per test
 Filter flow recovered by:
 Injector firing frequency 3 x normal rate (equivalent to 6000 engine
rpm)
 Large injection events
 Zero ‘return to tank fed into HPP inlet – I.e. no benefit of extra filtration

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TDI Testing
 TDI Rig
 An accelerated test for filtration judgements
 Rig has been validated by South West Research Inc.

 Caterpillar tank fuel cleanliness recommendation is

ISO 18/16/13 (ISO4406)

 TDI Rig testing at 22/21/18

 Up to 16X expected level of particulates at >4um

using 100% silica (typical contamination in the field
has much lower silica content)

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 C6.6 Fuel System Review Dec
• Fuel Contamination levels
2006
• Data gathered from a wide range of sites and machines

• Findings :
• Some ‘low risk’ environments have machines with high
contamination
• Evidence exists of Proving grounds having unrepresentatively
clean fuel
• Rock Drill sites - consistently high contamination
• Evidence of high fuel contamination levels in all types of location
• In quite a number of cases the particle counts are significantly
higher than experienced with rock drill.
• Material content, and hence the damage potential of these higher
counts has been assessed as generally less harsh than rock drill.

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 FIE Design Change Strategy

Improved Coatings
Best-in-Class Best-in-Class Improved Filters
Gen 1 Injector
Start

Secondary Filter & Primary Aftermarket Feature

Coating
3 Filter Option Filter [Q3 2007]
[March 2007]
[TBD]

B10 = 8000 hrs Increased Design Best-in-Class Aftermarket Security

Margin Filtration System & Retention

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