Evaluation & Function of Fuel Dispensing Filtration for Gasoline & Ethanol Blended Motor Fuels

Fuel dispensing filters are the final opportunity to control fuel quality, the last line of defense, before the contamination burden is transferred to the vehicle onboard fuel filtration system. Contamination is often considered to be in the form of solid particulate, but can also consist of chemical compounds, water, or as a phase separated water/ethanol mixture. Particulate contamination is easily managed with current technologies common to the filtration industry. As ethanol blended fuel usage increases, the occurrence of water contamination issues escalates in a similar trend. Therefore, it is desirable to understand the contamination involved, the operational function of dispensing filters, and to develop industry standard test methods for proper evaluation of dispensing filter performance, which can facilitate protection of vehicle fuel systems.