Diesel fuel cooling

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white exec
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Diesel fuel cooling

Post by white exec »

A recent post threw up that this vehicle
C5 5 DOOR SALOON 2.0 HDi 110 (DW10ATED)
was fitted with a diesel fuel cooler - #9 in the diagram...
Fuel cooler C5 HDi 110.JPG
I'm used to the idea of diesel fuel needing warming in cold conditions, but the requirement for cooling was something I just hadn't realised.

Googling the issue produced this, which is very informative:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=20401
Chris
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Re: Diesel fuel cooling

Post by GiveMeABreak »

To answer your question the fuel cooler is on the return line Chris.

Given the high temperatures of the diesel in an HDi can be as high as 36,000 PSI for newer Diesel engines, it has to be cooled before it goes back into the plastic tank.
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Marc
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white exec
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Joined: 21 Dec 2015, 12:46
Location: Sayalonga, Malaga, Spain
My Cars: 1996 XM 2.5TD Exclusive hatch RHD
1992 BX19D Millesime hatch LHD
previously 1989 BX19RD, 1998 ZX 1.9D auto, 2001 Xantia 1.8i auto
and lots of Rovers before that: 1935 Ten, 1947 Sixteen, 1960 P5 3-litre, 1966 P6 2000, 1972 P6 2000TC, and 1975 P6B 3500S
x 1752

Re: Diesel fuel cooling

Post by white exec »

The article quotes anything up to 3kW #-o of heat being returned from a modern HP diesel, so I can appreciate the need to remove some of that, as opposed to half that on previous generations of injection.

It also quotes the most efficient fuel temperature for diesel being 45ºC, as the best trade-off for fuel density, lubricity and viscosity. That might explain why many diesel cars run so much more smoothly and with more available power on colder days, and on hot days before full under-bonnet temperatures have been reached. On these colder days, and after start-up-overfuelling has backed off, not only is the fuel cooler (more dense), but so is the density of the air.

Some other web articles explain that fuel coolers are installed in the return line not just to protect the plastic tanks, but also because the rate of removal of heat is higher when the contents of the cooler are higher. Placing the cooler in the supply line would bring far less to the party in terms of heat removal.

All interesting stuff.
Chris
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