By Bill Mononen, Vice-President and General Manager of Velcon Canada Inc, Velcon Filters, Inc.
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Ice crystals will act as a solid particulate and can rapidly cause a sharp rise in pressure drop on CDF® water absorbing cartridges in particular if they are present in quantity.
Jet fuel can be clear and bright after passing through filter separators at a terminal, where it is dispensed onto a fuel tanker for delivery to an airport. During or after delivery to the airport the fuel temperature often drops causing water to come out of solution and forms ice crystal in fuel without FSII (Fuel Systems Icing Inhibitor) present.
If ice crystals are a persistent problem we recommend using a filter/separator or filter housing using Aquacon® cartridges which have more surface area prior to a fuel monitor with CDF® cartridges.
We have also used dehydrators with excelsior repacks for diesel fuel coming from barges and storage tanks. The repack is made of a coarse wood fiber that will hold large quantities of ice before rising in pressure drop.
Rob Guglielmi of Velcon Canada was present upon opening a dehydrator and witnessed shovel-fulls of ice being removed prior to the repack removal.
Sump heaters and heat tracing are not effective in reducing ice particle problems, because they are intended to keep water that is present in sumps from freezing, not for melting ice that is already present in a fuel stream.