A fuel filter is a
filter used to screens out foreign particles or liquids from the fuel. Most
internal combustion engine
An internal combustion engine (ICE or IC engine) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal co ...
s use a fuel filter, in order to protect the components in the fuel system.
Filters for foreign particles
Unfiltered fuel may contain several kinds of contamination, for example paint chips and dirt that has entered the fuel tank while filling, or rust caused by moisture in a steel tank. If these substances are not removed before the fuel enters the system, they will cause rapid wear and failure of the fuel pump and injectors.
The filters are normally made into cartridges containing a
filter paper. Fuel filters need to be maintained or replaced at regular intervals.
Filters for foreign liquids
Some
diesel engine
The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-cal ...
s use a bowl-like design to collect water in the bottom of the filter (as diesel floats on top of water). The water can then be drained off by opening a valve in the bottom of the bowl and letting it run out, until only the fuel remains.
See also
*
Fuel pump
*
Fuel tank
References
{{Automotive engine , expanded
Filters
Engine components