How to size a system

How to size a system

Sizing a fuel polishing system can be done in a number of ways; firstly WASP are always happy to help, so please contact us for any assistance you need.

However you can also select your system, either by using our selection tool, or by checking these steps.

Firstly, take the tank size (in liters) and divide it by 1000. That will give you the approximate flow rate for a typical system (e.g. a 40,000 lit tank would mean a 40 lit/min system is a good starting point). If you cannot get that exact flow rate, then the nearest models are the ones to consider first. This gives you a good balance of fuel processing time, whilst not over-specifying a system which may be too large or costly.

Next, consider the layout of the tank vs the polishing system. Is the tank underground or well below the polishing unit. If its more than 4 or 5m, then consider our “high lift” range, otherwise look at the lift performance for each unit. Do remember, lifts of fuel will cause the nominal flow rate of your machine to reduce.

If the tank is on the same level as the polishing system, can you take the feed of fuel from the tank bottom, or do you need to exit the tank at the top? If it is at the top, then you need to consider that as a fuel lift. If the system is below the weight of fuel in the tank, then any selection can be considered (bearing in the flow rate from point 1 above).

Do you need a weatherproof enclosure or not, is the unit to be mounded inside or outside?

What supply voltage do you have available? AC or DC, 110v, 12v, 220v, 24v, etc.?

Do you have a specific fuel cleanliness to achieve, for example if you require to maintain your fuel tank at EN590, then our W-PFS or W-HL ranges, with their 2 micron absolute filters are idea.

NOT ALL FILTERS ARE THE SAME – a nominal filter, or one which does not have a stated efficiently, may only extract a small proportion of contamination at that micron rating; whereas an absolute filter is far more efficient and will take out the vast majority of contamination at that rated micron level.

For example, our final stage on the W-PFS range is 2 micron absolute, Beta 2, 200. This is a significantly better filter than a 1-micron nominal and it will extract more contamination, even though 1 micron is less than 2 micron.

Never be fooled by those who don’t use engineering – we engineer all our products ourselves; we design and manufacture each unit to do a specific job. Everything has been carefully sized to do the exact task which needs to be done, without risking performance. Remember, the finer the filter, the larger the filter housing needs to be to avoid becoming a restriction – it’s a simple engineering principle to ensure the most efficient and successful fuel clean.