Role of Fuel Delivery System in Storage and Supply of Fuel to Engine

The fuel delivery system (FDS) plays an important role in the functioning of a vehicle. It stores and supplies fuel to the vehicle's engine. The FDS comprises three sets of major components - the fuel tank, the lines and the filters. Read the article to know more about these three major components.

Fuel tank

• The fuel tank is an important component of the FDS. It is here that fuel is first stored in a vehicle.
• Fuel enters the tank via a piped structure, and the tank is provided with baffles and partitions to ensure every spread of the fuel.
• Made of made of steel, aluminum, polyethylene plastic and molded plastic, the tank is usually located above the engine component and is less exposed to the engine because the temperature of the engine is high.
• Molded plastic tanks are more common in modern vehicles as they reduce the overall weight of the vehicle. Though tanks made of metal have higher strength than those of plastics, they add weight to the vehicle.
• A typical fuel tank has a reserve chamber to indicate the driver whenever the tank goes to the minimum level.

Fuel lines

• The fuel lines in FDS work, to some extent, like nervous system of a human body. They connect all the components of FDS and help in picking up and carrying the fuel throughout the system.
• These lines are made of steel, but nylon and synthetic rubber are replacing steel for flexibility and weight reduction. They are designed in such a way that they withstand high pressure and sensitiveness.
• The lines maintain optimum pressure throughout their path and are maintained in a consistent slope to prevent the formation of vapor.
• They are routed as low as possible from the engine and away from the excess heat generated by the engine.
• All the lines are positioned along the chassis of the vehicle. They are held with clamps and can bend freely due to stresses caused by force and temperature.

Fuel filters

• The filter is a key part of FDS as it strains all the dirt and rust that come along with gasoline.
• The filters are made of woven fabric. Sintered bronze and a few ceramics are used to make a filter.
• These can be singular or multiple in a system and are placed inside the fuel lines or anywhere in the path of injectors. The filtering medium should be able to stop all the pollutants and undesired particles reaching the injectors.
• The filters should be cleaned often and changed at regular intervals as they usually clog up with dirt, debris and rust.