RESEARCH OF FINE FILTRATION PARAMETERS OF MOTOR FUELS

Ensuring the reliability of diesel equipment in the agricultural sector has become particularly pressing given the systemic deterioration of diesel fuel quality on the Russian market, where the share of substandard petroleum products reaches 10-15%. Agricultural enterprises face an increased risk of engine failure during periods of critical fieldwork, which is directly related to the use of watercontaminated fuel containing mechanical impurities. Experimental studies of the fine filtration parameters of modern materials using a specially designed pumpless unit revealed significant differences in their effectiveness. The unit simulated the operation of a fuel system with a sump using a modernized top-down design. Synthetic membranes (MFFK-3, MFFK-3G), polypropylene (PP), and polyurethane foam (PUF) were tested at a fuel water content of 0.1-1%. The highest purification efficiency was demonstrated by a polypropylene filter, providing a purification rate of up to 91% at low water cut (0.1%), and the hydrophobic MFFK-3 membrane, which maintains a stable 86-89% purification rate regardless of pressure and water cut. Of particular practical interest is the upgraded filtration scheme, which more than doubled the efficiency of the MFFK-3 membrane compared to the standard scheme. However, despite its exceptional specific throughput (47 times higher than that of membranes), polyurethane foam demonstrated low dewatering efficiency (5-20%), making it unsuitable for solving the water cut problem. Therefore, reliable protection of expensive fuel injection equipment requires a comprehensive approach using highly efficient filter materials like PP and MFFK-3, combined with optimized filtration schemes.