The smaller the retention size of the filter, and so arranged for
drainage so as not to collect free water inside the filter (core) will
coalesce the emulsion and effect separation into free water and cleaned
oil .... just need a proper sump volume at the bottom of the filter
bowl. The mathematical enhancement of repeated passes (tank turnovers)
through a recirculating filter will more than adequately take care of
'emulsions'.


The use of a centrifuge on the small volume boat tankage .... borders
on ludicrous. Centrifuges are extreme high maintenance rotating and
power consuming equipment and do NOT effect total removal/separation of
emulsions. If you have enough power to run a centrifuge, then I
suggest that you rip out the fossil fuel engine and simply replace with
an electric motor for propulsion. Do you also use a nephalometer to
arrive at when the centrifugation is complete?
As an aside .... a water emulsion will enhance the combustion
efficiency by increase of the apparent cetane number of the fuel, or
the octane number in a gasoline engine. Its the FREE water thats the
'problem' as simply 'slugs' of free water simply do not burn.



In article k.net,
Rick wrote:

Steven Shelikoff wrote:

IOW, even if the pump is past the filter drawing fuel through it, the
filter is still in "pressure" mode because it's really the atmospheric
pressure pushing fuel through the filter.

The difference is that if the pump suction pulls water and
fuel directly from the tank it will do an excellent job of
mixing it up to form an emulsion that will not filter out
very effectively.

The path should be, a basket strainer to catch the chunks, a
separarator/filter to eliminate the bulk of the water and
the smaller suspended particles, the pump, then the finer
stages of filtration.

This is all assuming you don't have access to a centrifuge
which is really the best way to handle the process.

Rick