Application

Engineering
Bulletin
Subject This AEB is for the following applications:
Biodiesel Fuel Usage - Application
Requirements.
Automotive Industrial Marine

G-Drive Genset

Date: May 13, 2008 AEB Number 21.73

Engine Models included: All (Diesel) Engines / All Markets (See Exceptions List by Market)

Owner: Keith Nolting Approver: per Procedure 9183OPS-04-10-01 Page 1 of 9

This AEB Supercedes AEB

21.73 dated November 7, 2007

Purpose:
The purpose of this AEB is to provide Application Requirements and Recommendations for the use of
biodiesel fuel above B5 and up to B20 in the new installations of certain engine models prescribed by
Cummins. This AEB lists certain applications that are not approved for use of biodiesel above B5. For
B5 and below, no special treatment is required, provided that all biodiesel fuel blends are comprised of
petrodiesel meeting ASTM D975 and B100 meeting either ASTM D6751 or EN14214.

Introduction:
Cummins Service Bulletin 3379001 outlines a number of items related to the use of biodiesel fuel:

Biodiesel terminology
Warranty and the use of biodiesel fuel in Cummins Engines
Requirements for using biodiesel fuel in Cummins Engines
Acceptable biodiesel fuel standards and biodiesel fuel supplier requirements.
The requirements and recommendations given in this AEB are specific to the use of biodiesel. It is
assumed that all other fuel system installation requirements are being met as well, as described in the
following AEBs:

AEB 24.10 - Fuel System - Industrial Application Installation Recommendations

AEB 21.33 - Automotive and Bus Installation Requirements - Fuel Systems
MAB 0.05.00-3/24/2004 - Engine Fuel System Installation - Marine
AEB 70.28 - Generator-Drive HPI-TP & PT Fuel System Installation Requirements

Installation Requirements:

For biodiesel blends above B5 and up to B20 the following requirements must be met:
• The engine model must be approved and listed in Cummins Service Bulletin 3379001, and the
application must not be listed as disapproved in the market appendices of this AEB.
• All fuel wetted components should not contain the following materials, natural rubber, butyl rubber
and some types of nitrile rubber (depending on chemical composition, construction and
application). These materials may be particularly susceptible to degradation.

• Fuel tanks must be made from the following materials; aluminum, steel, fluorinated polyethylene,
fluorinated polypropylene or Teflon. Large contact areas of copper, bronze, brass, tin, lead and
zinc can cause deposit formations. The use of these materials and coatings should be avoided for
vehicle fuel tanks. Fittings and connectors are acceptable.

• Fuel line tubing: Large contact areas of copper, bronze, brass, tin, lead and zinc can cause
deposit formations. The use of these materials and coatings should be avoided for vehicle fuel
lines. Fittings and connectors are acceptable.

• All OEM supplied fuel filter seal material must be comparable to Cummins Filtration (Fleetguard)
fuel filters. See Appendix A for Details.

• Cummins is not in a position to evaluate the wide variety of non-metallic compounds with
BioDiesel. If in doubt, contact your equipment vendor or OEM and ask if the equipment is
compatible with BioDiesel.

Installation Recommendations:
• For adequate water separation, Cummins Filtration, StrataPoreTM synthetic fuel filter media
should be maintained as provided with the engine. If local conditions require additional water
separation capacity, reference Table 1 for auxiliary filtration/water separation. Fuel flow rates can
be found on the engine data sheet
• It is highly recommended that Water in Fuel sensors be installed on electronic engines.
• A fuel heater is recommended in applications where ambient temperatures are below -5 deg C
(23 Deg F) and no cold weather fuel additives are available or will be used.
• Use biodiesel fuel within 6 months of its manufacture.

- Biodiesel has poor oxidation stability, which can result in long term storage problems.
The poor oxidation stability qualities can accelerate fuel oxidation in the fuel system,
especially at increased ambient temperatures. This is especially true in engines with
electronic fuel systems, because they operate at higher temperatures. Biodiesel fuel
should be used within 6 months of its manufacture. For this reason, Cummins Inc. does
not recommend using biodiesel for low use applications, such as standby power or
seasonal applications. Consult your fuel supplier for oxidation stability additives.
- If biodiesel is used for seasonal applications, the engine must be purged before storage
by running the engine on pure diesel fuel for a minimum of 30 minutes.
- Care must also be taken when storing biodiesel in bulk storage tanks. All storage and
handling systems must be properly cleaned and maintained. Steps should also be taken
to minimize moisture and microbial growth in storage tanks. Consult your fuel supplier for
assistance in storing and handling biodiesel.

• Due to some of the properties of biodiesel fuel blends, such as cold weather operation, long term
storage, material incompatibilities and other effects on engine operating characteristics it is highly
recommended that specified market applications are avoided or extra care be exercised. These
include low duty cycle, intermittent operation applications. This AEB provides appendices by
market which lists applications to avoid and other recommendations.
Appendix B: Industrial / Mining / Agriculture
Appendix C: Power Generation
Table 1. Auxiliary/Supplemental Filtration and Water Separator Products

Fuel Filter and Water Separator Recommendations based on Maximum Fuel Flow Requirements of the
Engine.
The recommended product is a filter head that can be equipped with filter options (micron rating)
depending on application requirements. Micron rating requirements can be found in the fuel system
related AEB’s listed in the Introduction section of this AEB. This is not a replacement for current filtration,
rather a recommendation for auxiliary remote mounted filtration

Gal/Hr Lb./Hr.* Recommended Cummins Filtration Product

40 284 FH232
50 355 FH230
60 426 FH230
568
Flow Rate

80 FH230
100 710 FH230+
120 852 Dual FH234
150 1065 Dual FH234
180 1278 Dual FH234
200 1420 Dual FH234

*Lb/Hr based on No. 2 Diesel fuel density of 850 g/liter [7.10 lb/U.S. gal] @ 25 Deg. C. [77 Deg F]

Recommended Product Cummins Filtration Part Number Filter Options Micron

FS19730 7
FH232 FS19731 10
FS19785 25
FS19624 7
FH230 FS19727 10
FS19728 25
FS19763 7
+
FH234 and FH230 FS19764 10
FS19765 25
Appendix A: Compatibility for B20
Purpose:
The purpose of this document is to ensure that seal compatibility requirements are met for
applications using B20 biodiesel. If an inappropriate seal material is used in biodiesel
applications, accelerated material degradation leading to potential fuel leakage issues can occur.
Cummins Filtration seals have been tested extensively in B20 to ensure there are no
compatibility issues.

Introduction:

This specification establishes the approval requirements for filters used in B20 applications.
Specifically, this document sets the testing criteria and requirements for filter seal materials in
B20 applications.
Discussion:
™ Laboratory Testing

¾ Rubber materials will degrade with time, temperature and fluid environment. ASTM
testing as specified by ASTM D 2000 callouts is for quality control information and shall
not be used to determine long-term performance. The desired test method is outlined in
the document.

¾ Table A1: Aging Test Requirements for Rubber Seals and Table A2: Aging Standard
Test Temperatures on page 3, outline the test requirements relevant to long-term
performance at applicable temperatures and fluid environments.

¾ Testing per Table A1 should be tested on the actual Filter Seal.

¾ Table A2: Aging Standard Test Temperatures, specifies the temperature at which
common materials shall be tested.

¾ When source approving a new material, a control sample (a Cummins Filtration seal
material) shall always be tested at the same time (side-by-side) as the proposed new
material.

¾ Test data for a new material shall be from three filters for all of the characteristics
specified in Table A1: Aging Test Requirements for Rubber Seals.

¾ Seal materials shall be heated at the given temperatures in the above given fuel for the
specified time interval. Test methods referenced in table A1 shall be performed on seal
samples both before and after heating at the given conditions in the given fluid.

¾ Weight loss following aging in dry heat per ASTM D 573 in Table A1 shall be
determined from specimens that have been desiccated for 24 ± 0.5 hours, before and after
 air aging. Specimens shall be weighed immediately after each desiccation period. Results
shall be calculated as follows:

♦ % Weight Loss = {(W1-W2)/W1} x 100 (EQ 1)

where: W1 = weight before age

W2 = weight after age

™ Test Fuel Requirements

¾ B20 Fuel – The test fuel must be composed of 20% fatty acid methyl ester. The fatty
acid methyl ester must be of a base stock that meets ASTM D6751 (Examples are soy
bean methyl ester or rape seed methyl ester). The fatty acid methyl ester base stock must
also be produced by a BQ9000 accredited supplier. The final B20 blend must meet
ASTM D975. This will allow for all types of biodiesel used globally but will drive
consistency of the test fluid by requiring minimum quality specifications.

™ Acceptance Criteria

¾ Approving Filter Seal Material

♦ New materials shall be tested in accordance with Table A1: Aging Test
Requirements for Rubber Seals. The results of the new materials tests shall be
comparable to a current Cummins Filtration Fuel Water Separator seal
material.
¾ Hardness change shall be + or – 5 % that of the Cummins Filtration seal
material
¾ Compression set shall be + or – 5 % that of the Cummins Filtration seal
material
¾ Volume change shall be + or – 5 % that of the Cummins Filtration seal
material

Appendix A: Tables
B20 SME Hardness Compression Volume Weight
Fuel ( (ASTM D Set(1) Change Change
ASTM D 2240) (ASTM D (ASTM D (ASTM D
471) 395) 471) 573)
168 hrs ± X X X
.5

Table A1: Aging Test Requirements for Rubber Seals

 Dry Heat B20
125°C± 2 100°C± 2

Table A2: Aging Standard Test Temperatures

References:
a. FES 1544: Seals, Static, Rubber (Supplier Requirements, Fuel Applications)
b. ASTM D 297, Standard Test Methods for Rubber Products – Chemical Analysis
c. ASTM D 395, Standard Test Methods for Rubber Property – Compression Set
d. ASTM D 412, Standard Test Methods for Vulcanized Rubber and Thermoplastic
Elastomers – Tension
e. ASTM D 471, Standard Test Method for Rubber Property – Effect of Liquids
f. ASTM D 573, Standard Test Method for Rubber – Deterioration in an Air Oven
g. ASTM D 975, Standard Specification for Diesel Fuel Oils
h. ASTM D 2000, Standard Classification System for Rubber Products in Automotive
Applications
i. ASTM D 2240, Standard Test Method for Rubber Property – Durometer Hardnes
Appendix B: Industrial / Mining / Agriculture Recommendations
Due to some of the properties of biodiesel fuel blends, such as cold weather operation, long term storage, it is
highly recommended that extra care be exercised in the following applications:

Approved for
Application Recommendations Comments
Biodiesel
Examples include snow
Cold Weather Approved with Extra caution recommend for fuel handling and blowers, ski-lift, logging
Equipment Recommendations fuel conditioning. equipment and snow
groomers.
Examples include crop
Flush fuel system with petroleum diesel prior to
harvesting equipment,
Seasonal Approved with seasonal storage. Engine should be purged before
agricultural sprayers,
Equipment Recommendations storage by running the engine on pure diesel fuel
mowers and irrigation
for a minimum of 30 minutes.
pumps.

Cummins Confidential
 AEB 21.73
Page 8 of 10

Appendix C: Power Generation Recommendations

Due to some of the properties of biodiesel fuel blends, such as cold weather operation, long term storage, it is
highly recommended that extra care be exercised in the following applications:

Approved for
Application Recommendations Comments
Biodiesel

Low fuel usage and critical start

Emergency
Disapproved Use petroleum diesel only. nature of Emergency Standby
Standby
make Biodiesel impractical.
Use fuel within 6 months of manufacture. Biodiesel is suitable for constant
Limited Time Approved with
Flush fuel system with petroleum diesel high load operation (e.g. Peak
Prime Recommendations
prior to seasonal storage. Shaving) with proper precautions.
Use fuel within 6 months of manufacture. Biodiesel is suitable for variable
Unlimited Approved with
Flush fuel system with petroleum diesel load operation with proper
Time Prime Recommendations
prior to storage/transport. precautions.

Approved with Biodiesel is suitable for base load

Continuous Use fuel within 6 months of manufacture.
Recommendations operation with proper precautions.
 AEB 21.73
Page 9 of 10

Change Log
Date Author Description Page(s)
May 13, 2008 K. Nolting Clarification on Installation requirements regarding the Page 1-2
materials used for fuel fittings and connectors.
November 5, K. Nolting Fuel wetted requirements changed to match Fuel Page 1-2
2007 Services Bulletin Changes. Requirements have been
relaxed from must not contain to should not contain
for some materials.
July 3, 2007 K. Nolting Added new Requirement and Appendix section for 2, 4-6
seal compatibility requirements
March 21, K. Nolting Initial Release of Document All
2007