Do's and Don'ts of Fuel Cells

I got scared of foam, even the high $ foam as some people were still having issues with that $$$ foam.

I just used 4” corrugated plastic pipe and cut it up to fit in the tank vertically and stuffed as many in there as I could fit. Seemed to work just fine and hasn’t detoriated after years.

I also run an accumulator for the fuel. Use a simple Holley blue to the accumulator, then to the e2000 variant I have, then to the corvette filter/regulator, and to the fuel rail. Seemed to work well. I also have like 4 of the walbro pickups in the tank so hopefully there isn’t an issue with fuel starvation.
 
I think I'll go with some plastic pipe. It's cheap and should work well. The tank isn't very big though so I doubt I will see that much sloshing/fuel starvation as a bigger tank. Got all my fuel parts today and waiting on a fuel pump from Summit. Went with a Carter P5000 as it was the recommended pump to go with for the motor. Finger's crossed it will be running tomorrow.
 
The resevoir is guaranteed to work.. you simply size it based on fuel consumption and expected amount of time to be without fuel feed from the tank. I believe @Fabrik8 posted some that are intended for racing applications.
 
Baffle balls

Reading about these at work today. Baffle Balls made by the original Wiffle Ball Company. Opinions?
 
One other thing to consider, which I thought I posted but apparently didn't: Surge tanks.
For $300, you can get a FiTech surge tank with an internal pump, which will make all of these things go away. Tank baffles are always important to have, but with such crude tank pickups, adding a surge tank can make everything fat and happy. You can piece one together and save a little money, but for $300 you have a plug-and-play solution that just needs wiring and hookup plumbing.

You'd still need another pump to supply the surge tank though, but would then have a rock solid system that gets rid of pressure fluctuations from pickup problems. The second pump can be whatever, as it's only job is to supply enough flow to supply the surge tank and won't be pressurizing anything. A cheap low pressure pump for a carb'd engine can do that, or any kind of pump that can work as a lift pump.
 
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Caver Dave said:
My apologies for the derail...



But appears these only combat "slosh"... guessing that could cause cavitation? And do nothing for actual fuel pickup like foam/baffles/Walbro pickups/etc.?
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Yes keeps fuel from sloshing that can fatigue the corners of the cell causing a leak or rupture. Correct in thinking they don’t help starvation issues.
 
Caver Dave said:
My apologies for the derail...



But appears these only combat "slosh"... guessing that could cause cavitation? And do nothing for actual fuel pickup like foam/baffles/Walbro pickups/etc.?
Click to expand...

Correct. I’m thinking of using the baffle balls in combination with a dual Walbro pickup. My tank is an RCI aluminum one. Prone to failure, or so I hear.
 
Caver Dave said:
But appears these only combat "slosh"... guessing that could cause cavitation? And do nothing for actual fuel pickup like foam/baffles/Walbro pickups/etc.?
Click to expand...

They help slow the fuel movement, so pickup starvation doesn't happen as fast dynamically. Same principle as foam, but should retard the fuel motion at a different rate, etc. The other devices (baffles, self-sealing pickups, etc.) have a different function. Well, baffles can have the same function obviously, depending on design. But you also have baffled drop sumps and stuff that work differently.
 
There is a second purpose of safety foam on top of preventing sloshing. It helps prevent buildup of gas vapor in the tank itself that can become a hazard in case of a fire. PVC baffles wont do this. There is a good write-up about it here.

Why You Don't Mess With Fuel Cell Foam - The Building Speed Blog

I have been running foam in my Jaz fuel cell for a year and a half now. I pulled the tank apart last winter and didn't see any signs of the foam degrading. I will pull it apart again this winter just to refresh everything and I'll check it again. I haven't any issues with the filters plugging. Your results may vary.
 
livetorun said:
There is a second purpose of safety foam on top of preventing sloshing. It helps prevent buildup of gas vapor in the tank itself that can become a hazard in case of a fire. PVC baffles wont do this. There is a good write-up about it here.

Why You Don't Mess With Fuel Cell Foam - The Building Speed Blog

I have been running foam in my Jaz fuel cell for a year and a half now. I pulled the tank apart last winter and didn't see any signs of the foam degrading. I will pull it apart again this winter just to refresh everything and I'll check it again. I haven't any issues with the filters plugging. Your results may vary.
Click to expand...

Do you run ethanol free gas in your rig?
 
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