News

Frame fuel tanks (FFTs), increasingly adopted in off-road motorcycles and military vehicles for their space-saving and weight-distribution advantages, present unique maintenance challenges due to their structural complexity. This paper proposes a high-pressure water jet cleaning protocol tailored for FFTs, addressing:

Field tests on military HMMWVs showed a 92% reduction in fuel contamination post-high pressure water jet cleaning versus chemical methods.

System Overview

A fully integrated cleaning system comprising high-temperature water jet cleaning, 3D robotic nozzles, and multi-stage filtration, designed for efficient maintenance of frame-integrated fuel tanks. Key subsystems include:

1. Core Components & Specifications

Technical Parameters

Heating Unit – Electric heating tank (60 kW power output)

– Sustained 60°C (±2°C) hot water output

High-Pressure Pump – Diaphragm pump station (16 MPa/50 L/min)

– 15 kW motor power per pump unit

3D Cleaning Head – 360° omnidirectional rotary nozzle

– Programmable XYZ-axis trajectory control

Filtration – Multi-stage filtration (particulate → oil/water separation → fine micron filtration)

Control System – PLC with variable-frequency drive (VFD)

– Real-time monitoring of pressure, temperature, flow rate

Main Cabinet – Centralized control panel with HMI and emergency stop

2. Functional Design

Automated Cleaning Process:

Preheating: Water heated to 60°C to dissolve grease/paraffin deposits.

3D Jet Cleaning: Nozzle rotates 360° while traversing tank interiors via programmed paths.

Contaminant Removal: Multi-stage filtration ensures >99% particle capture .

PLC Intelligence:

Automatic fault detection (e.g., pressure surges, overheating).

Sensor feedback loops adjust pressure/flow dynamically.

3. Performance Metrics

Cleaning Efficiency: 98% sludge removal .

Energy Use: 60 kW heating + 15 kW pumping = 75 kW total peak load.

Throughput: 50 L/min flow rate enables rapid cycle times (e.g., 20 min/tank for HMMWV).