Andrew Pace
Boat fuel canisters are an important part of a boat's fuel system. They are designed to prevent overfilling and eliminate traditional vent leakage from the fuel expanding due to the daily temperature rise. The canisters are packed with a special marine-grade carbon that scrubs the hydrocarbons from the fuel vapour, eliminating fuel odours and contributing to cleaner air. The canisters also have a permanently mounted heat shield to protect them in the event of a fire. Fuel filters are another critical component of a boat's fuel system, removing impurities from the fuel before it reaches the engine.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To prevent overfilling and eliminate vent leakage |
| Function | Combination of valves sends liquid fuel up to the fill neck, activating the shutoff feature in the gasoline pump nozzle |
| Components | Carbon canister, fuel lines, tank-construction materials |
| Carbon canister function | Scrubs hydrocarbons from fuel vapour, eliminating fuel odours and contributing to cleaner air |
| Carbon canister location | Tucked away in the boat's vent line |
| Carbon canister contents | Special marine-grade carbon |
| Canister filling or adsorption | Occurs during thermal tank content expansion and refuelling |
| Canister purging | Occurs passively based on vacuum created during cooling of gas and gas tank and engine use of fuel |
What You'll Learn
The combination of valves and fuel level in the tank
The carbon canister is tucked away in the boat's vent line and is packed with a special marine-grade carbon. This carbon scrubs the hydrocarbons from the fuel vapour, eliminating fuel odours and contributing to cleaner air. The canister filling or adsorption occurs during two major events: thermal tank content expansion and refuelling. Purging is a function of the amount of vapour in the canister, purge air volume, and temperature. If the canister is mounted in the engine compartment, a heat shield is required.
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The carbon canister and its role in eliminating fuel odours
The carbon canister is an important component of a boat's fuel system. It is tucked away in the boat's vent line and packed with a special marine-grade carbon. The carbon canister works to scrub the hydrocarbons from the fuel vapour, eliminating fuel odours and contributing to cleaner air. This process is known as adsorption, where hydrocarbon molecules are attracted to and stored on the surfaces of carbon pores.
The canister is protected from becoming saturated with liquid fuel by a combination of valves that react to the fuel level in the tank. This ensures a predetermined level in the tank, eliminating traditional vent leakage from the fuel expanding due to daily temperature rises.
The carbon canister is not predicted to fail over the life of the boat, and there are no user-serviceable parts in this system. It is worth noting that canister purging for the marine industry occurs passively based on the vacuum created during the cooling of gas and the gas tank, as well as engine use of fuel.
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The automatic shutoff feature
The canister and valves are designed to last for the life of the boat and are not predicted to fail. The automatic shutoff feature takes the guesswork out of knowing when the boat is full, although it is important to note that no one should leave a boat unattended while fuelling.
The carbon canister is tucked away in the boat's vent line and is packed with special marine-grade carbon. This carbon scrubs the hydrocarbons from the fuel vapour, eliminating fuel odours and contributing to cleaner air. The fuel system also includes new fuel lines and tank-construction materials that reduce the permeation of fuel into the line and tank material.
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The canister's useful life
The canister and valves have a similar useful life to those in your car. They are not predicted to fail over the life of the boat. The canister is tucked away in the boat's vent line and packed with a special marine-grade carbon. This carbon scrubs the hydrocarbons from the fuel vapour, eliminating fuel odours and contributing to cleaner air.
The canister fills with hydrocarbons during two major events: thermal tank content expansion and refuelling. Purging of the canister will occur passively, based on the vacuum created during the cooling of gas and the gas tank and engine use of fuel. Tank vacuum will pull ambient air through the canister, resulting in desorption or purging of hydrocarbons.
Purging is a function of the amount of vapour in the canister, purge air volume, and temperature. If the canister is mounted in the engine compartment, then a heat shield is required.
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The canister's location in the vent line
The canister is located in the vent line of the boat's fuel system. It is tucked away and packed with a special marine-grade carbon. The carbon scrubs the hydrocarbons from the fuel vapour, eliminating fuel odours and contributing to cleaner air. The canister protects the vent line from becoming saturated with liquid fuel.
The canister is not predicted to fail over the life of the boat. It has a similar useful life to the canisters and valves in a car. If the canister is mounted in the engine compartment, a heat shield is required.
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Frequently asked questions
A boat fuel canister is a hydrocarbon vapour control device. It is designed to prevent liquid fuel from entering the canister and to scrub hydrocarbons from fuel vapour, eliminating fuel odours and contributing to cleaner air.
The fuel pump draws fuel from the tank and delivers it to the engine. The type of pump depends on the engine type and can be mechanical or electric.
Valves are mounted on top or inside the tank and are calibrated to ensure the tank fills to the proper level. They also send liquid fuel up to the fill neck, activating the shutoff feature in the gasoline pump nozzle.
