Two questions come first on the fuel side of almost every generator enquiry: how long must the set run without a delivery, and where can the fuel be kept. The answers decide whether the fuel sits in a belly tank under the set, in a day tank fed from bulk storage, or in both.
Belly tank or day tank
A belly tank uses the base frame of the generator package as the fuel tank. It takes no extra floor space and suits containerised and outdoor sets with a moderate autonomy. A daily fuel tank keeps a working quantity of fuel close to the engine and is refilled from a main tank by transfer pumps - the usual arrangement where bulk storage is larger or further away.
Both are built for the capacity and the structural load of the project and can carry level gauges and switches, filling and vent connections, overflow protection, drains and leak detection.
Stored diesel does not stay clean
In a standby tank that is rarely emptied, condensed water collects at the bottom and microbes grow at the line between water and fuel. The sludge they leave behind blocks filters, usually at the worst moment. A fuel polishing system circulates the tank contents through multi-stage filtration and water separation, independently of the generator, and keeps the fuel usable for longer.
Lubricating oil
For engines that run long hours, an oil supply system stores, filters and transfers lubricating oil and keeps the pressure and flow the engine needs, so oil handling does not interrupt operation.
What AXON supplies
- Belly tanks
- Daily fuel tanks with transfer pumps
- Fuel polishing systems
- Oil supply systems
- Level, leak and overflow monitoring
- Integration into AXON containers or stand-alone installation
What to send with an enquiry
- Engine fuel consumption at the expected load
- Required autonomy in hours
- Where the bulk fuel is stored and how far it is from the set
- Fuel: diesel or HVO
- Local rules on double-walled tanks and bunding
- Signals needed at the generator controller or the BMS
Questions we are often asked
How large should the belly tank be?
It follows from the fuel consumption at the expected load and the autonomy the project requires, within the footprint of the set. Send both and we size it.
Can the tanks be used with HVO?
Tell us the fuel at the enquiry stage. Materials, seals and filtration are selected for it.
Why polish fuel that has never been used?
Because unused fuel is the fuel that ages. Water and microbial contamination build up in tanks that stand full for months, and a generator that starts on contaminated fuel may not keep running.