Storing a fuel cell

[fv22]

Looking for the best way to store a fuel cell to get the longest life out of it. I only race 1 or 2 weekends a year, some years not even that so it sits a lot. My last one only lasted 6 or 7 years, the one before that went 11 or 12.

Here's the options I can think of.
1) Full of fuel (currently has ethanol free pump gas in it).
2) Drained
3) Drained, rinsed and allowed to dry with openings open, then closed up after fully dry.
4) Full of fuel but with AVGAS
5) Any other suggestions?

[billtebbutt]

#4

Recently, the only available pump gas in Ontario w/o ethanol (Shell V-Power) quietly started adding ethanol. The pump now reads "All gas may contain ethanol" across all varieties. I would never put pump gas of any description into a fuel cell.

best,
bt

[halcyon]

I store mine full with either AVGAS alone or race fuel with Stabil added. The purpose of the Stabil is primarily to prevent microbial growth and degradation of the fuel. I also keep my cars in a climate controlled garage so that there are no extreme cold or hot temperatures. Even for the cars where I use fuel with 10% ethanol, I have not had an issue with getting 10+ years of life out of the fuel cells. When one does fail, you can replace it with a fluoropolymer ethanol resistant fuel cell at about 3x the cost.

[Rick Kirchner]

Fuel is a solvent. Cells are made of polymers. Fuel resistant polymers, but subject to degradation over time in the presence of fuel. Pump it out, store it as dry as possible, keeping in mind where you store it and the presence of fumes while it dries.

[rockbeau25]

Do NOT store it with fuel in it. I asked the ATL engineer I was corresponding with what proper fuel cell care procedure should be and he said “the bladder should be drained if it is going to sit for long periods of time like the off season.”

[fv22]

...When one does fail, you can replace it with a fluoropolymer ethanol resistant fuel cell at about 3x the cost.

The most recent cell cost $1,100 last year. Probably more now with bidenflation. Definitely don't want to buy one at 3x the cost!

[fv22]

Do NOT store it with fuel in it. I asked the ATL engineer I was corresponding with what proper fuel cell care procedure should be and he said “the bladder should be drained if it is going to sit for long periods of time like the off season.”

Thats what I was hoping to hear. Someone who actually spoke to ATL or fuel safe and had the info right from the horse's mouth! Thanks.

Strange seeing the foam like that. My last one that only went 6 or 7 years had perfect foam, but the container fell apart. Same with the one before that but it lasted 11 or 12 years. The first cell I ever had went close to 15 though. Every fuel cell I ever had lasted a shorter time than the one before it. Is it due to the fuel or materials? If it's the fuel the manufacturers need to up the quality of their products, instead of just the price.

[E1pix]

The most recent cell cost $1,100 last year. Probably more now with bidenflation. Definitely don't want to buy one at 3x the cost!

This is a racing forum, and much nicer without your second sentence.

[sabre1fv]

Call the manufacturer and ask them what they recommend. For my cell (Fuel Safe), I was told full of fuel.

-Jim

[FVRacer21]

I found this on a airplane website:

Fuel Bladders
If you have an airplane with rubber type flexible fuel bladders, the standard recommendation is to keep the tanks full in order to minimize cracking of the membrane. We agree. There are also different materials used in fuel bladders-some made of more robust material than others.


Keeping it full also cuts back on water condensing as much as it does in partially empty tanks. That begs the question of how long the fuel is good for. The answer for avgas is one year according to Chevron. Avgas has special stabilizers to make it last a long time.


Unleaded auto fuel has no such capability, so beware of octane loss as well as formation of gums beyond a few months of inactivity. Fuel stabilizers, to our knowledge, are not approved to be added to auto fuel used in an aircraft. Check your STC or with the STC provider i.e. Petersen Aviation or the EAA. The solution is to plan on filling the tanks with avgas just prior to storage on a plane that normally runs on auto fuel.

https://www.avweb.com/features_old/s...or-the-winter/

I know it is only anecdotal, but I stored a fuel cell empty for 3 years and when I took it out of the container it looked like a dried up prune, complete with cracks. But it was very old...... So I keep all my cars with 1/2 or more of fuel (racing gas) over the winter and Armoralled them before they went in the can.

I really do not like ethanol in them unless they are rated for that but still would not trust it. I do top my lawnmower and snowblower off with pump gas before storage, and will very little issues. Some gas stations are now selling non-ethanol gas for boat owners and the like but the octane may not be high enough for some people.

If I was going to store it empty, I would certainly put it in a climate controlled environment. Mine was subject to normal temperature fluctuations and that might have contributed to the failure.

ChrisZ

[Ed Womer]

I remember a few years ago when I was at the PRI show and the fuel safe booth had a fuel cell that was red and made from I guess plastic and if I also remember it was FIA approved. I don't know why a plastic cell in a metal container is not good enough. If the crash is bad enough, NOTHING is going to contain the fuel.

Having been a construction inspector I am familiar with standards, but unfortunately some standards are unreasonable. Here in the US I wonder why were are adhering to BS from the FIA. Why don't we develop our own standards that are workable not just down right BS.

Oh, wait, it is about control, not about reason, sorry my bad.

Ed

[EricP]

I asked this question of my cell manufacturer a few years ago. His response:

<Mark@eaglefuelcells.com> <Mark@eaglefuelcells.com> wrote:

Good Morning Eric,

You can leave the fuel cell dry. For longer life you can use a light mineral

oil inside the fuel cell.

Have a good day.

Mark

Sales/ Technical Support

Eagle Fuel Cells

[Rick Kirchner]

there seems to be three different types - nitrile which is Premier, Eagle, ATS, and they are definitely degraded by fuel in the cell. With aircraft you have long, thin wing tanks without internal support, and if they are empty, they might sag and crack, so that might be the exception.

Then you have the thin ATL bladders, and finally the harder Fuel Safe devices.

I'd expect a different answer depending on what you have really.