Corrosion on Electric Fuel Pump Housing at Durability Test in Test Bench

Abstract

For lifetime verification in automotive components it is necessary to simulate their operation in test benches that reproduce the conditions of vehicular application, according to the boundary conditions defined in the project.In durability tests of electric fuel pumps for Otto cycle engines, test benches are often used comprised of fuel tanks made of stainless steel provided with a fuel temperature control system. They also have a hydraulic system that allows simulating the fuel circulation loop of the vehicle consisting of fuel filter and fuel pressure regulator. Moreover, they are also equipped with flow meters and fuel pressure for monitoring the test.It has been observed in test bench durabilities that fuel pumps of Flex Fuel type are likely to present high levels of corrosion on their outer housing, even higher than expected after this kind of test. However this behavior has not been found in automotive vehicles under real conditions of use and after a long period of running, suggesting that the problem lies in the operational conditions of the test bench itself. This paper aims to study the cause of this phenomenon, associated with the ground difference between the bench and the tank of the vehicle, describe it from a theoretical perspective and propose modifications to the settings that best simulate the test vehicle conditions, leading to more reliable results at the end of the test.