Am I creating Inner Fuel Tank Condensation?

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I am told, many military planes have bladders inside the metal fuel tanks. I wonder if this would have an application for leaky fuel tanks on boats?


Potentially, but the biggest issue is baffles. I'm not sure how they handle that in planes, but it's hard to baffle a bladder tank. And inserting one into an existing tank that already has baffles is a problem.
 
Potentially, but the biggest issue is baffles. I'm not sure how they handle that in planes, but it's hard to baffle a bladder tank. And inserting one into an existing tank that already has baffles is a problem.

Great point, existing baffles. I guess the war planes dont have existing baffles in their fuel tanks.
 
A previous boat I had was equipped with Detroits and they returned a bunch of fuel. The tank in that boat would get much warmer after a long run.

Observed exactly the same behavior with a pair of Detroit 8-71s. At cruising RPM, they returned warm fuel to the tank, and lots of it!
 
tank condensation

Insulating the exterior is no problem. Remember hot diesel fuel is returned to your tanks. That in itself will cause temperature differential. Also, remember the outside of the tank is likely against your uninsulated fiberglass hull. I'm sure there is some internal condensation but if anything it floats on the diesel and is not a cause of tank corrosion. Tanks can rust from the outside not inside.
 
"I'm sure there is some internal condensation but if anything it floats on the diesel and is not a cause of tank corrosion. Tanks can rust from the outside not inside."

That is far from actual fact. I'm surprised at someone with your experience not getting this correct?
 
I have to agree with Bacchus. I had an indoor heating oil tank in my basement that started to leak at the bottom with no sign of rust or corrosion anywhere on the outside of the tank so my assumption is that it rusted from the inside. Wouldn't water sink to the bottom, not float on the diesel? I also had an underground oil tank dug up once, and it too had a small leak at the very bottom of the tank.
 
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Insulation prevents visual inspection. The insulation may trap moisture. If you cannot see the tanks, you cannot take action to correct this situation.

My tanks are aluminum, rectangular and do not touch the hull on the tanks. The fuel to the engine, comes from the bottom of the tank via a butt welded fitting.

I would have rather there was a welded bowl so any moisture and 'bits' would collect there and drained off via fitting. Instead, I have gone the big bucks and installed a fuel polishing system. GRUMBLE GRUMBLE

I should point out, (before the fuel polish installation) I had a bit of water in the tank via a old o'ring and rain during a hurricane. I had 2 alarms at the VesselView. I went down and drained the filter bowl twice. No water reached the engine or the secondary filter. This occurred about a week after the hurricane. When things calm down I did change the "in service" Racor filter.
 
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There has been plenty of photgraphic evidence here of tanks rusted out from the bottom inside surface. It is wisest to have a bottom-draw tank and/or a bottom sediment drain used a couple of times a year.
 
I have to agree with Bacchus. I had an indoor heating oil tank in my basement that started to leak at the bottom with no sign of rust or corrosion anywhere on the outside of the tank so my assumption is that it rusted from the inside. Wouldn't water sink to the bottom, not float on the diesel? I also had an underground oil tank dug up once, and it too had a small leak at the very bottom of the tank.
Exactly...
I will bet many have seen spilled oil float / cause a sheen on TOP of water... not immediately sinking.
Pour some oil & water into a jar and check out which is on top... doesn't matter which order you add them.
 
To the OP
If your sound dampening insulation also provides thermal insulation, all you will be doing is slowing the rate of change of the temperature in the tanks. Insulation doesn't create heat on one side and cold on the other, all it does is mitigate the transfer of heat from the heated side to the cold side. If you have moist air above the fuel in your tanks, then when the outside temperature is lower than the temp inside the tank, there will be some condensate form on the inside of the walls in the top, air filled portion of your tanks that are exposed to the outside cold. Just like the outside surface of a glass of any ice cold beverage in summer heat. That process will occur. If insulation is present, it will occur over a longer period of time. If the outside temp is warmer than that inside the tank, no condensation will occur on the inside. If there is warm, moist air in the ER and ice cold fuel in the tank, condensate will form on the outside of the tank. This would be as hard to detect as the condensate on the outside of a beverage glass in an insulated cup. Present, but not detectable under normal conditions.
 
Way too many tanks have rusted on top due to deck leakage.
 

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