Abstract

A fuel filter head is used to remove contaminants from fuel to protect engine from damage. Fuel filter head is an important part of fuel filter system which support whole filter assembly. It is tightened to the body of engine by means of bolted joints. The tightening action induces pretension load in filter head. It is necessary to determine the stress developed due to bolt preload and g load. This work aims to analyze for stress and propose low weight alternative material for filter head. Initially existing fuel filter head is analyzed for stresses by using various load conditions. A new material and modified structure are proposed for filter head and analyzed for stresses under similar conditions used for analyzing existing model. The modal scaling factor, yield strength and design margin concept are used to validate filter head for safe design. The modified filter head reveals lower stress level, weight and cost as compared to existing model. This study helps to reduce weight which results in lower fuel consumption.

Keywords: FEA; Fuel filter head; Material testing; Modal analysis; Static structural analysis; Weight reduction