Algae-X Magnet and Fuel Filter- anyone familiar?

[sailorchic34]

Magnets in fuel systems haved been shown to provide no measureable improvements, when tested by 3rd parties. I reviewed a new magnetic water treatment device for cooling towers oh 15 years ago. They showed me a system in use on a cooling tower. Yes the water was clean. But they had set a rather high bleed rate, with high makeup water rate. The clorine in the makeup water, kept the bio burden low. My professional engineer opinion at that time as an expert in central plant design, was that magnets provided no real measurable improvements. Modern snake oil...

Gee try picking up fuel with a magnet....Filters are your friend. Magnets not so much.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by boat driver

the us navy installed them on multiple vessels along with a large number of commercial vessels. the goal was improving fuel efficiency. The proof was technology of the mid 90s. exactly the results I can not remember but the units were proven either improvement or neutral.

The vessels involved generally averaged 250-1500 diesel gallons daily or greater- and old/dirty fuel was not in involved anywhere in the discussion. The goal/intent was improving fuel efficiency.

I would seriously doubt the cost would be returned on a small engine.

Got a link for those reports?

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by boat driver

nice google answer-
and algae is?
lets not get into a technical discussion of science- living organism grows and plugs filters- dies and becomes sludge and sinks to bottom of tank- gets sloshed around in seaway and when deep enough gets into filter- then plugs filter. engine stops.
.

It’s not algae but rather a number of different bacteria, none of which are or can be effected by this gadget.

So why avoid an explanation of terms you used: “align the fuel polarity” and “power efficiency”? Clearly you read the question but ignored it.

Do you use terminology because it sounds authoritative or can you explain what you said? Doesn’t look good...

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Got a link for those reports?

The Navy concluded they were ineffective.

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by Lepke

but my current boat sat 6 years w/o any mothballing. Algae-x did clear the tanks of organisms and made the old fuel burn.

I know because I took fuel samples before, found lots of water and organisms, and could see the growth in the full height sight glass on the day tank. I used a 3x dose of Algae-x for the fuel on board, circulated and then started the engines. I fueled one tank with new fuel, went on a sea trial and switched to a tank that held all the known old fuel. Engines (Detroits) didn't seem to notice, so apparently it burned. I never plugged a filter but was running 30 micron in 900 Racors then. Now I run 2 micron. My tanks are about 4x5x6' and a couple years later when the space above was remodeled, I cut access holes and entered the tanks. I mean I walked around inside the tanks. The mild steel tanks were clean, no sign of water or organisms, and light rust on the surface. I cleaned the residual fuel and welded some deep pits in the tank bottoms. 1942 steel tanks, no buildup.

I think you are confusing two different products. It sounds as though you are referring to a chemical treatment or biocide used to chemically treat the fuel and destroy any bacteria growing in the fuel or preventing the growth in the first place. The product under discussion here is a mechanical device with a magnet in it that is supposed to work some magic to prevent the bacteria from getting to your engine and improve fuel economy. The fact that you mention dosing tells me you are talking about a different product as the device under discussion is a fixed mechanical unit.

[Delfin]

As noted, the black goo that grows in diesel tanks is bacteria, not algae. So the question on efficacy is whether bacteria can be killed with magnetic fields and the answer to that question is yes, they can. Here's a bit of info on that: https://www.quora.com/Is-it-possible...agnetic-fields

My own experience is one data point with the tank on my sailboat pretty well contaminated with black goo, clogging the Racors. Fuel treatment helped a little, but not enough, so I added a magnetic filter - I can't remember the brand but I don't think it was Algae-X - and the problem cleared up.

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by Delfin

As noted, the black goo that grows in diesel tanks is bacteria, not algae. So the question on efficacy is whether bacteria can be killed with magnetic fields and the answer to that question is yes, they can. Here's a bit of info on that: https://www.quora.com/Is-it-possible...agnetic-fields

My own experience is one data point with the tank on my sailboat pretty well contaminated with black goo, clogging the Racors. Fuel treatment helped a little, but not enough, so I added a magnetic filter - I can't remember the brand but I don't think it was Algae-X - and the problem cleared up.

It’s disingenuous to imply this research regarding strong pulsed electromagnetic fields has any relationship to the subject matter.

[Captain Bill]

Just for grins. I Googled "Align fuel polarity" and got a hit on an paper done in India that described a magnetic fuel treatment device for diesel engines where they explained the theory and use of the device and reported some positive results. Even if we take their theory and results to be accurate(which I don't) the device they describe is much larger device than the algae-x which had to be placed as close as possible to the fuel injection pump to be effective. The device does not in any way resemble an Algae-x with the exception that it uses a magnet. Read for yourself if you are so inclined.



https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/2d1...071ba60444.pdf

[Delfin]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

It’s disingenuous to imply this research regarding strong pulsed electromagnetic fields has any relationship to the subject matter.

When you say I am being disingenuous, you're implying a desire to deceive. Probably the must appropriate response to that would involve your lips and my posterior, but this being a polite forum, I'll leave it that bacteria are affected by magnetic fields. Whether the devices sold to kill the bacteria that grow when moisture and Diesel fuel are present, I have no clue. My experience is that they may well work, having worked in one specifiv instance I dealt with.

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by Delfin

When you say I am being disingenuous, you're implying a desire to deceive. Probably the must appropriate response to that would involve your lips and my posterior, but this being a polite forum, I'll leave it that bacteria are affected by magnetic fields. Whether the devices sold to kill the bacteria that grow when moisture and Diesel fuel are present, I have no clue. My experience is that they may well work, having worked in one specifiv instance I dealt with.

Perhaps I could have written it better - this gadget and the link to which you referred are mutually exclusive concepts. About the only correlation might be their similar lack of efficacy.

[Delfin]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

Perhaps I could have written it better - this gadget and the link to which you referred are mutually exclusive concepts. About the only correlation might be their similar lack of efficacy.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/10927195/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/7019937/

There are many more such findings, should you care to look.

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by Delfin

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/10927195/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/7019937/

There are many more such findings, should you care to look.

These reports based on a couple of specific bacterial species associated with humans mean little to nothing pertaining to bacterial species growing in ones fuel tanks. The latter paper reports reductions in Mean Generational Times which means that growth was enhanced, not inhibited. The Algae-x device being discussed is not in the fuel tank where the bacterial growth is taking place. It can't have any effect on the bacteria in the tank because it's not there! These devices are placed in the fuel line and have an internal volume of a few ml at best as most of the space is taken up by the magnet. In an engine consuming 3 liters per hour and assuming a 30% return for bypassed fuel would pass about 4000ml per hour through the device with a residence time of a couple of seconds in the vicinity of the magnet. It is going to have no effect whatsoever on generational times of bacteria that are measured in minutes or hours. Even if it did it wouldn't destroy the cells which would be either caught by the filter or burned in the engine. If this theory works as people are proposing in support of this device I could prevent bacteria from growing in my garbage pail by in a cabinet by having a magnet on my refrigerator six feet away. You could protect yourself from food poisoning by wearing a magnet around your neck. We could sterilize surgical instrument by waving a magnet over them for two or three seconds. Why would anyone think this would stop bacterial growth in their fuel tank? It simply makes no sense.

[Delfin]

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

These reports based on a couple of specific bacterial species associated with humans mean little to nothing pertaining to bacterial species growing in ones fuel tanks. The latter paper reports reductions in Mean Generational Times which means that growth was enhanced, not inhibited. The Algae-x device being discussed is not in the fuel tank where the bacterial growth is taking place. It can't have any effect on the bacteria in the tank because it's not there! These devices are placed in the fuel line and have an internal volume of a few ml at best as most of the space is taken up by the magnet. In an engine consuming 3 liters per hour and assuming a 30% return for bypassed fuel would pass about 4000ml per hour through the device with a residence time of a couple of seconds in the vicinity of the magnet. It is going to have no effect whatsoever on generational times of bacteria that are measured in minutes or hours. Even if it did it wouldn't destroy the cells which would be either caught by the filter or burned in the engine. If this theory works as people are proposing in support of this device I could prevent bacteria from growing in my garbage pail by in a cabinet by having a magnet on my refrigerator six feet away. You could protect yourself from food poisoning by wearing a magnet around your neck. We could sterilize surgical instrument by waving a magnet over them for two or three seconds. Why would anyone think this would stop bacterial growth in their fuel tank? It simply makes no sense.

So by your understanding, white mice must be useless for testing toxicity to humans since after all, they're mice. And a bullet that can kill a bear can't be presumed to kill a hamster since they are completely different species. But I'll defer to those who have no practical experience with the topic at hand, have never used the device, but still have strong opinions nonetheless, coupled with a novel understanding of biology. Can't miss wisdom by that route.

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by Delfin

So by your understanding, white mice must be useless for testing toxicity to humans since after all, they're mice. And a bullet that can kill a bear can't be presumed to kill a hamster since they are completely different species. But I'll defer to those who have no practical experience with the topic at hand, have never used the device, but still have strong opinions nonetheless, coupled with a novel understanding of biology. Can't miss wisdom by that route.

Absurd attempts at twisting what was stated is noted. He (and I) are simply trying to impart some knowledge and understanding of the science behind this gadget (or more correctly stated, the lack of it). Attacking the messenger is both inappropriate and uncalled for as this forum is intended to exchange useful correct information. A simple ‘thank you’ would be more appropriate.

And the person who cited terminology such as “align the fuel polarity” prefers to pretend he didn’t see the questions is a good example of the dubious claims about this product.

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by Delfin

So by your understanding, white mice must be useless for testing toxicity to humans since after all, they're mice. And a bullet that can kill a bear can't be presumed to kill a hamster since they are completely different species. But I'll defer to those who have no practical experience with the topic at hand, have never used the device, but still have strong opinions nonetheless, coupled with a novel understanding of biology. Can't miss wisdom by that route.

It's clear here that I'm trying to teach a pig to sing. It wastes my time and annoys the pig.