Results and analysis for a dozen tanks included in the study are shown in the bar chart on page 47."We typically found from 1 quart to 1 gallon of dirt and rust in the bottom of tanks we cleaned," says Country Energy''s Norm Dooley. "And in one case, we found 4 1/2 gallons of contaminants in the tank."Dirt, rust are main problemsA lab analysis of material from selected tanks shows the contaminants are primarily dirt and rust. "We assume the dirt got into the tanks during filling (when the cap was removed) or it could have blown into the tanks through the vent cap. It''s also likely that dust was sucked into the tanks when they naturally 7 breathed as fuel volume or air temperature changed," says Dooley.

The introduction of stricter exhaust and noise emission standards along with the related increase in sophistication of equipment, both mobile and stationary, has created many challenges and opportunities for OEM equipment, chop engine and component manufacturers. And one component that has gained importance in all of this has been engine exhaust insulation blankets.Firwin Corp., a North York, Ontario, Canada, company is a manufacturer of custom removable insulation blankets for engine exhaust systems, as well as other heat shield insulation products. These products are used in a variety of applications, including standby and prime power generation, marine, on-highway, mining, construction, forestry, locomotive and military.

Firwin also developed an innovative method of covering the entire 40 ft. long tank of a military tanker truck with a removable, reusable insulation blanket. The tanker truck was designed to maintain water at a comfortable drinking temperature for front line troops under all weather conditions. The cover was primarily engineered for energy conservation, as the small onboard auxiliary generator set, used to provide power for saw the 7 heating and refrigeration unit, would otherwise not be able to effectively heat or cool the water. Insulation blankets have generally been considered a somewhat mundane, but necessary part of many engine applications. The concept was simple; part of the engine was hot, the manufacturer didn''t want somebody leaning on it and getting burned, so a blanket was put over the hot spot.

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