I'm thinking of taking a stabb at making my own fuel cell (Aluminum). As an anti-slosh, what is the current thinking? I've heard lots of stories of foam breaking down, but it was never a problem with the JAZ cell that I used to use (different car). It seems to me that a well-placed baffle or two would work just as well.
Thoughts?
Yeah a set of trap door baffles will work quite nicely.
A lot of production cars just use something that looks like a box that's open at the top, with a hole at each lower corner - the fuel pump pickup sits in this box.
Look at the fuel pickups available from Fuelsafe.
Foam does break down, I've had it happen in my Locost. Made a mess of everything in the fuel system. Took a few years, but there's a reason the foam has a recommended change interval. Interestingly, the off road guys use what are essentially whiffle balls.
Want to totally eliminate it? Build a swirl tank. We did that on our Westfield.
Isn't the foam also there to help prevent an explosion in the event of a fire?
Right. You lose the safety aspect.
Without the foam it just becomes a fuel tank.
What specifically does the foam do to make it safer: slow down fuel discharge in the event of a rupture, retard flames and/or explosion, or...?
About 2/3 of the way down http://www.buildingspeed.org/blog/2013/04/why-you-dont-mess-with-fuel-cell-foam/
You can just buy fuel cell foam. Baffles do not do what foam does. A true fuel cell also has a flexible inner liner that distorts on impact. http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Search?query=fuel%20cell%20foam
As they would say on a certain other forum known for its curmudgeons, "way to bring the tech!".
My Challenge project came with a fuel cell. If I just pull out the foam will the plastic liner still be in good shape? I'd put new foam in for future track use but skip it for the Challenge.
atl has a super saver kit basically you can save a few bucks on the outer container (that sort of isn't directly the fuel container. If you just need a metal container, those are kinda easy from the catalog houses. If you need an FIA FT3 certified cell, it's going to cost a few multiples. Pulling apart an old mgb tank - it had a number of baffles and a sump surrounding the pick up - so that's common practice. For some sanctioning bodies, it's FIA FT3 or you don't get to play - for others.... eh, as long as it's not leaking.
Part of the reason for foam instead of baffles in a fuel cell is that baffles have to be somewhat ridged to work well while foam can do the same thing and is flexible so that in the event that the cell is hit/crushed the liner is not punctured from inside.
Most info I've read on foam life is about 10 years. I know that my Mustang Fuel Safe foam was still OK at 10 years but the swirl pot in the cell; which was glued to the inside of the liner came free on a couple of sides allowing fuel to leak out. This caused fuel starvation with as little as 1/2 tank of fuel.
The foam in my Locost tank lasted about 7 years before crumbling and clogging the system.
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