A fuel pump is provided that is submersible within a fuel, for example, within
a fuel tank of an automotive vehicle and is particularly suited for use with high
alcohol content fuels that tend to contain ionic species. The fuel pump comprises
an electric motor that includes a commutator and a negative brush electrode that
is connected to a negative terminal of an external power supply. The electric motor
is at least partially disposed within a metal shell that is in contact with the
fuel. The metal shell is also connected to the negative terminal of the external
power supply. During operation, a negative electrical potential is applied to the
metal shell to preferentially react with ions within the fuel. In this manner,
the metal shell serves as a anode to reduce the concentration of ionic species
in the fuel, thereby decreasing reactions with the brush electrode and extending
the useful life of the fuel pump.
