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Diesel Fuel |
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The word "diesel" is derived from the German inventor Rudolf
Diesel who in 1892 invented
the diesel engine. Diesel
engines are a type of internal
combustion engine. Rudolf
Diesel originally designed
the diesel engine to use coal dust as a fuel. He also experimented with
various oils, including some vegetable oils, such as peanut
oil, which was used to power the engines which he exhibited at the1900
Paris Exposition and the 1911
World's Fair in Paris.
Diesel fuel is produced from petroleum and
from various other sources. Petroleum diesel, also called petro
diesel or fossil diesel
is produced from the fractional
distillation of crude oil between
200 °C (392 °F) and 350 °C (662 °F) at atmospheric
pressure, resulting in a mixture of carbon chains that typically contain
between 8 and 21 carbon atoms per molecule.
As of 2010 the density of petroleum diesel is about 0.832 kg/l
(6.943 lb/US gal), about 12% more than ethanol free petrol
(gasoline), which has a density of about 0.745 kg/l (6.217 lb/US gal).
About 86.1% of the fuel mass is carbon and when burned, it offers a net
heating value of 43.1 MJ/kg as opposed to 43.2 MJ/kg for gasoline.
However, due to the higher density, diesel offers a higher volumetric
energy density at 35.86 MJ/l (128 700 BTU/US gal) vs. 32.18 MJ/l (115
500 BTU/US gal) for gasoline, some 11% higher, something that should be
considered when comparing the fuel efficiency by volume. The CO2
emissions from diesel are 73.25 g/MJ, just slightly lower than for
gasoline at 73.38 g/MJ.[7] Diesel
is generally simpler to refine from petroleum than gasoline and contains
hydrocarbons having a boiling point in the range of 180-360°C
(360-680°F). The price of diesel traditionally rises during colder
months as demand for heating
oil rises, which is refined
in much the same way. Because of recent changes in fuel quality
regulations, additional refining is required to remove sulfur which
contributes to a sometimes higher cost. In many parts of the United
States and throughout the United Kingdom and Australia, diesel may be
higher priced than petrol. Reasons
for higher priced diesel include the shutdown of some refineries in the Gulf
of Mexico, diversion of mass refining capacity to gasoline production,
and a recent transfer to ULSD,
which causes infrastructural complications. In
Sweden a diesel fuel designated as MK-1 (class 1 environmental diesel)
is also being sold, this is a ultra low sulphur diesel that also has a
lower aromatics content, with a limit of 5%. This
fuel is slightly more expensive to produce than regular ultra low
sulphur diesel.
Use as
vehicle fuel
Unlike petroleum
ether and liquefied
petroleum gas engines, diesel
engines do not use high voltage spark ignition (spark plugs). An engine
running on diesel compresses the air inside the cylinder to high
pressures and temperatures (compression ratios from
14:1 to 18:1 are common in current diesel); the diesel is generally
injected directly into the cylinder, starting a few degrees before top
dead center (TDC) and
continuing during the combustion event. The high temperatures inside the
cylinder cause the diesel fuel to react with the oxygen in the mix (burn
or oxidize), heating and
expanding the burning mixture in order to convert the thermal/pressure
difference into mechanical work; i.e., to move the piston. Glow plugs are
used to assist starting the engine to preheat cylinders to reach a
minimum operating
temperature. High compression ratios and throttle-less operation
generally result in diesel engines being more efficient than many
spark-ignited engines.
This efficiency and its lower flammability and explosivity than gasoline
are the main reasons for military use of diesel in armored
fighting vehicles like tanks and trucks.
Engines running on diesel also provide more torque and are less likely
to stall as
they are controlled by a mechanical or electronic governor.
A disadvantage of diesel as a vehicle fuel in some climates, compared to
gasoline or other petroleum derived fuels, is that its viscosity
increases quickly as the fuel's temperature decreases, turning into a
non-flowing gel at temperatures as high as -19 °C (-2.2 °F) or -15 °C
(5 °F), which can't be pumped by regular fuel pumps. Special low
temperature diesel contains additives that keep it in a more liquid
state at lower temperatures, yet starting a diesel engine in very cold
weather may still pose considerable difficulties.
Another rare disadvantage of diesel engines compared to petrol/gasoline
engines is the possibility of runaway failure.
Since diesel engines do not require spark ignition, they can sustain
operation as long as diesel fuel is supplied. Fuel is typically supplied
via a fuel pump. If the pump breaks down in an "open" position, the
supply of fuel will be unrestricted and the engine will runaway and risk
terminal failure.
Use as car
fuel
Diesel-powered cars
generally have a better fuel
economy than equivalent
gasoline engines and produce less greenhouse
gas emission. Their greater
economy is due to the higher energy per-liter content of diesel fuel and
the intrinsic efficiency of the diesel engine. While petro-diesel's
higher density results in higher greenhouse gas emissions per liter
compared to gasoline, the
20–40% better fuel economy achieved by modern diesel-engine automobiles
offsets the higher per-liter emissions of greenhouse gases, and a
diesel-powered vehicle emits 10-20 percent less greenhouse gas than
comparable gasoline vehicles. Biodiesel
powered diesel engines offer substantially improved emission reductions
compared to petro-diesel or gasoline-powered engines, while retaining
most of the fuel economy advantages over conventional gasoline-powered
automobiles. However, the increased compression ratios mean that there
are increased emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx)
from diesel engines. This is compounded by biological nitrogen in
biodiesel to make NOx emissions
the main drawback of diesel versus gasoline engines.
Storage
Unlike kerosene and gasoline,
which are typically kept in blue and red containers respectively, it is
recommended that diesel be stored in a yellow container.
Taxation
Diesel fuel is very similar to heating
oil which is used in central
heating. In Europe, the United
States, and Canada, taxes on
diesel fuel are higher than on heating oil due to the fuel
tax, and in those areas, heating oil is marked with fuel
dyes and trace chemicals to
prevent and detect tax fraud.
Similarly, "untaxed" diesel (sometimes called "off road diesel") is
available in some countries for use primarily in agricultural
applications such as fuel for tractors, recreational and utility
vehicles or other non-commercial vehicles
that do not use public roads.
Additionally, this fuel may have sulphur levels that exceed the limits
for road use in some countries (e.g. USA).
This untaxed diesel is dyed red for identification, and
should a person be found to be using this untaxed diesel fuel for a
typically taxed purpose (such as "over-the-road", or driving use), the
user can be fined (e.g. US$10,000 in the USA). In the United
Kingdom, Belgium and
the Netherlands it
is known as red diesel (or gas
oil), and is also used in agricultural vehicles,
home heating tanks, refrigeration units on vans/trucks which contain
perishable items such as food and medicine and for marine craft. Diesel
fuel, or marked gas oil is dyed green in the Republic
of Ireland and Norway.
The term DERV ("diesel
engine road vehicle") is used in the UK as a synonym for unmarked road
diesel fuel. In India, taxes
on diesel fuel are lower than on petroleum, as the majority of the
transportation that transports grains and other essential commodities
across the country runs on diesel.
In some countries, such as Germany and Belgium,
diesel fuel is taxed lower than petrol (gasoline) (typically around 20%
lower), but the annual vehicle tax is higher for diesel vehicles than
for petrol vehicles. This
gives an advantage to vehicles that travel longer distances (which is
the case for trucks and utility vehicles) because the annual vehicle tax
depends only on engine
displacement, not on distance driven. The point at which a diesel
vehicle becomes less expensive than a comparable petroleum vehicle is
around 20,000 km a year (12,500 miles per year) for an average car.
However, due to the recent rise in oil prices, the advantage point is
becoming lower, resulting in more people opting to buy a diesel car
where they would have opted for a gasoline car a few years ago. Such an
increased interest in diesel has resulted in slow but steady "dieseling"
of the automobile fleet in the countries affected, sparking concerns in
certain authorities about the negative effects of diesel.
Taxes on biodiesel in
the U.S. vary among states, and in some states (Texas, for example) have
no tax on biodiesel and a reduced tax on biodiesel blends equivalent to
the amount of biodiesel in the blend, so that B20 fuel is taxed 20% less
than pure petro-diesel. Other
states, such as North Carolina, tax biodiesel (in any blended
configuration) the same as petro-diesel, although they have introduced
new incentives to producers and users of all bio-fuels.
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Diesel and HHO |
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| If you are
thinking about adding HHO to your Diesel engine, excellent choice.
Diesel responds very positive to both hydrogen and oxygen. The increased
oxygen provides more oxidizer for burning the fuel more complete. The
addition of hydrogen burns even more of the Diesel vapors. It is a win
win situation.
I have witnessed HHO upgrades to several diesel trucks. All of them
gained more power. All of them gained better fuel efficiency. All of
them gained cleaner exhaust emissions. Consequently, all of the owners
smiled from ear to ear.
- One big rig truck put out black smoke and heavy fumes while
running at idle. That problem was eliminated. The truck ran for 30
minutes, in a garage, and no one noticed any diesel smell. One guy
climbed the stack to check the exhaust. He was amazed.
- Another vehicle, a dump truck, poured out black smoke when it
pulled heavy loads. That problem was solved. It not only no
longer smoked, it ran like it had another higher gear. Hills that
normally were a struggle, were no longer a struggle.
- One pickup truck, was able to spin his tires. while sitting
still.
- I know of one pickup truck that nearly doubled his mileage.
At one time, I had a report that some 2008 diesels came out with an
emissions system that used a small amount of diesel injected directly
into the exhaust to burn unburned fuel. Makes no sense to me, but that
was the report. If you know anything about this, please let me know.
Starting in 2008, some manufacturers started putting computerized
emission controlled systems on diesels. I found information stating that
both Wide Band and Narrow Band O2 sensors are being used, and MAP/MAF
sensors. If that is the case, you will need to determine exactly what
you have before order an Analog or Digital AFR sensor Tuner. HHO
Electronics makes good ones.
Diesel Catalytic converters are called Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF).
Here is some supporting documentation
http://www.singapore-motors.com/new-diesel-technologies.html
One thing we know for sure is that diesel requires less HHO than
gasoline.
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EPA - Environmental Protection Agency
EPA - Diesel FuelThe U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) is establishing a comprehensive national control
program that will regulate the heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a
single system. As part of this program, new emission standards will
begin to take effect in model year 2007 and
will apply to heavy-duty highway engines and vehicles.
These standards are based on the use of
high-efficiency catalytic exhaust emission control devices or comparably
effective advanced technologies. Because these devices are
damaged by sulfur, we are also reducing the level of sulfur in highway
diesel fuel by 97 percent by mid-2006. The program provides substantial
flexibility for refiners, especially small
refiners, and for manufacturers of engines and vehicles, to aid them in
implementing the new requirements in the most cost-efficient manner.
Heavy-duty trucks and buses today account for about one-third of NOx
emissions and one quarter of PM emissions from mobile sources. In some
urban areas, the contribution is even greater. EPA’s
new program will result in PM and NOx emission levels that are 90
percent and 95 percent below today’s levels, respectively. The results
of this historic program are comparable to the advent of the catalytic
converter on cars, as the standards will for the
first time result in the widespread introduction of exhaust emission
control devices on diesel engines. And, just as removing lead
from gasoline enables the use of catalytic converters, this program
removes sulfur from diesel fuel to enable the use of these advanced
emission controls on diesel vehicles. |
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The 1990 Amendments:
The View from the Driver’s Seat (Gasoline & Diesel)
Typical drivers will probably not be aware of many vehicle and fuel
changes manufacturers are making in response to the 1990 Clean Air Act,
although these changes could add $200 to the cost of a car and a few
cents per gallon to the cost of gasoline. But there are other programs
that drivers will notice, especially in areas with air pollution
problems. New 1994 and later model cars must be equipped with “onboard
diagnostic systems.” These systems feature dashboard warning lights that
alert drivers to malfunctioning emission control equipment. Controlled
by the vehicle’s computer, the onboard diagnostic system must also be
capable of storing trouble codes that help mechanics pinpoint the
malfunction.
Another change involves tampering and mis-fueling.
Such activities have always been discouraged, but were previously
illegal only for commercial operations. “Backyard mechanics” now are
also subject to stiff penalties for deliberate tampering. For
drivers in polluted cities, more changes will be apparent. Some cities
will have to start I/M programs to check vehicle emissions on a regular
basis. Areas that already require I/M testing may have to institute more
stringent programs.
As projected by the Agency in the 2007
rulemaking, all manufacturers are planning to use catalyzed diesel
particulate filters (CDPFs) to comply with the 2007 particulate matter
(PM) standard.
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Gasoline Gallon
Equivalent - GGE |
Gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE) or gasoline-equivalent gallon (GEG) is the
amount of alternative fuel it takes to equal the energy content of one
liquid gallon of gasoline. GGE allows consumers to compare the energy
content of competing fuels against a commonly known fuel --- gasoline.
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Fuel |
GGE |
BTU/unit |
| Gasoline (Regular Un-leaded) |
1 US Gallon |
114,100 BTU per gallon |
| Gasoline reformulated with Ethanol |
1.019 Gallons |
111,836 BTU per gallon |
| Diesel #2 |
0.88 US Gallon |
129,500 BTU per gallon |
| Biodiesel (B100) |
0.96 Gallons |
118,300 BTU per gallon |
| Biodiesel (B20) |
0.90 Gallons |
127,250 BTU per gallon |
| Kerosene |
0.90 US Gallon |
128,100 BTU per gallon |
| Ethanol fuel(E100) |
1.500 US Gallons |
76,000 BTU per gallon |
| Ethanol fuel (E85) |
1.39 US Gallons |
81,800 BTU per gallon |
| Methanol fuel (M100) |
2.01 US Gallons |
56,800 BTU/gal (it takes twice as much Methanol to equal the
BTU of gas) |
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more |
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Gasoline Ingredient concentrations:
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Diesel Ingredient concentrations:
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Kerosene Ingredient concentrations:
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Other Fuels and their ingredients |
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Page Last
Edited -
04/03/2022 |
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