Biodiesel B18-B20

[wildebill308]

Gorm50, I run Diesel Kleen I do tend to add more than the minimum recommended. 

Bill

[fagnaml]

As an Operations/Optimization Manager with a major Refining company, let me share some details about Bio-Diesel (also know as Renewable Diesel):  

1) The current EPA Renewable Fuels Standard pushes Refiners to blending 10-20% bio-diesel into the On-Highway Diesel to meet the Standard.  The amount of bio-fuel that must blended increases every year to meet EPA requirements.  Hence why over the last several years the bio-diesel content to increase from 5% (B5) to 10% (B10) to now 20% (B20) for many Refiners/Marketers.   The same Renewable Fuels Standard is pushing higher amounts of ethanol in the gasoline blend for our toads!

2) Compared to diesel derived from crude oil, Bio-Diesel, which is manufactured from vegetable oils, beef tallow, etc. is a very high quality diesel fuel  in terms of Cetane rating (higher the cetane the better the engine performance).  The reason for the higher cetane is because bio-diesel is more paraffinic (waxier) than diesel fuel derived from crude oil.

3) Cetane rating "at the pump" has not changed.  A minimum Cetane rating of 45 is required at the pump.

4) Even though "on-highway" diesel fuel contains higher amounts of waxier bio-diesel, the "cloud point" specification for diesel fuel has not changed.  Cloud point is the fuel temperature at which the smallest wax crystals start to form which makes the visual appearance of the diesel "cloudy".   For the southern states of the U.S. the cloud point spec is +20 F for April - July (spring -summer) and +15 F for August - March (fall - winter).

5) 100% pure Bio-diesel, like all highly paraffinic oils, is a very good solvent which easily removes rust and scale from carbon steel pipe.  Hence diesel fuels blended with bio-diesel are not shipped via pipelines to terminals and eventually the pump.   Bio-diesel is transported by truck to terminals, quickly blended into on-highway diesel and then trucked to your favorite pump.

6) Bio-diesel being paraffinic will attack seals made from natural or nitrile rubber material.  Synthetic rubber seals (Viton, etc.) are not affected by bio-diesel.

7) Certain metals act like catalysts to oxidize/break down bio-diesel into "gunk".  Copper, brass, bronze, lead and tin are those metals that increase oxidation of bio-diesel.  Stainless steel and carbon steel are good choices for fuel pumps, fuel lines, etc. for motorhomes.  Diesel motorhomes, semi-trucks, etc. constructed after 1995 generally have the proper fuel system materials for on-highway diesel blends containing bio-diesel.

8) The Refining Industry, the National Bio-diesel Board, engine manufacturers and vehicle manufactures have worked closely for many years to test vehicle fuel systems, pumps at your favorite truck stop, storage tanks at terminals to determine the effects of bio-diesel and set the specifications for bio-diesel blends.   Through this rigorous testing, the National Bio-Diesel Board has set a maximum bio-diesel content of 20% in on-highway diesel blends to assure no problems for diesel engine vehicles.   No truck stop, service station, etc. can sell on-highway diesel with greater than 20% bio-diesel content (i.e. B20 diesel).

The National Bio-diesel Board website has a lot of good information worth reading.  For us motorhome owners, the website lists engine manufactures that have approved the use of bio-diesel blends up to B20 --> http://biodiesel.org/using-biodiesel/oem-information/oem-statement-summary-chart   Cummins has approved the use of B20 diesel for engines manufactured in 2002 or later.

Bottom-line, on-highway diesel fuel blends with  20% bio-diesel content (B20) lower are high quality products that will not affect diesel fuel engines and fuel systems manufactured after certain dates (see the website link above).   Until EPA changes its Renewable Fuels Standard, B20 diesel will be the most common diesel sold to us consumers. 

I hope this short thesis helps improve the understanding of bio-diesel blends we purchase for our motorhomes.

 

[wildebill308]

The part 

46 minutes ago, fagnaml said:

No truck stop, service station, etc. can sell on-highway diesel with greater than 20% bio-diesel content (i.e. B20 diesel).

Well I wish someone would explain to me how the Pilot/Flying J at 8745 US-93, Missoula, MT 59808, last year had 50% bio-diesel on it's pump? They had 4 different types of diesel Red #2, #1, 50% bio and regular #2.

Bill   

[dickandlois]

Mike, By chance is there a web sight that lists chassis by year and what parts and items need to be changed to be able to run higher Bio. mix fuels? and what year build date is considered to be OK to run any and all future blends?

The engines do not tend to have any problem with Bio fuels, but everything from the fuel tank to the injectors and the material used to construct them, tend to have issues with higher Bio blends.

The other item of concern is the EPA appears using an outdated chart of the quantity of ethanol to mix into fuels instead of percentage. The amount of hydrocarbons used is declining because the increased efficiency. 

Rich. 

[jleamont]

Rich, there are additives that will attack the garbage in the new fuel, break it down and bring the Cetane back. With the Bio fuel the amount of time it sits is also a huge problem. While there is a minimum requirement of 45 at the pump, good luck finding any pump with more than 40, most that I have had tested are in the low 30's. I will NEVER put fuel in my coach again without an additive, lessons learned.....the hard way unfortunately .

[hermanmullins]

Joe, do you have a preference of one additive over the another? 

Herman

[manholt]

Mike.  We all understand what you have said.  Unfortunately, I for one, trust the EPA Administration, like I trust Obama Care!    Or for that matter, all the Government, both State and Federal, regulation and oversight Departments, I had to deal with on the Exploration side of Oil and Gas!   I retired in 1985 and went back in for a 2 year contract in 1999...no wonder the cost of Drilling Off Shore Domestic went clean of the chart...$84,000 per day.  Avg. from drilling Rat Hole to Completion, 90+ days, in 2001...that's drilling only!

And now, I'm suppose to trust the current oversight committees in refinement and delivery to the pumps?  Dream on! 

Joe. Like Herman, I would like to know also.

Carl

[jleamont]

Herman, I use this product (link below) after it fixed a problem we had at a trucking terminal where the fuel looked like Italian Wedding Soup . We added this and a bio clean from the same company and were shocked at the results. I have been testing it since May and I had a fleet of Volvos in south Jersey that were clogging filters every three weeks. Since this was being added daily our MPG went up .6 and the filters are now lasting three months. I bought a case for myself when I had picked up bad fuel at a Love's memorial day weekend, it cleared up my mess and the coach had a noticeable different in performance. I keep two bottles under the coach now and add it just before each fill up.

https://diesel-mate.com/fuel-quality-assurance.html

Its expensive but it does work.

[wayne77590]

On a recent call to Cummins (my engine type) the service rep stated that running bio-diesel will require more periodic filter changes and the first change will shoe deposits that the bio-diesel has cleaned out and the first change may have to be done sooner.  So without saying bio-diesel is bad he said that it would be better to find plain old #2 diesel. 

I'm confused - but that is not unusual.

 

[wildebill308]

Jo interesting that company is located in Irving Texas. But they are closed mouth about where to buy it.

Bill 

[jleamont]

Bill, it is usually sold to fleets and the military. I was told there is a distributor in Salem NJ, but not given any contact info. I have a meeting with them on Tuesday, If I don't hear back from them I will ask at the meeting for a distributor list.

[dickandlois]

23 hours ago, Wayne77590 said:

On a recent call to Cummins (my engine type) the service rep stated that running bio-diesel will require more periodic filter changes and the first change will shoe deposits that the bio-diesel has cleaned out and the first change may have to be done sooner.  So without saying bio-diesel is bad he said that it would be better to find plain old #2 diesel. 

I'm confused - but that is not unusual.

 

The real catch regarding the Bio is it's natural tendency to clean things, and that also makes some seal and line materials venerable to being dissolved and all that stuff gois into the filters. One gains lubricity lost to the ULSD.

Think the real question for the fuel delivery system is, where and what are the items to look for regarding each model year chassis. A little like a dartboard - what number or item comes up next.

Rich.