Diesel Fuel Quality is a Question not a Guarantee
Diesel engine designs striving to increase engine performance have made great advancements in engine fuel delivery to the combustion chamber. Today’s diesel engine is quieter, smoother, and more powerful. But today’s diesel engine owners are overlooking one important factor. The quality of today’s diesel fuel has not advanced at the same rate as the engine improvements. Diesel fuel begins to deteriorate as soon as it is produced. Within 30 days of refining, all diesel fuel regardless of brand, goes through a natural process called re-polymerization and oxidation. This process forms varnishes and insoluble gums in the fuel by causing the molecules of the fuel to lengthen and bond together. These components now drop to the bottom of the fuel tank and form asphaltene also known as diesel sludge. The fuel begins to turn dark in color, smell bad, and in most cases causes engines to smoke. The engines smoke because some of these clusters in the early stages are small enough in size to pass through the engine filtration and into the combustion chamber. As these clusters increase in size, only part of the molecule gets burned. The rest goes out the exhaust as unburned fuel and smoke. With increases in cluster size they begin to reduce the flow of fuel by clogging filters. The filters only address the symptom and not the cause. It is estimated that eight out of every ten diesel engine failures have been directly related to poor quality and contaminated fuel. The build-up of contaminates in the fuel systems and storage tanks can quickly clog filters, thus resulting in engine shut down, fuel pump wear, and diesel engine damage. Understand that most fuel has some amount of water in it from either condensation or vents. This threat requires that we realize the added burden placed upon diesel fuel as opposed to gasoline. Gasoline acts as a fuel only. Diesel fuel, on the other hand, also must cool and lubricate injection system parts. These parts are engineered to very close tolerances - up to 0.0002 of an inch - and any contamination means rapid part wear. Water displaces the diesel fuel. When the fuel is displaced wear occur because lubrication is now absent. Water that enters the combustion chamber results in even more serious damage. When it comes in contact with the heat of the combustion chamber (in excess of 2000 degrees F), it immediately turns to steam and often explodes the tip of the injector. Water causes corrosion of tanks, lines, injectors, and greatly reduces combustibility. Other areas of concern include the producing more exhaust emissions and effecting EPA standards. Bacteria also present a serious problem. Bacteria feed on nitrogen, sulfur, and iron that may be present in the fuel or tank. Then there are algae. There are absolutely no algae in diesel fuel. You may have fungus and microbial contamination but no algae. This is a misnomer for diesel sludge. So if you have a diagnosis of ALGAE and add a biocide, you have done two things, 1) found a mechanic that is wrong and 2) done nothing to fix the problem. Why is there so much bad fuel? The number one reason is due to the increased popularity of diesel power and the accompanying increased demand for more diesel fuel. There was a time when diesel fuel remained in the refinery storage tanks long enough to naturally separate and settle, allowing the clean fuel to be drawn off. Now with increased demand, diesel fuel never remains stationary long enough for settling, and the suspended water and solids are passed on to you, the user. The change in refinery techniques is another problem. In order to get more products per dollar; diesel fuel is now being refined from more marginal portions of the crude oil barrel. This results in a lower-grade product that is inherently thicker and contains more contamination. Thirdly, current fuel distribution methods also have a negative impact on the condition of the fuel at the time of delivery. In many cases, brokers control fuel sales to major distribution terminals and determine delivery dates. There is no telling how long that fuel has been in the distribution network and how many times it has been transferred. Seldom do these distributors filter the fuel as they transfer it. The solution: Multifunctional diesel additive packages and hardware. For your single vehicle or fleet the improvement of fuel quality by the use of additives and current technology is always a good choice. Many diesel fuel additive packages address the key issues with respect to fuel performance; some improve fuel economy, increase lubricity, improving cold flow, and improve cetane number. And some only address the issue of rust and corrosion, but all should be considered. Most diesel fuel additives contain combustion improvers that release oxygen during the compression stroke. This allows combustion to start sooner, providing for a more complete fuel burn. A more complete burn provides all the power your fuel and engine is capable of producing. As combustion improvers and you get a smoother running engine, an increase in horsepower that improves fuel economy and the reduction in black smoke emissions. Cetane is a performance rating of a diesel fuel, a higher cetane number or cetane rating indicates greater fuel efficiency. The fuel’s cetane influences, duration of white smoking after start-up, drivability before warm-up, and intensity of diesel knock at idle. Increase the cetane number of a fuel and you have improved performance. In diesel fuel systems, the fuel provides lubrication for the fuel pump and injectors. A fuel with poor lubricity can cause excessive wear and premature failure of these components. Improve lubricity and extend engine life. Diesel fuels have pour points (the lowest temperature at which an oil or other liquid will pour under given conditions) within the range of normal winter temperatures. As a fuel approaches its pour point, paraffin in the fuel form wax crystals that prevent it from flowing. Flow-improver additives modify the wax crystals, lowering the pour point of the fuel and give better cold weather performance. For on-sight storage tanks other issues must be looked at. On-sight storage tanks always have a small amount of the first gallon of fuel ever put in them, unless it is drained 100% and cleaned. So adding new, fresh fuel always has a bit of the bad added to it every time fuel is purchased. Diluting the bad with good over time is a loosing battle. The fuel will always be bad fuel until the core problem is addressed The order of treatment for fuel related problems should always begin with a determination of whether there is water in the fuel and if the fuel has microbes (fuel bugs) in it. Water Paste and Fuel Test Kits can be used for this stage of maintenance. If microbes are detected, then the use of biocides is needed. Biocides have no effect on and will not eliminate the sludge problem. Biocides kill bacteria, that’s all! The water issue should always be remedied first by the use of fuel water separators on the tank or on the equipment. Next a multifunctional chemical additive should be added to improve fuel performance and then if needed a problem specific additive to dissolve diesel sludge and or a rust inhibitor to protect steel tanks. For long-term prevention, the use of magnet fuel conditioners is recommended. These devices continually reverse the re-polymerization of the fuel during circulation and reduce the need for ongoing additive use. All the needed cures are available from Dieselcraft Fluid Engineering at www.dieslecraft.com Conclusion There is no good time to find out that your engine won’t operate or that half its life span is gone prematurely because of contaminated or poor quality diesel fuel. Since no one can predict a breakdown, the only safe method is prevention. Realize now that you do have a problem, and manage it now, or deal with the unexpected catastrophe and reduced equipment life that comes at the absolutely wrong time and is not in the budget! Written by John T. Nightingale President of Dieselcraft Fluid Engineering, Auburn CA 95604,manufactures of diesel fuel purification systems. <a href="http://www.dieslecraft.com/" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; text-underline: single">www.dieslecraft.com</a> </span></p>
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Crude Oil: Black Gold or Black Menace?
With all the publicity nowadays surrounding the price of Crude Oil, I resolved to write an enlightening article on the backdrop of the so-called “Black Gold.” I’ll briefly go over history, environmental effects, pricing and the future of the thick black sludge that is coveted by every major economy in the world. Hopefully you can reach a better point of view on the subject. The history of Crude Oil is too immense to discuss in this brief editorial so I will limit it to a general overview. The first oil wells were drilled in China in the 4th century. They where as much as 243 meters deep and were drilled utilizing drill bits attached to bamboo poles. The contemporary history of crude began in 1846, with the breakthrough of the process of refining kerosene from coal by Atlantic Canada’s Abraham Pineo Gesner. The first rock oil mine was built in Bobrka, Poland the following year. These breakthroughs rapidly spread around the world, and Meerzoeff built the first Russian refinery in the mature oil fields at Baku in 1861. James Miller Williams in Oil Springs, Ontario, Canada in 1858, excavated the first commercial oil well drilled in North America. The American petroleum industry commenced with Edwin Drake’s discovery of oil in 1859, near Titusville, Pennsylvania. The industry matured slowly in the 1800s, driven by the demand for kerosene and oil lamps. It became a major national business in the early part of the 20th century. With the introduction of the internal combustion engine came a need that has largely sustained the industry to this day. While we all need to get to work in some way or another, rarely does anyone consider the environmental effects of the fuel that powers our mode of transportation. Yes we know that the emissions from are cars, buses and trains have a green house effect on our delicate environment; but what about the rest of our ecology? Oil extraction is costly and occasionally environmentally detrimental, although Dr. John Hunt from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution revealed in a 1981 paper that over 70% of the reserves in the world are associated with visible macroseepages, and numerous oil fields are found due to natural leaks. Offshore exploration and extraction of oil agitates the encompassing marine environment. Exploration could call for dredging, which stirs up the sea bottom, stamping out the ocean plants that nautical creatures need to survive. Not to mention the typical Crude Oil and refined fuel spills from tanker ship accidents. All of these factors have tainted frail ecosystems all over the world. Petroleum products are priced like most commodities: supply and demand. While this may sound simple, the actual start to finish process can be a lot more complex subject. References to oil prices are generally related to the spot price of either WTI/Light Crude as traded on New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). Priced by the barrel, Crude Oil is rapidly becoming the most costly commodity on the market (second only to Gold). Oil pricing is extremely reliant on both its grade and location. The vast majority of oil will not be traded on an exchange but on an over-the-counter basis, typically with reference to a standard crude oil grade that is quoted via a pricing agency such as Argus Media Ltd or Platts. It is often claimed that OPEC arranges the oil price and the real monetary value of a barrel of oil is in the area of $2, which is equivalent to the cost of extraction of a barrel in the Middle East. These appraisals of costs disregard the cost of finding and developing oil reserves. You can’t talk about the future of oil without talking about the “Hubbert Peak” oil theory. This hypothesis depicts the long-term rate of production of conventional oil and other fuels. It assumes that oil reserves are not replenishable. It also predicts that future world oil production must unavoidably reach a crest and then decline as these reserves are exhausted. Like every other theory of any importance it is highly controversial. “When will the Oil actually start to run out?” is the big question. No matter how you look at it, our society needs to concentrate more efforts on either alternative fuels or more fuel-efficient modes of transportation. While I’m sure that the oil won’t peter out in my life time I would like to think we can leave this world a better place for future generations. In closing, I hope this article has given you a better understanding of the topic and made you a more informed consumer. So the next time your grumbling at the price of gas, at least you’ll understand what you re complaining about. If you would like to read more on the topic of Crude Oil, you can vistit http://www.crudeoilrefineryhome.com/ or read one of the books listed at the end of this article. Books about the petroleum industry: James Howard Kunstler (2005). The Long Emergency: Surviving the Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-first Century. Atlantic Monthly Press. C.J. Campbell (2004). The Coming Oil Crisis. Peter Odell (2004). Why Carbon Fuels Will Dominate the 21st Century’s Global Energy Economy. Multi Science. Amory B. Lovins (2004). Winning the Oil Endgame. Rocky Mountain Institute. Vaclav Smil (2003). Energy at the Crossroads : Global Perspectives and Uncertainties. The MIT Press.Stephen Nelson is a professional commodity trader that specializes in the energy market. http://www.crudeoilrefineryhome.com/
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Save some gas money
Conserving gas is not just a great way to save money, but is also our duty to the planet on which we live. You’ll be surprised to read how easy it can be. Keep it healthyOne of the main ways to keep your miles per gallon at their most optimum is to keep your car well maintained. Read your owners manual and follow the schedule it lays out for every thing from oil changes, to total system flush and overhauls. Many dealerships and service stations will remind their customers when it’s time to service their vehicle, taking the guesswork out of maintenance records. Ultimately a car in good condition runs better, requiring less gas to perform.Tire condition is another factor many people don’t consider. Keeping tires properly inflated will ensure that the engine doesn’t waste fuel and will prevent tire tread from wearing unevenly. Get more exerciseVery few people can honestly say they don’t need more exercise, we should embrace the high gas prices by walking and biking to all of our close destinations. Not only is this good for our bodies and the environment but on our wallets as well, it costs nothing to use our feet. Another easy option is living near work, whether it means relocating to eliminate a commute or by finding work close to your home. While it is not an option for many people it is important to weigh options, the cost of the commute could be the justifying factor to eliminate commutes from your life altogether. Membership and creditSome gas stations offer credit cards and/or programs that earn you money towards gas for every dollar you spend, instead of cashing in on those frequent flyer miles, try getting a break on gas instead. Over the long haul chances are it will save you money. Make wise purchasesIt should be a no brainer, but lets hope the next car you buy will be more fuel efficient and cleaner for the environment. Some of us will go super extreme and buy electric hybrids or attempt to turn a diesel into a bio diesel and eliminate the need for petrol. Others will buy smaller cars, and the new and used car market for smaller 4 cylinder vehicles will reflect this fact. Suddenly the safety that the bigger vehicles offer translates directly into money wasted on gas for many families. Plan aheadWasted trips use gas unnecessarily. Before leaving the house to run errands, be sure you have a list of everything you need to get accomplished. Taking a moment to establish the most effective route can save you dollars on wasted idle time and retraced steps. Most of the big search engines offer directions and maps giving the shortest route to your next destination. Note: None of the map services are known for their reliability so use them for guidance purposes only. Parking lotsParking lots are another place where people waste unnecessarily. Being idle is wasted gas, waiting for pedestrians to struggle with carts outside the grocery store wasted gas, waiting for parking spots wasted gas. Head directly to the back of the parking lot, there is more space, less pedestrians and allow for easy in and out because the area is not busy like closer to the store tends to be. It’s all about using common sense and keeping your machine in good running order. These things make sense on more than just a gas saving level, they will help extend the life of your vehicle in addition to keeping it as safe and clean for use as it can be. <b>About the Author:</b> My name is Paige Filler and I'm a creative writer with a love of all things that go vroom. I do my homework to bring thought and innovation into everything I write about the auto industry. You can find more of my stuff at <a href="http://www.cash4usedcars.com/" target="blank">Cash 4 Used Cars</a>, and <a href="http://blog.cash4usedcars.com/" target="blank"> this blog.</a>
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