O2Diesel to Begin Testing E-Diesel/B20 Biodiesel Blend
19 October 2006
O2Diesel Corporation, a provider of ethanol-blended diesel fuels (e-diesel) for centrally fueled fleets, has entered into an agreement with Ben Franklin Transit (BFT) in Richland, Washington, to begin testing a blend of its O2Diesel e-diesel in combination with a B20 biodiesel blend in 20 transit buses.
The new fuel is a blended Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) fuel alternative which is 28% renewable, consisting of bioethanol, O2Diesel’s biomass-based fuel technology and biodiesel.
The addition of ethanol to diesel lowers the pour point (the temperature at which the fuel begins to gel). Conventional practice for winter blends has been to mix No. 2 diesel with No. 1 diesel to lower the pour point. The use of e-diesel may reduce the need to blend No. 1 diesel into winter blends (depending upon the ethanol content and other additives).
O2Diesel first began research and development on ethanol/biodiesel blends in conjunction with the Department of Defense, and is currently doing emission testing with various biofuel blends at Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) in San Antonio, Texas. Initial observations point to a number of synergies achieved by combining the renewable fuels, both in the area of emissions as well as storage and handling.
The fuel will be distributed by Connell Oil Inc. in Pasco, Washington. The distribution agreement with Connell Oil extends the number of O2Diesel distributors in the US to 6.
Ben Franklin Transit will be testing the 28% renewable fuel throughout the coming winter months where temperatures can drop well below 30 degrees Fahrenheit, an environment where many other blended fuels have failed to yield positive performance. O2Diesel is developing what may be considered a Winter Blend additive that is formulated to work specifically with representative fuel samples from colder geographic climates, such as Richland, WA.
With the forecasted limited availability of No. 1 ULSD fuel to create the usual cold weather blends, many fleet operators are searching for new blended solutions which are more readily available and operate effectively in cold winter climates. We are hopeful that by partnering with O2Diesel we can satisfy our cold weather concerns while achieving our emission reduction and renewable objectives in the future.
—Tim Fredrickson, General Manager of Ben Franklin Transit
If the fleet test is successful, Ben Franklin Transit will use the blend in all of its diesel buses.
A very interseting development. I am curious in the NOx emission of this blend. E-diesel has a lower NOx and biodiesel has slightly higher NOx. An almost 28% recyclable blend would certainly be an improvement.
Posted by: Craig | 20 October 2006 at 07:07 AM
Craig -
engine-out NOx emissions depend almost entirely on the peak temperatures reached in the combustion process. Nitrous oxides are formed at rates that rise exponentially with temperature above ~2000 Kelvin. The primary strategies for keeping peak temps low in turbocharged CI engines include intercooling (reduces initial charge temperature), externally cooled EGR (retards flame propagation) and HCCI (avoids flame fronts but limited to low part load).
By contrrast, fuel properties have only very limited impact on NOx. By contrast, CO, HC and PM levels are subject to improvement through better fuels.
I agree, though, that a 28% renewable fraction is very welcome, especially if it allows operators to avoid retrofits. O2 might also want to run some tests with low-cloudpoint FAME or NExBTL to improve winter performance.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/10/lowering_biodie.html
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/10/neste_oil_in_la.html
Posted by: Rafael Seidl | 20 October 2006 at 01:25 PM
Rafael:
CO2 and H2O present in exhaust gases and directed back to combustion chamber via EGR lowers peak temperature mostly because as three atom gases they have much higher specific heat then two atom O2 and N2. Naturally, external cooled EGR is way more effective then internal (uncooled) EGR.
Strategies to reduce NOx formation at diesel fuel combustion are numerous and very complicated. As a rule, retarded injection and multi-event injection reduces NOx dramatically. To compensate for reduced efficiency, slightly higher compression ratio is employed. Still, modern low-NOx engines carry about 2-3% fuel consumption penalty (compared with same engines tuned for max efficiency).
Posted by: Andrey | 21 October 2006 at 12:47 AM
I witnessed the demonstration on Oct. 31 at this link...http://ussec.us/index.php?subpage=149
This companies fuel burns 100%, this leaving a cool exhaust at less than 108 F, zero emmissions, 50/50 mix with diesel and this companys biofuel. Just became public co..symbol USSE..CEO is surprisingly available and responsive for the time being. New CFO is from GE.
Company currently contracted to build Pratt and Whitney turbine electrical power plant (1 gigawatt), and preparing to built them worldwide. It plans to sell its fuel to the US Air Force..has a 1.5mil initial contract..and will sell this zero emmission green tag biofuel to all US elec. generating power plants by govt. mandate on power plants by end of 2008..Check it out..They will build 3-5 biofuel plants in the US in the next 3-5 years, and will have their first plant starting minimal production in about 9 weeks. Production will be 1.5mil gallons per plant per day.
Posted by: Jim Strong | 07 November 2006 at 06:48 PM
DEAR SIR,
CONTINUOUS PILOT PLANT FOR BIODIESEL FROM WASTE FRY OIL AND JATROPHA IS AVAILABLE, TRADE ENQUIREY IS SOLICITED,
THE CAPACITIES AVAILABLE IS FROM 25 LTR/HR TO 250 LTR PER HOUR, PLANT IS SKID MOUNTED AND PLC VERSION IS AN OPTIONAL
ENQUREIS ARE WELCOMED
RGDS
MUKESH
Posted by: MUKESH R VYAS | 24 November 2006 at 02:46 AM