Does Anyone Have Experience Using Bio-Diesel?

I was in a situation running in -10 to 5 degrees fahrenheit. My boss had the foresite to call his fuel man so we were running diesel with plenty of #1 or additives or whatever. Another carrier was running biodiesel on the same job and every one of his trucks froze up. I'm not sure it is 100% correct to say the biodiesel gels up faster. I think the real issue is that the treatments don't work, it doesn't mix in the same on biodiesel. But either way, get it out of your truck if you're gonna be in temps much under freezing. The guys with the trucks just kept changing filters and running bad until they finally ran the biodiesel out. Might have towed a few of the trucks into heated shops to warm up too.

 

#2 diesel gels at 17*F. They would have been screwed either way without additives.

 

I think the difference is with #2 you can just pour some jive in the tank and wait a little, or put it in a new filter and screw it on. I mean, gelling is a ##### either way but you can deal with it if you're running #2. Or at least when you're running with #2 the regen fuel will eventually thaw it. It was just wierd how they had the trucks running and they kept freezing back up.

 

#1 and #2 diesel can both be blended with biodiesel to reduce the cloud and gel point. Aside from that, power service makes an antigel compatible with biodiesel; arctic express, which claims to keep it liquid down to -40*F

http://www.powerservice.com/aeba/default.asp?view=app

 

My experience with the bio fuel has been about the same as most of the posts here; less bang for the buck(bad fuel economy), a large loss of pulling power(torque), and gels way too easy. It's all fine and good that these standards for bio must be met to be sold at the pumps but have you ever seen anyone checking each load of fuel coming into the station's tanks to be sold to us? Ever seen any station spot checking a few of their incoming loads of bio? How exactly are these TESTS supposed to be done especially out in the field? Even the newest 4 wheelers that are designed to run high concentrations of ethanol in their fuel are having trouble with power and economy and it certainly hasn't kept the price of the stuff down. Corn or soy bean fuel just isn't the answer to our fuel problems. Getting more oil from our own new sources, such as CA, ND, WY, ID and CANADA would help. But the fact is internal combustion engine technology is from the 19th century! Seen any changes in other 19th century technologies like telegraph and telephone, indoor plumbing, electricity generation or 20th century technologies for that matter such as radio,TV, flying machines, water supply? Both lists are extensive but the gas and diesel engines have remained basically the same as the earliest ones ever produced. Even steam engines saw major changes in the late 1800's and thru the early 1900's!! WE need MAJOR R&D for new power units for personal and commercial vehicles, not bandage fixes instead of open heart surgery. My 2 cents.

 

Quality control is done at the refinery. Why would they test a load going out, then test it again at the customer? Where would they find 10000 gallons of bootleg biodiesel to swap out running on elogs? This isn't the 1960s, and it sure as hell isn't the old west.

Also, the test for B100 is easy enough. Take 27 parts water to 1 part biodiesel, and shake it. If it doesn't seperate entirely with both fractions translucent in 12 hours, it isn't up to standards.

I've made my own biodiesel since I was 13. If you're missing the 3-8% power drop enough to justify foregoing the $0.40 or so savings, your drivetrain isn't set up properly for how you're running.

 

Good post.

Sure the diesel is checked at the refinery, but the bio-diesel is blended by alot of local and regional small manufacturers of it. Quality control is horrible and I doubt it is checked like it suppose to be as if it was a larger refinery like diesel is made from.

Our local School system blends it's own Bio-diesel for the school buses and the government does not check them. They do have a chemist on staff that is in charge of quality, but since they are making it for themselves I am sure it is a higher standard that one of the bio-makers for the public. They use cooking oil from the Lance potato chip plant to make bio-diesel. The head of school bus maintainence goes to my church that I have discussed this bio-diesel issue with and he said to stay away from the bio-mass added diesel that is very poor quality.

 

When I was an O/O i ran it wheneer I could..wasn't as widely available on 05/06 as it probably is now..but I will say that my ACERT cat I had in my last truck loved it..I've never used the stuff back east but have only used it out of oklahoma and texas and I saw MPG increases with it but nevr used mixes higher than B20 and always kept an extra set of filters on the truck..just in case..

To be honest..I had more problems with diesel in Cali and AZ than I did with the bio diesel out the midwest and I may have imagined the mpg increases..I didn't keep records of the differences..

It is still a pretty new technology with way different methods of efining and filtering and I think a lot of it comes down to the method of production

From what I've seen on it on discovery channel etc there are a couple of different methods of production..and many different methods of filtering the impurities...Some of what the program had the same color as tar..but they were only running it through a screen..

I think that if the standards also included a standard similar to octane level in gasoline we would have a better quality fuel all around..both in diesel and bio diesel.

I think that oil companies even though they are charging more and making tons more money of of diesel still iew i as a byproduct of producing gasoline and because of it as long as the sulphur is only 15 ppm they could care less how well it burns in our engines.

Engine companies can only make an engine as efficient as the fuel it burns..higher quality fuel..the better the combustion etc

now if they ever perfect 0 friction bearings...hmmm

Petey

 

Never noticed all those "Minimum Cetane Rating" stickers all over the pumps in the last 50 years or so, did you? In the US, the minimum is 40, but most #2 floats around 44 cetane. That got me thinking that since bio diesel is under more complete production control than petroleum distillates, they probably just try to get it a hair over 40 cetane to meet regulations. That might be where some people are seeing a loss in power, but some of that is probably offset by lubricity.

Would any one out there complaining of a loss of power be willing to blend in a cetane booster in a tankful to bring the theoretical cetane level up to about 45, assuming a base cetane rating of 40? For the sake of science? Never noticed a difference in the company ISX on B20, otherwise i'd try it myself.

 

No..never did notice..always saw the darned 15 ppm ones LOL

Petey