APPLIED TECHNOLOGY

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APPLIED TECHNOLOGY
College for the Real World
BioDiesel What Every Fleet Needs To Know
Presented By Rich Cregar, WTCC April 16,
2008 N.C. State Fairgrounds
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Whos Talking Rich Cregar, InstructorWake
Technical Community College
RECREGAR_at_WakeTech.edu
Over 37 years automotive experience CMAT, L1,
F1 Graduate, SAE Diesel Technology
Academy Independent Shop Owner, 17 years Member,
Society of Automotive Engineers, NACAT,
EENC Member, SAE Vehicle Fire Safety
Committee Technical Consultant to Miles
Automotive Group, EV Manufacturer
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U.S. Air Quality
Courtesy EPRI
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(No Transcript)
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Why Diesel?
Graphic Bosch
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Diesel Technology Is Driven By Regulation
Photo Rich Cregar, WTCC
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Saturated vs. Unsaturated Fats
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
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Cetane, Cold Flow Shelf Life
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Cetane

• When diesel fuel is injected into the very hot
  compressed air in the combustion chamber, it must
  be able to ignite spontaneously. This quality of
  diesel is known as auto-ignition and any time
  lag from the moment of injection until the fuel
  ignites is called ignition lag. A numeric scale
  has been devised to measure a fuels quality with
  respect to its ability to immediately auto
  ignite and this scale is know as the Cetane
  index or Cetane number. Pure Cetane is the
  perfect diesel fuel because it auto-ignites
  instantaneously. Therefore, it is assigned the
  Cetane 100. On the other hand, methyl
  naphthalene is a very slow burning fuel and is
  unsuitable for use in a modern diesel. It has a
  Cetane of 0. Refiners blend their distillate
  products to achieve a Cetane number somewhere in
  the middle of this range. A rating of 50 is
  considered very desirable. Most Diesel in the US
  has a Cetane in the low 40s. 40 is considered
  the minimum acceptable value. Pure Canola based
  biodiesel has a Cetane of 63!

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Biodiesel Blends

• Whats wrong with blends above B5?
• Problems to solve for higher blends
• Fuel quality
• Fuel oxidation stability
• Contamination, microbe growth
• High cloud point
• Materials interaction
• NOx increase
• Fuel filter water separation efficiency

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Biodiesel Blends

• Quality Certification program for producers and
  marketers (BQ9000). Availability of ASTM spec.
  fuel.
• Stability ASTM stability working group. D6751
  spec for B100 needs stability spec. W also need a
  stand alone B20 spec., stability additives and
  good practices.
• B20 blended with ULSD has 5 to 10 times worse
  stability than blending with S-500
• Contamination, microbe growth Fuel delivery and
  storage control must improve, develop stability
  additives.

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Biodiesel Blends

• High Cloud Point Develop cold flow improver
  additives or blend higher Petro Diesel
• Materials Interaction with Biodiesel needs to be
  fully understood. Need to confirm long term B20
  effects
• NOx Need to understand certification
  implications for Nox increase. (2 NOx increase
  w/B20)
• Water Separation Efficiency Filtration
  materials, larger size units or additional
  filters will be needed

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Fuel Quality

• Recent study by the DOE on B20 blends from random
  suppliers determined that 36 of the samples
  didnt meet the 18-22 blend ratio!

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Materials Interaction
Degradation/swelling of elastomers (natural and
nitrile rubber), Nylon. BioDiesel attacks brass,
bronze, copper, lead, tin and zinc Example Bosch
pump overpressure valve, removal of zinc coating
after 1 yr stand-by genset operation with B20
(300 hrs) 2 Diesel
B20 blend
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Nox Emissions
Degradation/swelling of elastomers (natural and
nitrile rubber), Nylon 66 Attacks brass, bronze,
copper, lead, tin and zinc Bosch pump
overpressure valve, removal of zinc coating after
1 yr stand-by genset operation with B20 (300
hrs) 2 Diesel
B20 blend
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Biodiesel Quality

• 6) Water
• Specification lt500PPM
• Good quality petro diesel has a water content in
  the range of 50ppm
• Biodiesel will retain up to 1500 ppm of water!
• Water damages fuel system components, is
  currently an issue with OEMs Re their B5
  limitation

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High Pressure Diesel Technology Water
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High Pressure Diesel Technology Water
Photos courtesy of the Robert Bosch Corporation
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Switching Over- Older Vehicles

• Biodiesel contains alcohol, which is a natural
  solvent. Vehicles that have been in service for
  any length of time using fossil diesel will have
  a buildup of lacquers and other petroleum
  deposits on the walls of the fuel tank and fuel
  lines. The alkyl-esters in biodiesel will tend to
  clean these deposits from the surfaces of the
  fuel system and carry them to the vehicles fuel
  filters, where they will be trapped and will
  quickly clog the filter! These same alcohols can
  also attack some of the soft parts, such as
  o-rings and flexible fuel lines. When B-20 or
  B-100 are used, Care must be taken to make sure
  that these components are made of materials, such
  as Viton, that are compatible with biodiesel!

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Biodiesel Lubricity

• Diesel injection systems have always used the
  diesel fuel to provide lubrication to the many
  small, close tolerance moving parts in fuel
  deliver pumps, injector pumps and fuel injectors.
  The sulphur in fossil diesel produces many
  harmful emissions and is responsible for causing
  the engine oil to turn black. Yet it is an
  excellent lubricant and helps provide the
  lubricating quality of diesel fuel. Fossil diesel
  (known as Low-sulphur Diesel) has about 500 parts
  per million of sulphur. Even at that level,
  lubricity enhancers are routinely added to the
  fuel to protect engine fuel systems.

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Biodiesel Lubricity

• On Oct. 15 of 2006 Federal Law required this
  content to be reduced to 15 parts per million or
  less for on-highway fuel. This is ULSD.
  (Ultra-low sulphur Diesel). The removal of the
  sulphur from diesel fuel has a further impact on
  its lubricating quality. Engineers have to add
  additional enhancers to the fuel, or use more
  expensive components that can better tolerate the
  lack of lubrication from ULSD.
• The alkyl-esters in Biodiesel are a natural
  lubricant. Engineers have recognized that the use
  of biodiesel, even in relatively low percentages
  such as B2 or B5 will enhance the lubricity of
  the fuel and thus replace the sulphur as a
  lubricant without any of sulphurs harmful
  effects.

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Lubricity
HFRR - High Frequency Reciprocating Rig (HFRR).
In this test, a steel ball wears against a disk
in high speed oscillation and the size of the
wear scar is the measure of fuel lubricity.
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BioDiesel Lube Oil
Photo Chevron oil Co.
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BioDiesel Lube Oils
Photo Chevron oil Co.
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Greasecars
Photo Chevron oil Co.
Enough Said?
Photo Chevron oil Co.
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Manufacturer Warranty
Using blends higher than B5 may void the
manufacturers warranty.
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Current Warranty Status
Graphic Credit-ASG Renaissance
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Biodiesel Economics

• American Jobs Act enacted 10/04
• Deals with tax credits for Biodiesel and Ethanol
  to offset the Federal Excise Tax on motor fuels
• The FET is currently 0.25/gal on all motor
  fuels.
• Under this law, a credit of 1.00/ gal will be
  given when Biodiesel or Ethanol fuels are mixed
  with petroleum products.
• This law will expire on 12/31/08

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Biodiesel Economics

• Example
• An oil company is going to blend 1000 gallons of
  B5.
• The FET on this fuel will be 250.00
• However, 50 gallons of this blend is Biodiesel,
  so a 50.00 credit can be applied so the total
  taxes paid will be only 200.00

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Biodiesel Economics

• Yellow grease and brown grease (non-agricultural
  oil) can only take a credit of 0.50/gal
• B100 is exempt from the FET
• A producer selling B100 to an end user can claim
  a 1.00/ gal credit through the income tax
  system.
• The Biodiesel must come from an IRS registered
  and certified producer

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2007 Biofuels Legislative Action

• NC GREEEN ACT
• 2007 budget includes 1M for Dept of Commerce
  grant program
• 30 dedicated to expanding refueling
  infrastructure, distribution and retail biofuels
  outlets
• S1272- Biodiesel Tax exemption Motor fuels tax
  exemption for biodiesel produced by an individual
  for use in a private passenger vehicle registered
  in that individual's name
• S1277- Biodiesel Warrenties Diesel vehicles
  purchased by state must be warrented for B20 use
• S1452- Diesel School Buses to Use B20- requires
  2 diesel used by NC School buses be B20 by June
  2008

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Incentives for Biofuel Producers

• Grants/Producer Payments
• 0.10/gallon (VA)
• 0.20/gallon (MS)
• Renewable Energy Grants (FL)
• Tax Credits
• 25 cost of constructing/equipping facility (NC)
• 35 cost of production equipment (NC)
• 0.20-0.30/ gallon to producer (SC)
• 75 of all capital, operation, maintenance, RD
  costs (FL)
• Tax Exemptions
• Some production equipment exempt from sales and
  use taxes (SC)

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Incentives for Biodiesel Retailers

• Grants
• Given to private stations to dispense biofuels
  (TN)
• Tax Credits
• 15 for refueling infrastructure (NC)
• 20 of refueling infrastructure construction
  cost (LA)
• 25 of refueling infrastructure construction and
  equipment cost (SC)
• 75 of capital, maintenance, RD cost of storage
  and distribution of biodiesel (FL)
• Tax Exemptions
• All materials used in biodiesel production exempt
  from state sales, rental, use, consumption,
  distribution, and storage tax (FL)
• Incentive payment
• 0.05/gallon of B20 sold (SC)

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State Laws/Regulations that Promote Biofuel

• Alternative Fuel Use Requirements
• Require state fleets/employees to implement the
  use of biofuels when feasible (VA, NC, SC, GA,
  MS, KY)
• Committees formed on biofuels expansion
• Strategic Plan for Biofuels Leadership(NC)
• Biodiesel Committee (MS)
• Tax exemptions
• The retail sale, use, storage or consumption of
  alternative fuels is exempt from the state retail
  sales and use tax. Applies to off road biodiesel
  (NC)
• Alternative fuels and alternative fuel blends are
  exempt from the state sales and use tax. (SC)

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Questions?
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ASTM D6751