BIODIESEL Study * USA - Examines biodiesel efficiency
First-year results of the study have shown that biodiesel performs similarly to diesel fuel in trucks
Washington,DC,USA -Agriculture Online -14 Dec 2007: -- A new study underway examines the benefits of a 20% biodiesel blend (B20) in an over-the-road trucking company... Logging the miles: The study consists of two groups of 10 Decker Truck Line Inc. semi tractors running with flatbed trailers on matched routes to either Minneapolis or Chicago. The control group uses 100% No. 2 petroleum diesel. The B20 test group uses a blend of 20% biodiesel from Renewable Energy Group, Inc. and 80% No. 2 petroleum diesel. Data is routinely analyzed for fuel efficiency, maintenance records and fuel quality... More than 1.5 million miles had been logged by the end of the first year leading up to October 1, 2007. Overall fuel efficiency, including idle time, was slightly reduced in the B20 group. Average fuel consumption for the control group was 6.29 miles per gallon (mpg) and for the B20 group it was 6.15 mpg. The fuel efficiency difference of 2.2% between groups is not considered significant, especially when compared to driver variability... Driver fuel efficiency ranged from 5.72 mpg to 7.40 mpg for the control group, a 23% spread. For the B20 group, fuel efficiency ranged from 5.76 mpg to 7.00 mpg, an 18% spread among drivers... Winter driving resulted in relatively few problems regarding cold-flow issues. Fuel for both groups was treated with a commercial fuel additive, and No. 1 diesel, a 40% blend, was used for a brief time during a severe cold snap in February 2007. No drivers experienced fuel gelling problems... Other study notes: Early in the study, a few filter plugging problems occurred in trucks using the B20 blend. After changes were made in blending of the biodiesel fuel in early February 2007, the rate of filter plugging for the B20 group dropped significantly... He notes that many people have told him anecdotally that biodiesel has increased their mileage and that may be the result of "cleaning out" an older engine... Says Don Heck, coordinator of biotechnology and biofuels programs at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, Iowa, "Right now, the B20 performs similarly to the 100% diesel fuel in this study"... At the conclusion of the study, engines from both the control group and B20 group will be torn down for a closer analysis of engine wear...
Labels: biofuel study
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