Diesel Fuel Quality

A diesel fuel’s cetane rating tells you the ignition quality of the solution — the higher the cetane rating, the easier commercial trucks can start cold. Choosing 1-D fuel gives you more cetane within the mixture, which ends up leaving less room for wear and tear on engine batteries.

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Keep and make your diesel fuel cleaner 1024 768 Star Oilco

Keep and make your diesel fuel cleaner

Clean, dry, premium diesel

What is Clean Diesel? 

Clean diesel is free of the contaminants that harm modern diesel engines. Today, there is a gap between ASTM diesel standards and the ISO cleanliness standards needed for use in high pressure common rail engines. Anyone operating a modern clean diesel engine is seeing the effect, including injector replacement, DPF regeneration, and a host of other fuel quality related maintenance concerns we never saw twenty years ago. On top of all of that, today’s refined diesel fuels are less storage stable then ever before. What is on the bottom of your bulk tank can also complicate matters further. When diesel is bought wholesale it typically meets and exceeds ASTM required industry standards, but almost always requires additional filtration to avoid excessive engine wear and premature part failures.

Having clean diesel requires an additional amount of care. Namely, you need to make sure that the fuel is aggressively filtered at 4 microns to catch the microscopic particles that are big enough to damage your modern diesel engine’s high pressure fuel rail system. Furthermore, clean diesel is fuel that is free of water and stabilized with Premium Diesel to guarantee no bacteria, yeast and other creatures can grow and further contaminate the saddle tanks on your trucks.

For more on clean diesel, see Donaldson’s description of “The New Clean” for an in-depth explanation of what ISO cleanliness and filtration mean for your diesel fleet.

Making Diesel Cleaner!

Knowing the quality of your fuel is the first step. This is done by taking samples off of the bottom of your bulk storage, as well as a representative sample from your fuel dispenser. Lab tests of those samples will tell you if you have water, biological growth, or dirt issues with your storage. The contaminants in the tank being sampled are almost always visible, which is to say that they look horribly ugly. If your fuel quality assurance has been on autopilot, do not be surprised if you find this. After gathering knowledge about your fuel, the next step is to get your fuel quality clean.

Filtration and tank bottom sampling is the start. Beyond that, the only way to improve your fuel quality performance is to filter your fuel, ensure water is not getting into the tank through condensation, and additize it with a Premium Diesel additive to upgrade the performance of the fuel. Many fleets today are seeing injector wear and continual problems with particulate trap maintenance. This is a combination of water in fuel and microscopic particles not captured by a 10 or 30 micron filter used at most diesel dispensers. You have to filter more aggressively than this.

Clean, Dry, and Premium Diesel!  Where To Start?

The first step is sampling your bulk diesel tank. We check your bulk tank for water and dirt, and make sure to meet the specifications your engine is built for. Star Oilco can help by providing a complementary diesel test for those fleets interested in taking control of their fuel quality assurance. Usually when testing fuel, we take a sample off of the tank bottom as well as a representative sample out of the fuel dispensing nozzle.

What we usually find is ASTM specification diesel fuel (it meets ASTM spec) that is higher than you’d want (still in spec) for water with far more dirt than the OEM’s would want to see in your engine. This dirt fails to be within the “ISO Cleanliness” specifications recommended by engine manufacturers. Usually we also see water on the bottom of the fuel tank, which is a likely source for future or current biological growth in your fuel tank.

Star Oilco can help you fix this! The first step is to sample your fuel tank.

NOTE: If you have a current biological growth problem in your bulk fuel tank or fleet, your first step is to treat that effected fuel with a diesel microbiocide to kill the bugs growing in your tank. For more on this, see our Valvtect Plus 6 Diesel Microbiocide page.

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Bio-diesel and Feed-stock samples at REG
What Types of Feedstock Can Be Used To Make Biodiesel? 700 525 Star Oilco

What Types of Feedstock Can Be Used To Make Biodiesel?

To answer what feedstocks can be used to make biodiesel we need to first answer – What is Biodiesel?

Biodiesel is created through a process called transesterification.  Transecterification is when an alcohol such as methanol or ethanol is added to an oil or fat.  This creates methyl esters and glycerin.  Methyl esters is the scientific name of Biodiesel.  Because biodiesel needs a fat or an oil to start with, this fuel can can be created with any number of feedstocks.  If you would like to learn more about Biodiesel check out this for more questions about biodiesel.

According to the U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy:

“A feedstock is defined as any renewable, biological material that can be used directly as a fuel, or converted to another form of fuel or energy product. Biomass feedstocks are the plant and algal materials used to derive fuels like ethanol, butanol, biodiesel, and other hydrocarbon fuels. Examples of biomass feedstocks include corn starch, sugarcane juice, crop residues  such as corn stover and sugarcane bagasse, purpose-grown grass crops, and woody plants. “

Renewable Energy Group (REG) performed a study in 2009 with the support of the Iowa Power Fund Board and the Iowa Office of Energy Independence that tested 36 individual feed-stocks.  Star Oilco will be spotlighting these feedstocks through our blog and our social media. The full report can be found on their site if you would like to read ahead or explore the results in more depth. We hope you find these as interesting as we did!

Bio-diesel and Feed-stock samples at REG

Above photo taken at REG headquarters in Ames, Iowa.

This first blog highlights the following 2 types of feed-stock:

Babussa Oil & Beef Tallow

Babassu Oil

Attalea speciosa

Babassu oil is extracted from the seeds of the babassu palm tree, Attalea speciosa, an evergreen tree growing to 30 m (98ft) by 20 m (65ft) at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone (UK) 10 and is not frost tender. The flowers are pollinated by bees and other insects. The tree is common in Brazil, Mexico, and Honduras; it grows well in areas typically cultivated for coconut or palm. The kernels contain 60-70% oil, appear transparent, and smell like walnuts. In its natural form the oil is liquid at 20-30°C (68 – 86°F). The seeds are edible and the oil is used in margarine, soaps, detergents, lamp oil and skin products. Oil extraction results in a cake containing 15-25% protein (depending on the shell content), which is a valuable feedstuff.

In February 2008, Babassu palm oil and coconut oil were blended with jet fuel to power a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 during a test flight from London’s Heathrow to Amsterdam.

Babassu oil is extracted from the seeds of the babassu palm treeBabassu Oil Chart

Beef Tallow

Tallow is a rendered form of the waste fats and greases from processing beef. Rendering is a process by which lipid material is separated from meat tissue and water under heat and pressure. Beef tallow is primarily made up of triglycerides and it is solid at room temperature. The B100 that is created from this source has a very high cloud point. “Cloud point is the temperature at which wax (paraffin) begins to separate when oil chilled to a low temperature, and it serves as an important indicator of practical performance in automotive applications in low temperatures.”  (Source)  The other uses for tallow include animal feed, soap, cooking and in the past, candles.

Beef Tallow Animal tissue is converted to tallow using rendering; a process by which lipid material is separated from meat tissue and water under heat and pressure.Beef Tallow Chart

 

Article 2 Feedstock : Borage Oil & Camelina Oil

Article 3 Feedstock : Algae Oil & Canola Oil.

Article 4 Feedstock : Castor Oil and Choice White Grease

Article 5 Feedstock : Coconut Oil and Coffee Oil

Article 6 Feedstock : Evening Primrose Oil and Fish Oil

Article 7 Feedstocks : Hemp Oil & High IV and Low IV Hepar

Article 8 Feedstocks : Jatropha Oil, Jojoba Oil, & Karania Oil

Article 9 Feedstocks : Lesquerella Oil & Linseed Oil

Article 10 Feedstocks – Moringa Oil & Neem Oil

Article 11 Feedstocks – Palm Oil & Perilla Seed Oil

Article 12 Feedstocks – Poultry Fat & Rice Bran Oil

Article 13 Feedstocks – Soybean Oil & Stillingia Oil

Article 14 Feedstocks – Sunflower Oil & Tung Oil

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Oregon Biodiesel and Ethanol Fuel Mandates

Oregon Biofuel Blending Requirements for Gasoline and Diesel.

Oregon law has a 5% Biodiesel and 10% Ethanol fuel blend mandate.

In Oregon, you can expect to buy a biofuel with every gallon of gas or diesel, whether you are buying at a retail pump or commercially delivered bulk fuel. Unless you are expressly seeking out a ethanol-free premium unleaded or off road heating oil expressly free of biodiesel, you can expect the fuel will have a low carbon blend of biofuel in it.

Why does Oregon have biofuel blended in every gallon of fuel?

There are several layers of rules, requirements, and incentives placing a minimum of 5% biodiesel blend in diesel and a 10% ethanol blend in gasoline. The City of Portland’s Bureau of Development Services provides information and resources on the background of both Portland and Oregon’s requirements.

Oregon state has a 5% blend mandate for all diesel fuels sold statewide. Portland has its own standard of for 5% biofule in diesel, which is slightly different but functionally the same as the states. Oregon’s standard requires B5/R5 if it’s sold into  machinery (dyed off road or clear on road diesel), which requires a 5% biofuel component. In the  formation of this Oregon statewide mandate, renewable diesel was considered acceptable.

Oregon also has a 10% ethanol blend mandate for all gasoline fuels with a few exceptions. Portland has this same rule as it mandated ethanol blends prior to Oregon state. Oregon has exceptions for ethanol-free premium unleaded.  (Warning: the City of Portland has no exemption for non-oxygenated premium fuels) though there are some sellers of it. Oregon state’s exceptions being premium gasoline for aviation and non-ethanol premium gasoline sold at retail gas stations. This was adopted later after the initial Renewable Fuel Standard mandates. Portland did not follow Oregon with this flexibility for small engine or classic car enthusiasts seeking non-ethanol fuel.

The rules that drive biofuel use in Oregon’s fuel:

The City of Portland has its own Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) which is seen in Portland City Code Chapter 16.60 Motor Vehicle Fuels. This RFS requires all diesel sold (either commercial or retail fuel) to contain a minimum 5% biodiesel (specifically methyl-ester molecule). The RFS also requires all gasoline sold (either commercial or retail gas stations) to contain a 10% blend of ethanol. In addition to this fuel blend requirement, Portland also has requirements for the original feedstock biodiesel is made from. Portland requires that 50% of the biodiesel feedstock be sourced from recycled vegetable oil, canola oil, and a few other types available in the Pacific NW.

The State of Oregon has its own Renewable Fuel Standard. It is less restrictive than Portland’s, allowing renewable diesel or biodiesel to meet its 5% blend requirement. You can find the law in Oregon Revised Statute 646.922. The Oregon RFS also requires a 10% ethanol to be blended with gasoline. There is an exception for premium gasoline to be ethanol-free.  This fuel is commonly called “Non-Oxy Premium” or “Clear Premium” by those seeking to order it.

If you want more information on successfully using Biodiese and Ethanol in your fleet.

If your fleet is seeking to succeed with biofuels, here are some great resources to learn more about biodiesel, ethanol,  and renewable diesel fuels.

If you have questions about biofuels, Star Oilco can help. Do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions, even if you are not in our market. We want you to be successful in your fleet.  We are here to help.

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about-diesel-fuel
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Fixing the problems with bugs growing in your diesel

What to do about Biological Growth in Diesel Fuel.

Fuel Marketer News has two great articles on biological growth in fuel tanks. Star Oilco as a diesel fuel delivery provider in Oregon and Washington is all to familiar with this emerging problem with ultra-low sulfur bio-diesel blend fuels.

Where there is water, bugs can grow in diesel.

The Fuel Marketer News articles below:

Fuel System Bugs Drain Revenue, and
Bugs Cause Fuel System Damage (part 2)

These articles in a nutshell are about the costs, impact, and ongoing effect of bugs growing in fuel as a real industry issue. If you have filters clogging in your fleet–much like a heart attack–it’s not a symptom, it’s a late-stage problem. Clogged filters slow down your fleet fueling and add serious cost to your vehicle maintenance. Lost power on the highway also slows your drivers down, escalating the drain on efficiency fuel that bugs may be causing.

Star Oilco can cure these problems, both with stopping hum-bug growing in your diesel tanks, as well as ensuring that the water those fuel bugs live in stops migrating into your tank. We will help you solve diesel fuel quality issues.

The first step is for Star Oilco to test the bottom of your fuel tank, as well as take a representative nozzle sample that would go into your trucks. We will show you where your fuel quality is today and come up with a collaborative way to move that into exceeding ASTM diesel specification, as well as aligning with engine manufacturer’s ISO specifications for diesel fuel cleanliness.

If you have questions about fuel quality assurance, Star Oilco has solutions. Left unattended, your diesel fuel will grow bugs, alga, yeasts, and other biological active destroyers of fuel quality. If you need to treat your fuel to kill humbugs like these, Star Oilco recommends Bioguard Plus 6 as your go-to solution. It is both a biocide that kills the bugs growing in fuel, as well as a heavy duty detergent to clean up other deposits as well.

Star Oilco Precision Fuel Management tank test request form below:

Tank Testing Form

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Tier 4 Engines and Diesel Contaminants – Donaldson White Paper 683 1024 Star Oilco

Tier 4 Engines and Diesel Contaminants – Donaldson White Paper

Managing bulk diesel fuel storage has become more complex in recent years. Especially in Oregon and Washington the chance of water finding it’s way into your fuel tank is a real concern. If water gets in your bulk fuel biological growth or “hum bug” won’t be far behind.  Donaldson has positioned itself with real concrete solutions for for fuel quality.

With the extremely tight tolerances of today’s clean diesel engines and the expansion of sour crudes from tar sands, oil shale, and other source being hydrocracked into today’s ultra low sulfur diesel we have all seen it.  Fuel quality has stayed the same while the tolerance engine manufacturers build to have gotten tighter.

To help fleets solve the fuel quality issues fleet’s are dealing with these days Donaldson Filters has put out an intensive white paper on the what clogs filters.

Titled “Analysis and Identification of Contaminants in Diesel Fuel Filtration and Storage Systems” it goes into a level of depth of what the causes of filter spinning in your fleet is. If you are seeing clogged fuel filters this can help you diagnose and begin to problem solve for your fleet.

Usually diesel engine maintenance costs spin out of control around injector failure, DPF maintenance down time, and recurring regen cycles at the most inconvenient times blowing white smoke everywhere.  Usually this fleet management pain point revolves around dirt and water in diesel fuel.  Problems that Donaldson Filtration is the industry leader in solving.  Aggressive filtration and desicant breathers on tanks will polish your fuel beyond the low standards of petroleum standard ASTM and will exceed the ISO cleanliness standards the OEM’s made your engines to run.

This document is designed as and essential review of diesel contamination as it’s seen from the perspective of a filtration company guarding your diesel engine systems from problems.

This matters as the current generation of clean diesel technology commonly called “Tier 4” engines have a tighter specification need than industry standard diesel specification will meet in practice in the field.

 

The Donaldson Filters White Paper can be seen here: http://www.mycleandiesel.com/Resources/IFC10_FuelContaminants.pdf