Mike
Well-Known Member
Mostly.Is cetane for diesel what octane is for gas?
The true factor determining the quality of diesel is the BTU’s. Cetane factors into this.
Mostly.Is cetane for diesel what octane is for gas?
Agreed.Mostly.
The true factor determining the quality of diesel is the BTU’s. Cetane factors into this.
The stickers on the pumps usually indicate 5% to 20% biomass. Maybe @Keendriver can shed some light on it, but I've been told by a couple of tanker yankers that the stuff is mixed at the feedracks when they load the stuff. It's kinda imprecise. For a given refinery, its probably going to be a relatively constant average - no matter which chain gets their juice there. Go down the road to a stop served by a different refinery, and and I'd bet that ratio is somewhat different. Cosequently the energy content will vary.It's rare I show my tank to tank average.
Most of the time when I say I'm "5.8" or 6.3" mpg is a 3-day average.
The graph that I put up from time to time is just that. Y 30 day averages laid year over year for comparison.
@ironpony hit the nail when he said my variability is so wide.
Cetane is just part of the package that makes up good fuel. Without the "package" you don't know what you've got. BTU content is a lot of it. Minnesota just announced that effective 4/1/18, they will mandate 20% biomass fuel at the pump. Double from last year.
I forget what the math works out to for it, but considering that biodiesel has 80% of the btu content over straight diesel, it's really becoming significant now.
Other than #1 diesel over the winter this year, I haven't bought diesel in Minnesota in some time. Sparta, Osseo, Ladysmith WI, clear lake IA, Steele ND, couple rural SD fuel stops, mainly coffee cups, are wear I'll get fuel.
Why is that? The design of your motors fueling system?In 2013 when I was dealing with my fuel issues and working with several station managers and owners, it came clear how poorly it's mixed.
Even then they admitted that tank mixes were poor at best and their biodiesel could range from 5% to as much as 30% even in the winter.
So come winter, I try to just stick with #1 in the severely cold months as much as I can when I'm up North. I try to limit my total concentrate to 70% at most for the max.
Heck we can run on anything then. Like a Model T.The more power you are working with, the more important fuel quality is.
According to the manager, this is what Sparta treats their fuel with.
View attachment 45161
According to my local distributor, this is what a lot of local farmers and the county use too.
There's a winter and a summer version of their premium 2000 additiveYear around, or is there something different for the warm months?