New Federal Rules on Labeling - More Biodiesel Confusion The diesel fuel/biodiesel market has recently gotten a lot more confusing. We now have another Federal agency involved in the diesel fuel marketplace. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has now created labeling requirements for diesel and biodiesel. These requirements have wide ranging consequences for all diesel fuel [...]
Winter Problems with ULSD
Latest update on cold weather problems with ULSD Welcome to February 5th 2007, the first real winter weather with the "new" Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD). After being told by refiners and many distributors that ULSD would be the "be all, end all" magic problem solver for all diesel engines, this is what really happened when [...]
Phase Separation in Ethanol Blended Gasoline
Water problems in gasoline containing ethanol Did you know? In a 10% Ethanol Blend, it takes as little as 18 gallons of water in a 6,000 gallon tanks to cause Phase Separation. In a 2% blend it takes only 3.6 gallons to cause Phase Separation What is "phase separation", and how do I deal with it? [...]
Diesel Powered Audi Wins 24 Hours of Le-Mans
A 650 bhp. 12 Cylinder Diesel Shows It's Stuff An Audi R10 diesel (No. 8) won the Le Mans 24 Hours race on June 18th, the first diesel-powered car ever to do so, and with a four-lap lead over the second-place car. A second Audi R10 (No. 7) took third after having to replace a [...]
Crude Oil and Total Petroleum Imports
More Finished Goods Being Imported Crude Oil and Total Petroleum Imports Top 15 Countries May 2006 Import Highlights: Released on July 14, 2006 Preliminary monthly data on the origins of crude oil imports in May 2006 has been released and it shows that three countries have each exported more than 1.40 million barrels per day [...]
Oil Carbonization in Fuel Injectors
Is "Sticktion" even a Real Word? Our friends at Ford Powerstroke / International Truck and Engine Corporation have recently modified the English language by finding a new use for a rather unusual word. The term Sticktion is being used to explain what happens when motor oil used to pressurize electro-hydraulic fuel injectors (such as the (HUEI) breaks [...]
Basic Petroleum Statistics
What is Refined from a Barrel of Crude? Basic Petroleum Statistics Information taken from US Energy Information Administration April, 2006 Gallons of Oil per Barrel42 Barrels of Oil per Metric Ton (U.S.)7.33 U.S. Crude Oil Production5,419,000 barrels/day State Ranking of Crude Oil ProductionTexas - 1,073,000 barrels/day U.S. Crude Oil Imports10,088,000 barrels/day U.S. Crude Oil Imports [...]
Why Should I use Nitrogen
Why Nitrogen is Better than Free Air You might ask yourself: "Why should I be Using Nitrogen for Inflating Tires" or "Air is free, why should I pay for Nitrogen?" Nitrogen Filled Tires Will Improve Your Fuel Economy - Tires that are properly inflated reduce rolling resistance. Minimum rolling resistance equals maximum mileage. Nitrogen Filled Tires Last [...]
Oil Sludges in Gasoline Engines
Problems with Sludge Formation and Oil Starvation in Gasoline Engines We have seen and heard about a recent spate of problems with oil system sludges plugging oil passages and pumps in certain vehicles. The engines of today place a huge load on motor oils. Higher revving engines, high heat, reduced oil capacity in some engines, [...]
Ethanol – Ethanol as a Replacement for MTBE
More issues for you to be aware of... Ethanol in Gasoline Ethanol Problems - Ethanol as a Replacement for MTBE Ethanol is the Future, Ethanol is Coming, Ethanol is Here; there is a new headline about Ethanol nearly every day now. Ethanol production is a well understood technology with the potential improve dramatically in efficiency that [...]
