B20 Biodiesel Approved for use by Cummins

{This is a from a recent article released by Cummins}
B20 Biodiesel
One reason for biodiesel’s popularity is its capability to reduce emissions. Biodiesel may also help to reduce reliance on imported oil, using renewable “homegrown” energy sources. Cummins has completed the necessary testing and evaluations to ensure that customers can reliably operate their equipment with confidence using any biodiesel blend from B2 to B20 biodiesel fuel.

The popularity and use of biodiesel fuel continues to climb. Recent studies predict that, by 2008, 1.2 billion gallons of B100 biodiesel will be produced in the United States. One reason for biodiesel’s popularity is its capability to reduce emissions. Biodiesel may also help to reduce reliance on imported oil, using renewable “homegrown” energy sources.

Pure 100% biodiesel contains no petroleum and is commonly referred to as B100. While it works in diesel engines, most manufacturers, including Cummins, recommend a blend with petroleum-based diesel fuel. B5 is a blend of 5% biodiesel and 95% petroleum-based diesel fuel and is the most readily available biodiesel today. Other blends that are also available include B2, B10 and B20.

All of these biodiesel blends up to B20 are now approved for use in Cummins diesel engines, including those in transit operations.

Cummins has upgraded its previous position on the use of biodiesel fuel for three key reasons: First, the American Society of Testing Materials specification ASTM D6751 now includes an important stability specification for B100 biodiesel; second, the availability of quality fuels from BQ-9000 Certified Marketers and Accredited Producers is growing rapidly; and third, Cummins has completed the necessary testing and evaluations to ensure that customers can reliably operate their equipment with confidence using B20 fuel.

“We have completed exhaustive analysis and test evaluations which enable Cummins to provide the necessary guidance and information to our customers for the proper and successful use of this fuel in our engine,” said Edward Lyford-Pike, Chief Engineer – Advanced Alternative Fuel Programs. “This will enable our urban transit fleets to have a choice that includes fuel made, in part, from renewable resources”. For more information, see the Cummins biodiesel FAQ.

Bio-Diesel...A Natural Alternative

In 2002, 15 million gallons of biodiesel was consumed in the United States (The American Soybean Association)

The National Biodiesel Board, a trade association for biodiesel producers, is a good source of additional information

The primary advantages of biodiesel are:

1) It has natural lubricating properties and thus eliminates the need for synthetic lubricating additives in ultra low sulfur diesel fuels

2) It is essentially sulfur free and has a very high cetane number (a measure of diesel fuel quality).

The other process for producing biodiesel is through a conventional petroleum refining process known as hydroprocessing. In Europe, the largest producer and user of biodiesel, the fuel is usually made from rapeseed (canola) oil.

Recent environmental and economic concerns (Kyoto Protocol) have prompted resurgence in the use of biodiesel throughout the world. In 1991, the European Community, (EC) Proposed a 90% tax reduction for the use of biofuels, including biodiesel.

There have been reports that a diesel-biodiesel mix results in lower emissions than either can achieve alone. Biodiesel can be obtained from vegetable oil (vegidiesel / vegifuel), or animal fats (bio-lipids, using transesterification).

Biodiesel has a higher gel point than petrodiesel, but is comparable to diesel and is made by transforming animal fat or vegetable oil with alcohol and can be directly substituted for diesel either as neat fuel (B100) or as an oxygenate additive (typically 20%-B20).

Biodiesel produced by this method is sulfur free and has a high cetane number but it lacks the lubricating properties of FAME.

*What Is FAME?

(Fatty-Acid Methyl Ester). Fatty-acid alkyl esters are actually long chains of carbon molecules (12 to 22 carbons long) with an alcohol molecule attached to one end of the chain. In a process called transesterification, organically derived oils (vegetable oils, animal fats and recycled restaurant greases) are combined with alcohol (usually methanol) and chemically altered to form fatty esters such as methyl ester. The biomass-derived esters can be blended with conventional diesel fuel or used as a neat fuel (100% biodiesel).*

Biodiesel is the best greenhouse gas mitigation strategy for today’s medium and heavyduty vehicles, is completely renewable and burns much cleaner than petroleum diesel (plus the exhaust smells like french fries).