Biodiesel warning

[Clodi]

The Yachting! Monthly is running this warning about Biodiesel-Warning .it seems similar to Diesel Bug but different!

[Tony Brooks]

7 minutes ago, Clodi said:

The Yachting! Monthly is running this warning about Biodiesel-Warning .it seems similar to Diesel Bug but different!

 

I think RCR highlighted this some years ago. Here is their image of a contaminated fuel filter below.

 

The filter looks clean but is actually covered in a sort of waxy coating. The specialists RCR sent their samples to suggested it could be interactions between the FAME and an additive. That is when I stopped regular use of an emulsifier and swapped to annual use of a demulsifier/biocide for the winter lay up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Fender151]

Hi Tony,

Thanks for your comments, to your knowledge did the  RCR investigation confirm if the issue was a result of an interactions between the FAME filter and  additive. 

Google isn't saying much !

Thanks,

 

[Tony Brooks]

19 minutes ago, Fender151 said:

Hi Tony,

Thanks for your comments, to your knowledge did the  RCR investigation confirm if the issue was a result of an interactions between the FAME filter and  additive. 

Google isn't saying much !

Thanks,

 

 

Not as by my reading because they could not tie it back to a particular interaction, but there was enough there to make me alter my advice. The RCR document (using some of my images by permission) below.

 

 

 

Diesel Bug2.docx

[Tony Brooks]

PS just checked the dates on the computer files and it looks like us inland lot are two years ahead of the rag and stick brigade. I am sure I publicized the RCR findings on here a long time ago.

[churchward]

2 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

I think RCR highlighted this some years ago. Here is their image of a contaminated fuel filter below.

 

The filter looks clean but is actually covered in a sort of waxy coating. The specialists RCR sent their samples to suggested it could be interactions between the FAME and an additive. That is when I stopped regular use of an emulsifier and swapped to annual use of a demulsifier/biocide for the winter lay up.

 

It was also a reason for me to fit the Fuelguard filter as my first filter unit.  I can see the state of the fuel and any build up on the filter gauze and if there is something suspicious inspect it and clean the metal gauze and refit.

[Clodi]

Thanks for the info Tony, good research is hard to find. The agricultural sector also are waking up to the problem. 

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, Clodi said:

Thanks for the info Tony, good research is hard to find. The agricultural sector also are waking up to the problem. 

 

The agricultural sector are not just "waking up" thru started to report it a 3 or 4 years ago
As much ag equipment has seasonal use (combine harvesters are only used something like July and August and sit dormant for 10 moths of the year it was a huge problem.

The second issue was because much of the ag equipment is quite old there was an issue with the new fuels eating / softening seals in pumps etc.

 

From 2019

Guidance issued for farmers suffering biodiesel problems - Farmers Weekly (fwi.co.uk)

 

 

 

From tests in farmers Weekly 2006

 

“Plotting the power and torque curves of the engine running on both normal diesel and on biofuel allows us to compare the two fuel sources and highlight any differences,” says Mr White.

 

Running the tractor engine on a range of blends, the trials found that the engine typically looses between 5% and 10% of its power and torque with biodiesel.

 

“One disadvantage is that the calorific value of biodiesel – the amount of heat generated by a given mass of fuel when it is burned – is lower than normal diesel produced from crude oil,” he adds.

 

“This lower calorific value also has an effect on fuel consumption of the engine and we typically see a rise here of about 3%.”