Petersen
Oil is now carring the following new products:
- E10 (10% Ethanol)
- E85 (85% Ethanol)
- B5 (5% Soy bean)
- B20 (20% Soy bean)
Below, you will find more information, about these new product.
Questions & Answers
About Ethanol
Frequently Asked Question About Biodiesel
No. All vehicle manufacturers in the U.S. approve the use of ethanol in vehicles
manufactured since 1982 and some recommend ethanol use for environmental
reasons. Many manufacturers do recommend against the use of methanol, which
is very corrosive and should not be confused with ethanol.
Absolutely. Fuel injectors are manufactured to exact tolerances, so it takes
a very small amount of deposits to affect the efficiency of an injector.
Components of gasoline, such as olefins, have been identified as causing
deposits that result in fouled injectors. Since ethanol burns 100% and leaves
no residue, it cannot contribute to deposit formation. Since 1985, all ethanol
blends and nearly all non-ethanol gasolines have contained detergent additives
designed to prevent injector deposits. These detergents have been effective
in alleviating this gasoline problem.
No. Gas line anti-freeze contains alcohol – usually methanol, ethanol,
or isopropyl alcohol. All alcohols have the ability to absorb water, and
therefore condensation in the fuel system is absorbed and does not have the
opportunity to collect and freeze. Since an ethanol blend contains up to
10% ethanol, it is able to absorb more water than a small bottle of isopropyl,
therefore eliminating the need and expense of adding a gas line anti-freeze.
With today’s cleaner fuels, plugged filters are very rare; however,
ethanol can loosen contaminants and residues that have been deposited by
previous gasoline fills. These may collect in the fuel filter. This problem
has happened occasionally in older cars, and is easily corrected by changing
fuel filters. Symptoms of a plugged fuel filter are hesitation, missing,
and a loss of power. Once your vehicle’s fuel system is clean, you
may note improved performance.
A mechanic who tells you not to use ethanol does not have correct information.
There has been very little information available for mechanics on fuel formulation,
so when there appears to be a fuel-related problem with an engine, some mechanics
will immediately ask if ethanol has been used. The only reason ethanol is
suspected is that in many states it is the only gasoline component other
than lead that has an identifying label.
Ethanol-blended diesel fuel, called E-diesel fuel, is being tested and evaluated
and is showing great promise. First, adding ethanol to the fuel increases
oxygen content, making it burn cleaner and lowering particulate and black-smoke
emissions from diesel engines. Adding ethanol also volumetrically reduces
the amount of sulfur and other toxics in the fuel, resulting in a cleaner
fuel to start with. E-diesel also has superior cold-weather starting characteristics,
as compared to conventional #2 diesel fuel. Finally, E-diesel offers a relatively
inexpensive way to clean up diesel fuel in that, when commercialized, the
price of a 10% blend of E-diesel is expected to be only a few cents more
per gallon than #2 diesel.
Corn prices and oil prices can be volatile. Periods when corn prices drove
ethanol prices significantly higher than gasoline have been very short and
rare. Distillers grains and gluten feed are high-protein feeds that are the
co-products remaining when the starch portion of the corn kernel is made
into ethanol. Therefore, when the price of corn is high, a greater portion
of the processors’ costs can be recovered through the sale of protein
feeds. Unusual forces, such as drought or flood, could have short-term implications
for the ethanol industry.
Yes, but ethanol should be compared with other octane components of gasoline,
rather than with gasoline as a whole. In fact, technology is constantly reducing
the environmental and monetary cost of ethanol production. Since ethanol
reduces exhaust emissions from cars and is a domestically produced, renewable
fuel, it provides benefits that gasoline never can. Recent studies show that
the petroleum industry has enjoyed many years of large tax breaks and subsidies.
Studies also suggest that costs of air and water pollution and of our military
presence in the Persian Gulf should be attributed to the overall cost of
gasoline. On the other hand, corn and ethanol production are becoming more
efficient and less energy intensive each year. When the conversion of cellulose
to ethanol is perfected the cost of ethanol production is expected to decline
drastically. Perennial fiber crops and solid waste will also be used to produce
ethanol in the future.
The ethanol industry is expected to produce approximately 3.3 billion gallons
in 2004. It will utilize over 1.2 billion bushels of corn. It will add between
4 to 6 cents to the nation’s corn crop of approximately 10 billion
bushels. It will add 120 million dollars of profit to the nationwide corn
producers. South Dakota in 2004 will produce over 420 million gallons of
ethanol and utilize over 150 million bushels of South Dakota corn. In South
Dakota one out of three rows of corn is used for ethanol production. According
to a recent study by Pro-Exporter, South Dakota has lowered its corn basis
15 cents due to increase local demand of the ethanol industry. It will add
over 22 million dollars into corn producers’ pockets in South Dakota.
The ethanol process does not remove anything of nutritional value. In ethanol
production only the starch portion of the kernel is converted to ethanol.
What remains are all of the vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber, along
with high-energy corn oil. One bushel of corn produces 2.7 gallons of ethanol
with enough feed left over to create four beef steaks or 8 quarts of milk
or 17 pounds of DDG (Dried Distillers Grains) for livestock feed.
About 7% of America’s total ethanol supply is allowed to come into
this country duty-free, but the actual amount imported is much less. The
U.S. has generally been a net exporter of fuel ethanol.
The U.S. Department of Energy calculated that over 58% of our oil was imported
in 2002, and that imports will likely rise even higher in the future. A 1995
USDA study stated that, since most ethanol plants are operated on coal and
natural gas, one gallon of ethanol can actually replace seven gallons of
imported crude oil.
In addition to the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, Denver, Phoenix, Albuquerque,
and Las Vegas have successfully mandated the use of oxygenated fuel to help
solve carbon monoxide problems. Much of that market is using ethanol blends,
which contain up to 3.5% oxygen. Minnesota was the first state to require
the use of oxygenates in virtually all gasoline, and other states, including
California, Connecticut, and most of New York, have followed suit. Since
those states have also banned MTBE (see p.12), ethanol is the only oxygenate
used in those markets. Read
More
To learn more visit the following links:
www.e85fuel.com
www.sdcorn.org
www.ethanol.org
Biodiesel is the name of a clean burning alternative fuel, produced
from domestic, renewable resources. Biodiesel contains no petroleum,
but it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create
a biodiesel blend. It can be used in compression-ignition (diesel)
engines with little or no modifications. Biodiesel is simple
to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur
and aromatics.
No! Biodiesel is produced from any fat or oil such as soybean
oil, through a refinery process called transesterification. This process is a reaction of the oil
with an alcohol to remove the glycerin, which is a by-product of biodiesel production.
Fuel-grade biodiesel must be produced to strict industry specifications (ASTM
D6751) in order to insure proper performance. Biodiesel is the only alternative
fuel to have fully completed the health effects testing requirements of the 1990
Clean Air Act Amendments. Biodiesel that meets ASTM D6751 and is legally registered
with the Environmental Protection Agency is a legal motor fuel for sale and distribution.
Raw vegetable oil cannot meet biodiesel fuel specifications, it is not registered
with the EPA, and it is not a legal motor fuel.
For entities seeking to adopt a definition
of biodiesel for purposes such as federal or state statute, state
or national divisions of weights and measures, or for any other
purpose, the official definition consistent with other federal
and state laws and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) guidelines
is as follows:
Biodiesel is defined as mono-alkyl
esters of long chain fatty acids derived from vegetable oils
or animal fats which conform to ASTM D6751 specifications for
use in diesel engines. Biodiesel refers to the pure fuel before
blending with diesel fuel. Biodiesel blends are denoted as, "BXX" with "XX" representing
the percentage of biodiesel contained in the blend (ie: B20 is
20% biodiesel, 80% petroleum diesel).
Biodiesel can be used as a pure fuel or blended with petroleum in any percentage.
B20 (a blend of 20 percent by volume biodiesel with 80 percent by volume petroleum
diesel) has demonstrated significant environmental benefits with a minimum
increase in cost for fleet operations and other consumers.
Biodiesel is registered as a fuel and fuel additive with the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and meets clean diesel standards
established by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Neat (100
percent) biodiesel has been designated as an alternative fuel by
the Department of Energy (DOE) and the US Department of Transportation
(DOT).
The National Biodiesel Board has released the following sales
volume estimates for the US:
2004 -- 25 million gallons
2003 -- 20 million gallons
2002 -- 15 million gallons
2001 -- 5 million gallons
2000 -- 2 million gallons
1999 -- 500,000 gallons
Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel to have fully completed the health
effects testing requirements of the Clean Air Act. The use of biodiesel in
a conventional diesel engine results in substantial reduction of unburned hydrocarbons,
carbon monoxide, and particulate matter compared to emissions from diesel fuel.
In addition, the exhaust emissions of sulfur oxides and sulfates (major components
of acid rain) from biodiesel are essentially eliminated compared to diesel.
Of the major exhaust pollutants, both unburned
hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides are ozone or smog forming precursors.
The use of biodiesel results in a substantial reduction of unburned
hydrocarbons. Emissions of nitrogen oxides are either slightly reduced
or slightly increased depending on the duty cycle of the engine and
testing methods used. Based on engine testing, using the most stringent
emissions testing protocols
required by EPA for certification of fuels or fuel additives in the US, the
overall ozone forming potential of the speciated hydrocarbon emissions from
biodiesel was nearly 50 percent less than that measured for diesel fuel.
A 1998 biodiesel lifecycle study, jointly sponsored by the
US Department of Energy and the US Department of Agriculture, concluded
biodiesel reduces net CO² emissions by 78 percent compared to
petroleum diesel. This is due to biodiesel’s closed carbon
cycle. The CO² released into the atmosphere when biodiesel is
burned is recycled by growing plants, which are later processed into
fuel..Is biodiesel safer than petroleum diesel? Scientific research
confirms that biodiesel exhaust has a less harmful impact on human
health than petroleum diesel fuel. Biodiesel emissions have decreased
levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and nitrited PAH
compounds that have been identified as potential cancer causing compounds.
Test results indicate PAH compounds were reduced by 75 to 85 percent,
with the exception of benzo(a)anthracene, which was reduced by roughly
50 percent. Targeted nPAH compounds were also reduced dramatically
with biodiesel fuel, with 2-nitrofluorene and 1-nitropyrene reduced
by 90 percent, and the rest of the nPAH compounds reduced to only
trace levels.
When reviewing the high costs associated with other alternative fuel systems,
many fleet managers have determined biodiesel is their least-cost-strategy
to comply with state and federal regulations. Use of biodiesel does not require
major engine modifications. That means operators keep their fleets, their spare
parts inventories, their refueling stations and their skilled mechanics. The
only thing that changes is air quality.
In general, the standard storage and handling procedures used
for petroleum diesel can be used for biodiesel. The fuel should be
stored in a clean, dry, dark environment. Acceptable storage tank
materials include aluminum, steel, fluorinated polyethylene, fluorinated
polypropylene and teflon. Copper, brass, lead, tin, and zinc should
be avoided.
Biodiesel can be operated in any diesel engine with little or no modification
to the engine or the fuel system. Biodiesel has a solvent effect that may release
deposits accumulated on tank walls and pipes from previous diesel fuel storage.
The release of deposits may clog filters initially and precautions should be
taken. Ensure that only fuel meeting the biodiesel specification is used.
Biodiesel can be made available anywhere in the US. The National
Biodiesel Board (NBB) maintains a list of registered fuel marketers.
A current list is available on the biodiesel web site at www.biodiesel.org
or by calling the NBB at (800) 841-5849.
The NBB maintains the largest library of biodiesel information
in the US. Information can be requested by visiting the biodiesel
web site at www.biodiesel.org, by emailing the NBB at info@nbb.org,
or by calling NBB’s toll free number (800) 841-5849.
To learn more visit: www.biodiesel.org
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