|
One other thing I found very interesting......
4.1 B20 Cold flow
This is probably the largest concern for blenders and users alike. Blending biodiesel with
petroleum diesel moderates cold flow problems by dilution. The blend also makes the use
of cold flow additives practical, since these are effective in the petroleum portion of the
blend. When biodiesel is blended with diesel fuel, the key variables are the cold flow
properties of the diesel fuel you blend with, the properties of the biodiesel, the blend
level, and the effectiveness of cold flow additives.
B100 cold flow properties depend on composition, which affects the cold flow properties
of blends (Figure 10 through Figure 15). The same is true of diesel fuel. No. 2 diesel fuel
may have cloud points that range from –10 o F to 10 o F on average (some fuels can be
higher or lower than these figures). No 1 diesel, jet A, or kerosene may have cloud points
that range between –40 o F to –60 o F.
Blends of No. 1 and No. 2 diesel fuel are frequently used to meet customer cold flow
specifications (Figure 16). Adjusting the blend of kerosene (or No. 1 diesel) in the diesel
fuel alone or with additives can modify the cloud and pour point temperatures of B20. An
accurate estimate of how B20 will perform in the winter months will require mixing the
biodiesel with the winter diesel typically delivered in your area and testing the mixture.
Your petroleum distributor or refinery may already be blending No. 1 and No. 2 diesels
in the winter, using cold flow additives, or both. So ask your diesel distributor to provide
some samples of winter diesel.
|