WSJ: Bosch's Johannes-Joerg Rueger On Why Diesel Engines Are Hip

eb2143

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Good Interview, Dr. Rueger is straight forward and knowledgeable. My interest was definitely peaked by this question.
WSJ: The use of biodiesel is growing in the U.S. though the fuel typically sold as biodiesel is a mixture of petroleum diesel and biodiesel. What are the issues with biodiesel in terms of affecting performance and fuel economy?

Dr. Rueger: There's aren't really any issues with it regarding fuel economy and performance. But biofuels tend to age. You have to take care of using it in the right way and typically those who are using biofuels now are aware and know how to use it.

Maybe a better question would have been:
WSJ: The use of biodiesel is growing in the U.S. though the fuel typically sold as biodiesel is a mixture of petroleum diesel and biodiesel. What are the issues with biodiesel?


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bluengreen

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Norbert Krause Director of VW Engineering & Environmental Office at the Press Launch 2 weeks ago in Santa Monica CA:
Why only B5?
VW: Quality and uniformity in quantity of BioD isn’t there yet. Soy based 1st Gen Esthered Bio D is not chemically similar enough to meet the Clean Diesel demands.
Acids are too high in 1st gen B20 and can dilute engine lubricants and cause engine damage. Regen for Nox/DPF system requires post inject burning of the fuel and if it is B20 it will get into the crankcase and dilute the oil that lubes the engine (along with the acid (Lye) used in gen 1 bioD).
However several producers are working on 2nd gen bio fuels like hydro treated vegetable oil (HVO) hydro treated vegetable fuels are very chemically similar to ULSD, go through the same refining process and will not pose a problem and would permit up to B40 blends. VW wants 2nd gen ASAP and is partnering to get it b/c it does not have farm impacts. Neste Oil in Finland started research in Europe for this, Conoco-Philips is working on it as are Shell BP and others. 2nd gen Bio D is also desirable because it is pipeline deliverable (unlike Ethanol) and can share the infrastructure already in place to distribute it.
Allan Schaeffer -Diesel Technology Forum www.dieselforum.org also spoke indicating Diesel supply should be on the upswing.
7 Increased ULSD supplies coming online:
Marathon USA Garyville LA 180k/Bbl/day 1.2 Bil/Bbl/Yr
Shell USA Port Arthur LA 600k/Bbl/day (up from 52K Bbl/day )
Valero USA Port Arthur St. Charles LA 103k/Bbl/day (2010)
NuStar DE $300M in new refining equip (2011)
Tesoro CA (LA) Product shift 7-8k/Bbl/day
Saudi Aramco Saudi Arabia 4000k/Bbl/day ULSD Focused (2012)
Saudi Aramco Saudi Arabia 400k/Bbl/day ULS Products (2013)
 
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fnj2

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bluengreen said:
Regen for Nox/DPF system requires post inject burning of the fuel and if it is B20 it will get into the crankcase and dilute the oil that lubes the engine (along with the acid (Lye) used in gen 1 bioD).
Lye is the opposite of acid. It is alkaline.
 

CentralFloridaTDIguy

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awesome refining news

bluengreen said:
However several producers are working on 2nd gen bio fuels like hydro treated vegetable oil (HVO) hydro treated vegetable fuels are very chemically similar to ULSD, go through the same refining process and will not pose a problem and would permit up to B40 blends. VW wants 2nd gen ASAP and is partnering to get it b/c it does not have farm impacts. Neste Oil in Finland started research in Europe for this, Conoco-Philips is working on it as are Shell BP and others. 2nd gen Bio D is also desirable because it is pipeline deliverable (unlike Ethanol) and can share the infrastructure already in place to distribute it.
Allan Schaeffer -Diesel Technology Forum www.dieselforum.org also spoke indicating Diesel supply should be on the upswing.
7 Increased ULSD supplies coming online:
Marathon USA Garyville LA 180k/Bbl/day 1.2 Bil/Bbl/Yr
Shell USA Port Arthur LA 600k/Bbl/day (up from 52K Bbl/day )
Valero USA Port Arthur St. Charles LA 103k/Bbl/day (2010)
NuStar DE $300M in new refining equip (2011)
Tesoro CA (LA) Product shift 7-8k/Bbl/day
Saudi Aramco Saudi Arabia 4000k/Bbl/day ULSD Focused (2012)
Saudi Aramco Saudi Arabia 400k/Bbl/day ULS Products (2013)
makes one hopeful that the price of ULSD will be parity with RUG nationwide in the near future
 

bluengreen

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fnj2 said:
Lye is the opposite of acid. It is alkaline.
I think Krause meant acidity not acid. Either way it sheads light on why VW is skittish on Gen 1 BioDiesel and it suggests that a 2009 TDI may happily ingest BioD in Gen 2 at a far higher %, perhaps up to B40.
 
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