Retail Petroleum Equipment

BioDiesel Technical Bulletin Q&A 2 Is Water Separation an Issue? Biodiesel blends are a different system when it comes to water separation. The fuel behaves something like a strong detergent and emulsifying agent making water separation nearly impossible. Can you get a bad or out of spec load of BioDiesel? Certainly, as with most products there are fuels being sold as BioDiesel or BioDiesel Blends that do not meet the ASTM D 6751 specification. We have seen B100 fuel that had an out of spec glycerin content which plugged off dispensing filters in a couple hundred gallons, and truck filters every two days. Petroleum fuel quality in general usually suffers when stocks are low & demand is high. Here are some points to remember when using biodiesel • Varnishes, gums, sediments, and fuel degradation products are cut free by the high solvency of the biodiesel. This can increase the load on the fuel filtration systems the degree of which is determined by how much build up is present during the transition. • Higher water saturation limits causes fuel system corrosion and icing issues, supports microbiological growth, carries more water that condenses out in storage tanks when fuel temperature drops. More water, more potential problems. • Bio-fuels are more susceptible to Micro-biological growth- “bugs” that feed off the hydrocarbons and biological components. These bugs live off the oxygen in the fuel water mixture that can exist in these fuels. This can result in the entire fuel load chemically becoming highly acidic. That in turn can very quickly cause corrosion on all metal surfaces resulting in an increased amount of sediment. Remember, PetroClear filters are epoxy coated so they will not corrode internally under these situations. • Cold weather operations lower cloud and pour points. B20 blends have a 7ºF (typical) higher cloud point than # 2 Diesel. B100 can have very high cloud points, making even moderate climates an issue. • Storage will create some new things to consider. For example, B100 should be purchased in quantities that will be used up in 30 days. • Ethanol blends should be used up in 90-120 days, shorter if in above ground tanks due to heat fluctuations. This can cause the fuel to deteriorate. Inadequate blending of B100 and petroleum fuels leaves layers fuel with the B100, at the bottom of the vehicle tank/fuel pick-up. What precautions should be taken regarding filters? • Change fuel dispensing filters upon loading BioDiesel into the tanks. • Have extra filters available for dispensers and be prepared to change them. • Change filters on the dispensers as soon as any reductions in flow are noted. • Use high quality filters such as PetroClear. If you are running a BioDiesel blend higher than B5, you should be prepared to changeout filters at any length of service. This depends on degradation products resulting from previously used petroleum diesel in the dispensing and vehicle tanks. This is somewhat dependent on the age and maintenance history of the systems. What is the safest way to utilize biodiesel? • As a diesel fuel for compression ignition engines. • In a Blend range from B2 – B20. • As a injection system lubricity enhancement. • By changing out dispensing and engine fuel filters at first fill. • By having extra filters on hand for the transition. Working with your PetroClear representative .