Diesel Fuel Additive 1

[kenmac777]

I have searched the entire eng-tips site, and can't find any posts on this.

I am reviewing a diesel fuel additive pitch (very skeptically) for a product that supposedly can reduce NOx and PM as well as increase efficiency. It dices, it slices, it makes Julian fries.

The dosage rate is very low (1:2000) - maybe impossibly low.

Is there even the remotest possibility that an additive could do this? I assume if there were, fuel manufacturers would be adding it to their product to get a competitive edge.

Thanks for any comments.

 

[Lou Scannon]

When someone is offering a magical new additive, the onus is on them to provide believable evidence of its effectiveness (of course this rarely, if ever, happens, and we know the reason why).
If their claim has any validity, they should at least be able to produce a scientific and engineering explanation for why it works. This might be enough to encourage a government agency or investor to fund a statistically valid experiment to prove or disprove the claims.
Of course, the usual business model for this type of product does not involve any of the above. All they offer is a smoke and mirrors explanation of the function, claims of inventor secrecy, and hope to sell the product to the gullible. The fact that these products have been around about as long as the motor vehicle is an indication that the business model I describe is a successful one.

 

[MikeHalloran]

Diesel fuel additives have been heavily sold for decades, and claimed effective against wax precipitation, water, and a sea of other stuff that comes in Diesel ... or used to.

Recent regulatory changes in the US have caused the price of highway Diesel to skyrocket past that of premium gasoline, allegedly because of the reduced sulfur level. Maybe the new process also takes out, or doesn't add, the other junk that has traditionally been delivered with Diesel. Or, not: I don't buy Diesel right now.

Based on my experience (with MMO in _gasoline_ engines), I'd have to assert that it is at least remotely possible for an additive to make a difference at low concentrations. I can imagine that there may be good reasons for fuel suppliers to not add it.

Is the additive supplier willing to warrant no damage to your engine(s)?



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[WGJ]

Don't know what your additive is, but Cerium is used as an additive in some European light diesels and is metered into the fuel at something like 100ppm. It apparently improves combustion and lowers the catalyst light-off temperature.

Bill

 

[dcasto]

I just read a little on Cerium, sounds like it maybe be the mouse milk you are looking at.

 

[drwebb]

Many increased efficiency claims (for gasoline additives at least) are based on detergency. If you have deposits that are reducing your efficiency (i.e. a problem vehicle), then a quality detergent can be effective at restoring the lost efficiency; note that it doesn't do anything 'magical' to the fuel that will improve an 'in-spec' engine. So as hemi advises, marketing claims are often abused and sometimes neither helpful to informing the consumer OR serving the product they represent.

Don't be overly concerned with low additive treats; many additives are very effective at low levels, especially for fuels. For example, Tetraethyl lead markedly improves octane at something like a 10-20ppm concentration. As a matter of fact most over-the-counter gasoline additives are less than 25% active chemicals because most consumers expect to put 8-16 oz. in their tanks, and it is a hard sale to go against a 16 oz. product that may be 10% active with a 2-oz. package of 100% active . . .

 

[romke]

to me it seems very unlikely that an additive (any additive that is) can both reduce NOx and PM. All engineering changes introduced over the last few years where either directed at reducing NOx and leaving the PM amount untouched or to be reduced by some form of catalyst or viceversa, never succeeded anyone achieving both with the same change. that said, the first claim thus can be disposed off...the second claim (increasing efficiency) migth be possible - there are additives known that enhance the combustion proces somewhat and therefore increase efficiency. however, with modern diesel engines that change in efficiency usually is very little and usually not over the full operating range of the engine, the result usually being so small that it falls within the measuring accuracy. i therefore fully support hemi's remarks about the business model...

cerium is another matter. cerium is used in small european diesel engines to improve the efficiency of pm filters. it therefore acts as a catalyst - it doesn't change the amount of PM produced, but it increases the amount of PM "catched" in the PM-trapping equipment mounted somewhere in the exhaust line. That works quite well, but has no influence on efficiency or the combustion cleanliness of the engine mounted in front of it...

 

[bentwings1]

Additives for diesel often claim power gains, mileage claims, detergency, and much other hocus pocus. Todays Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) has very reduced lubricity by itself however we are told that the fuel companies recognize this and add proper amounts of lubricants to the fuel to overcome this. In reality today nearly all of us diesel guys that use additives use them for increased lubricity in some attempt to prolong the life of the very expensive injector pumps. Especially us Cummins guys. Whether these additives really work or not is a hot topic. Some guys run forever with no IP problems and no additives and others have continuous problems even with additives. The cost per mile for additives is so small that it becomes "why bet against the odds". At least you can feel that you did what you could to save the IP life.

99 Dodge CTD dually.

 

[MechanicalChef]

Might I interest you in a tornado fuel saver!!!

http://www.truckaddons.com/images02/Tornado/tornadoair-pic.jpg

 

[MikeHalloran]

I worried about the long term health effects of a small proportion of immobilized Pt in auto converters becoming mobile.

Now we're talking about directly mobilizing a reactive lanthanide by the hundreds of tons...



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[btrueblood]

Mike, I'm glad it's not just me. Cerium might not be as toxic as lead, but didn't we learn our lesson with TE-lead?

 

[MikeHalloran]

Apparently not.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[drwebb]

The cerium is to regenerate the diesel particulate filters. We do know a fair amount about the health effects of diesel particulates. Ce exposure has been looked into, although as with any public health study I'm sure some parties prefer their own studies:

http://www.dieselnet.com/news/2001/08hei.php

 

[catserveng]

We work in Southern California and distribute diesel engines, we have tested in customer fleets and on our dyno/test stands dozens of different additives for different claims.

Nothing "does it all", whatever reduces NOx usually increase fuel consumption, DP and CO.

The ones that improve fuel comsumption (yes there have been a few) also had measurable increases in NOx.

We are proponents of additives in storage tanks to combat fuel oxidation and biological growth if turnover rates are low.

Fuel lubricity additives have had mixed results, some have worked well, some have contributed to deposits and caused failures not associated with the plunger and bushing interface.

B20 BioDiesel has had pretty good results, as long as fuel is turned frequently, and not subjected to long storage periods of extreme temperatures, but in most cases while most exhaust constituents went down, NOx was measureably higher.

If we found one that did what all the claims said, you can bet us and our competitors would be pushing it.

There are additives that do what they claim, and there are usually pretty specific about what they are for, and are supported by reputable companies that will usually back them up as long as they are used as intended. But no magic yet that we have found.