Biomass based diesel vs biodiesel - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

tjts1 · #1 02-14-2015, 10:03 AM

I went to fill up at what I thought was a B20 pump in Fremont, CA yesterday when I was greeted by this confusing set of stickers.
http://i.imgur.com/hV72fAY.jpg

Quote:

CONTAINS NO BIODIESEL, 98% BIOMASS BASED DIESEL

The product is called Diesel HPR.
http://i.imgur.com/h66RuaD.jpg
It was cheap. $2.75/gal when most stations are selling diesel at $3 or more. Regular unleaded at the same station was $2.79.

Labeling confusion
Well-Worth Products, Inc.: Articles - White Paper on Emergency Backup Power Generators and Fire Pumps

Quote:

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has now created labeling requirements for diesel and biodiesel. These requirements have wide ranging consequences for all diesel fuel users.

Whats the difference between biodiesel and biomass based diesel?
Biomass Diesel: Rising Star of the Renewable Fuel Standard | Bioenergy Connection

Quote:

The second kind of biomass-based diesel is called “renewable diesel” or “green diesel.” Like biodiesel, it is made from the oils of seeds, algae, or animal fats. Unlike biodiesel, it is transformed into fuel by a process used in conventional petroleum refining called hydrotreating. The resulting fuel is chemically identical to conventional diesel and can be blended in any proportion. It has a higher energy content than biodiesel and works better in cold weather. Because renewable diesel duplicates conventional diesel, Plaza acknowledges, it’s “a product that everybody would rather have.”

The sellers claims.
Propel Diesel HPR

Quote:

Diesel HPR has 40% higher cetane than typical diesel for smoother combustion and a better ride.

Refined through advanced hydrotreating technology to meet your diesel engine specifications, Diesel HPR comes from recycled tallow and oils, a byproduct of chicken, beef and fish production.

outperforms Biodiesel B20, delivering more power and lower emissions, and meets the ASTM D975 petroleum diesel specification required by diesel engines. While some vehicle manufacturers recommend limiting use of biodiesel to blends of 5% & 20% (B5 - B20), there are no limits to the blend ratio of renewable Diesel HPR. Diesel HPR does not contain biodiesel.

My impressions: Totally clear liquid, no odor as compared to conventional diesel, engine runs exactly the same. Aparently its only sold in NorCal for now. The same company still sells B20 at some stations but its being replaced by this biomass fuel.

Has anybody else tried this stuff? I'm curious to see how the fuel economy of this stuff compares to the conventional diesel I usually buy.

EDIT: From what I've read so far the one big disadvantage biomass diesel has vs biodiesel is relatively poor lubricity. The manufacturer has to add the same lubricity additives as regular diesel (hence the 98% label) in order to bring the HFRR number below the 520 micron threshold. With regular diesel I was using 1% straight soybean oil to improve lubricity and I'm going to continue to do so with this stuff. So very good cetane but only average lubricity.

EDIT 2:

Quote:

Paraffinic diesel, whether from fossil or biogenic sources, is a cle an-burning
fuel lowering exhaust emissions and local pollution. Synthetic diesel from natu-
ral gas (gas-to-liquids, GTL) is probably the best known paraffinic fuel. Another
fossil alternative is synthetic diesel from coal (coal-to-liquid, CTL), produced,
e.g., in South Africa.
Paraffinic fuels can also be produced from renewable feedstocks, through gas-
ification and synthesis from solid biomass (biomass-to-liquids, BTL) and through
hydrotreatment of vegetable oils and animal fats (hydrotreated vegetable oil,
HVO). Of these BTL is still in the development phase, whereas HVO is already
commercial. Paraffinic diesel from renewable sources is of special interest to
municipalities responsible for public transport, as this kind of fuel enables high
shares of biocomponents as well as reduced local pollution. Renewable paraffinic
diesel could therefore be a viable option in greening the public transport systems
based on buses.

180 page PDF Long term study of HVO diesel in Helsinki bus fleet.

EDIT 3 Propel Fuels is purchasing its renewable diesel from Nests oil of Finland (see above) AKA NexBTL. This confirms its 75+ cetane.

Quote:

Propel will be introducing ultra-low NOx, 100% Renewable Diesel/NextBTL (RD) to 31 existing Propel locations in 2015.
Moreover, Propel plans to build an additional 50 sites per year after, which will serve both RD and E85 in high volumes. We have shown these volume estimates in the attached.

PDF

EDIT 4: Cetane info for anyone mixing it with regular diesel. The stuff sold at the pumps in California is 98% HVO.

Quote:

This graph is interesting.

http://www.nesteoil.com/default.asp?path=1,41,11991,22708,22709,22710

EDIT 5: Here's where the fuel comes from and how its made.
http://www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/lcfs/2a2b/apps/neste-aus-rpt-031513.pdf