Diesel vs biofuel and my BIG truck...trucker math :wink:

[skipper19]

Someone put vegetables in my fuel tank. The Cat under the hood likes meat, and is not very happy. Me?..not so much either ...my dumb trucker (what Ray calls me) math skills might be a little off, but I did garner an A+ in MUSKYBOB'S cats, girls, buses, and backpack quiz!

I figure that a little observation, math, and seat of the pants "feel" can muster an equation of some sort that might scare the pants off the economists.

Here an excerpt from North Dakota State College .edu on agriculture and biofuel site states a comparison of energy in terms of petroleum diesel being 100% efficient as a base against biodiesel as a alternative fuel. Note that I understand it will take 1.1 gallons of biodiesel to do the same work as 1 gallon of #2 diesel petroleum fuel. Really doesn't sound like much difference, just 1 tenth more fuel to do that does it?

The energy content of the fuels also vary. No. 2 diesel fuel typically contains about 140,000 BTU's per gallon while vegetable oil and biodiesel contain about 130,000 BTU/gal. A "BTU" stands for British Thermal Unit which is defined as the energy required to raise the temperature of water one degree fahrenheit. Fuels with a high heat of combustion will usually produce more power per pound of fuel than fuels with lower energy. As a result, an engine using a lower energy fuel will require more fuel to produce the same power as diesel fuel. As a result of the lower energy content, biodiesel will require about 1.1 gallons of fuel to do the same work as a gallon of diesel fuel.

Ok, here are a few facts from my experience.

#1...my truck averages 6.0 mpg on 100% #2 grade diesel fuel. Loaded and empty average.

#2...biodiesel costs about .02 cents more than regular diesel on average. Sometimes the same.

#3... The truck moves 6000 miles a week as a base average.

#4... Price of diesel average $3.85 as a base

6000 miles / 6.0 mpg = 1000 gallons of 100% diesel burned in one week (simple right?) OK

1 gallon of regular fuel to go 6 miles

1.1 gallon of bio to go 6 miles ( 6 / 1.1 gallons = 5.45) mpg with bio ....following me?

6000 miles @ 5.45 mpg = 1101 gallons bio burned in one week.

1101 - 1000 = 101 more gallons burned at the end of the week if useing biodiesel.

{3.85 + .02 = 3.87} X 1101 = $4260.87 a week in fuel cost for bio

3.85 X 1000 ......................= $3850.00 a week in fuel cost for 100%

Difference at end of week = $410.87 Extra for using the "feel good" fuel for one week

Sound bad yet? 40 weeks out of the year the truck is on the road...$16,434.80...OUCH!

That's a lot of trolling money outta my pocket :crying:

The truck, and everthing powered by diesel is delivering everything you buy and own. What is the economy going to look like with that kind of inefficiency? Just to add fuel to the fire (no pun intended) the Caterpillar engine in my truck was the latest development for efficiency before Cat company got PO' d and left the market. It has twin turbochargers to help it burn fuel more economically and produce the power that I can feel in the seat of my pants....Well that goes out the window, not my pants Ray, but the "feel" of the boost from 52psi pressure built on intake air for kitty to breath good. That happens at peak torque around 1350 rpm...with bio veggy cat food in the tank it gets 45 psi boost at a very high rpm of 1600 and that just wastes more fuel.

100% throttle in high gear in a pull is useing fuel at 3.18 mpg to climb with 100% diesel

Same throttle pull in one gear down because of power loss goes to 2.64 mpg with bio.

These values are taken from the Cat ESP electronic monitor in the overhead console. Bad bad bad.

Here's some more fun for you and then I'll let you all go hide!

The economy of the engine gets exponentially worse if you think you have a really good running truck, and it say...gets 10mpg. Useing 100% diesel @ 1 gallon to go 10 miles now would use 1.1 gallon bio to do the same making your fuel mileage drop to 9.1 ...holy crap!....that's a loss of almost a mile to the gallon!

I won't put the formula to that for 40 weeks on the road with the big truck...you can thank me for trying my best to keep all your goodies at the store a little cheaper by burning good ole 100% diesel as much as I can....I like money in my pocket too! Imagine that!

Try to enjoy the rest of your year and look for real gas and diesel it saves in more ways than you can think of in one sitting. I know you've all seen the problems in small engines and fuel systems of all kinds. If you haven't, you must be useing good additives or not running an internal combustion engine.

Mark

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[FISHINMAN]

Looks like something Ray K would write

[jimski2]

Another fact is $15 of natural gas equals ther BTU content of $100 of petroleum. No wonder there is so much publicity against hydrofracking, Halliburton knows how to control the public opinion.

[skipper19]

There are trucks out there running on compressed natural gas now, and some truckstops are offering it as a fuel. I just don't understand why it keeps having to fall on our shoulders to use a fuel like bio fuel that can't compete in a market with petroleum without the government subsidizing it with our tax money and then taxing us again when It's sold....oh now I get it ...THEY WANT ALL OUR MONEY...THE GOVERNMENT!...did any one know that for every gallon of bio diesel produced the gooberment pays $1 dollar to the blenders to get it to sell? Deficit spending at its best.

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[skipper19]

http://biodiversivist.blogspot.com/2010 ... bsidy.html

Some intesting reading about how we are paying for our own demise of economy based in green jobs creation by you know who....the underlying truth ..the EPA IS LOOKING AWAY FROM OBVIOUS EMISSION OF CARBONS AND GREENHOUSE GASES....It's all about OUR money and nothing to do with renewable energy greatness.

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[BullGator]

Wow, that was a wake up call......Thanks skipper

[LongLine]

Unfortunately the gov't mandated the "green' thing for fuels. What's really maddening is now that the subsidies may not get renewed, we now have to bear the increases in price because of it. If the subsidies get removed does anyone really think the Fed tax on fuel will be reduced?

Tom B.

(LongLine)

BTW - Gas was the number 1 export of the US in 2011. Didn't they use to hang horse thieves & pirates years ago?

[skipper19]

They've got some real fuzzy math when it comes to the subsidy and federal tax paid at the pump by the consumer when purchased.

I wonder what the senators in these states mandateing the bio diesel would say if you walked up to them and said, " Hey Mr. Senator/congressman would you have a dollar to give me and when I get some cash, I'll give you back .50 cents, OK?"

Government pays 1 dollar subsidy to blenders to get it to compete with petroleum markets and then to get back .50 cents at the pump....huh...wonder why we have deficits?

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[muskybob]

My head hurts.