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No doubt you have seen more than a few biodiesel-related articles in newspapers and magazines in the last few years. You may have had your interest piqued, or may even have tried using biodiesel in your vehicles, but most likely aren't sure on how you feel about using it in your fleet.
Thanks to a new research program called the Two Million Mile Haul, we'll soon know more about the benefits of biodiesel for your fleet. The program is a comprehensive study to examine the benefits of a 20 percent soy biodiesel blend (B20) in an over-the-road trucking company. Renewable Energy Group (REG), manufacturer of SoyPOWER brand biodiesel, is working with Decker Truck Line Inc., Iowa Central Community College, Caterpillar Inc., Iowa Soybean Association and the National Biodiesel Board to provide information you need to make the switch to a B20 blend of biodiesel.
We are working closely with Decker Truck Line, a veteran national OTR company, to substantiate the performance of B20 versus traditional petrol-based diesel fuel, and to test for benefits of soy biodiesel usage. Decker has been testing 10 trucks on diesel and 9 trucks on B20 on runs from Ft. Dodge, Iowa to Chicago, Ill. or Minneapolis, Minn. since October, 2006. Variability is limited by running only Peterbilt trucks with 2007 Caterpillar C-13 engines and pulling flatbeds on two identical routes. Further testing this year will switch the test groups as driver variability has been determined as the most important variable in the testing.
We are helping to keep the tests consistent by supplying Decker with a supply of our ATSM D6751 certified SoyPOWER biodiesel that is produced using BQ-9000 accredited plants throughout the testing process. The trucks are typically centrally fueled at the Decker yard in Ft. Dodge, with help from Doolittle Oil in Ft. Dodge, Iowa. The B20 SoyPOWER is also available to their drivers in Davenport, Iowa with help from us and our distributor, Cobb Oil. The filling process has been refined over time due to the collaboration of Decker with Doolittle and Cobb, as well as our staff. Management at Decker has routinely told us that a fleet can avoid the learning curve of biodiesel blending by working with an outside vendor or fuel distributor who can blend the fuel for them. We are continuously working toward ensuring our distributors have the knowledge available to help every fleet with any fuel handling information. In addition, our internal staff is available to help answer any question you may have about SoyPOWER and your machinery.
According to representatives at Decker, testing is just over half way done with and preliminary checks have shown promising results for B20. Decker management recently spoke with CAT following an informal check on their engines to check wear and tear. When they placed a camera in the intake valve to look for scarring in the cylinders and deposits in the exhaust manifold, they found what looked to be reduced wear on engines. Iowa Central Community College is also running essential testing from its campus in Ft. Dodge, Iowa (visit www.2millionmilehaul.com to see full reporting). Their results summarized thus far:
"…we have logged over half a million miles in the study using 10 trucks in the control group (100% #2 petroleum diesel) and 9 trucks in the B20 test group (20% biodiesel, 80% petroleum diesel).
"Average fuel consumption for the control group was 6.01 miles per gallon (mpg) while average consumption for the B20 group was 5.80 mpg, or a 3.5% reduction. This difference is not statistically significant (p = 0.125).
"…we have found that driver-to-driver variability in fuel consumption within each group is 2 to 3 times greater than the 3.5% overall difference in fuel consumption between the two groups."
"We found no significant difference in fuel consumption between the two groups, and we were able to get through the winter driving season without any major complications."
"Regarding cold-flow issues, we did not experience any fuel gelling during the cold snaps, and the plugged filters that we did experience were not related to fuel quality as outlined by ASTM D6751."
Based on test results thus far, we believe the Two Million Mile Haul will show that using SoyPOWER means putting consistent quality in your tanks.
For more, go to www.regfuel.com
author: By Jeff Stroburg, Chairman and CEO, Renewable Energy Group, Inc.