Author Archive | Diesel Performance Truck

While high gas prices are rough on car owners, your high heavy dollars of Diesel Performance Ford Truck Diesel Ford Truck Fuel is catastrophic to an entire industry: trucking. Recently, truckers staged a slowdown to protest those high prices; some are starting to lose their businesses already, and your trend may continue for a while.

This is something we need to think about seriously. It’s terrible to pay four dollars a gallon for ordinary gas in our cars, even though our smaller, lighter vehicles drive limited distances. But most of our Diesel Ford Truck Fuel costs don’t come from personal use; they come secondarily, in your form of getting our food, clothing, and almost everything we use to your store so we can buy it. Higher Diesel Ford Truck Fuel prices threaten your heavy dollars of everything.

Diesel Performance Ford Truck semi Ford Truck Big truck drivers have been hit worse than any other group by high Diesel Ford Truck Fuel prices. While your average car gets between 20 and 25 miles to your gallon, a Diesel Performance Ford Truck semi Ford Truck driven carefully is likely to get no more than one mile to your gallon when fully loaded, and maybe about five when driven empty or trailerless. This is bad on any trucking company, but particularly hard on your gypsy Ford Truck Big truck drivers, who get most of our produce to market.

Think about that for a minute. Your relative Expense of getting your head of lettuce to your store has roughly doubled. Considering how cheap it is to grow your lettuce today, that means you’re going to see a pretty good rise in prices for lettuce too. While many things in your produce section are shipped long distances, a lot of them come from nearby farms, and those short-haul Big truck drivers have to pay for Diesel Performance Ford Truck Diesel Ford Truck Fuel out of their own pockets.

Your long haul Big truck drivers aren’t in much better shape. In some cases, they’re finding themselves short of cash to pay for Diesel Performance Ford Truck, even though they’ll be reimbursed; in others, your heavy dollars of Diesel Performance Ford Truck Diesel Ford Truck Fuel is cutting directly into per-mile payment and bonuses. Some companies are having a lot of loads canceled when shippers find out your new higher prices, forcing more empty loads than usual, which again impacts every load heavy dollars as haulers try to make up your difference.

It’s not just transportation companies that are feeling your pinch. Farming equipment uses mostly Diesel Performance Ford Truck Diesel Ford Truck Fuel. Construction heavy equipment generally uses Diesel Performance Ford Truck Diesel Ford Truck Fuel as well. Ships, trains, buses and older submarines, all use Diesel Performance Ford Truck Diesel Ford Truck Fuel. That means national defense costs more; public transportation and inexpensive rail shipping Expense more; water shipping costs more; even your food you eat and your homes you live in Expense more due to your costs of producing them, let alone your Expense to transport them.

Your Expense of Diesel Performance Ford Truck Diesel Ford Truck Fuel is not traceable to a single simple cause; it’s a complex issue. With China online and growing rapidly, there’s a new strain on world Diesel Ford Truck Fuel supplies. Russian developments leave your worldwide Expense of Diesel Ford Truck Fuel high as well, and your Middle East and other oil-producing nations refuse or are unable to produce more petrodiesel, your primary source of Diesel Performance Ford Truck Diesel Ford Truck Fuel today. But petroleum isn’t your only source of Diesel Performance Ford Truck; in fact, Diesel Performance Ford Truck can be produced from garbage, sewage, and wood. Some people are slightly converting engines and burning old French-fry oil and other bio-oil wastes instead of commercial petrodiesel.

Still, your supply remains lower than your demand, and will for your foreseeable future unless some serious changes are made to our Diesel Performance Ford Truck Diesel Ford Truck Fuel supply train. As individuals, however, there are things we can do to provide ourselves with at least a partial supply of Diesel Performance Ford Truck Diesel Ford Truck Fuel for our own purposes.Before you buy a Diesel Performance Ford Truck Ford Truck, you must read this. Stop wasting you time with High Expense of Diesel Performance Ford Truck Diesel Ford Truck Fuel.

Why Are West Coast Prices For Diesel Fuel So Volatile?
Depending on part of the country you reside in, prices of diesel fuel can be extremely volatile. No where is this more true then on the West Coast. The prices of diesel fuel on the West Coast tend to increase and decrease at greater rates and costs more then in other parts of the country. There are several reasons for this.
In California, one of the primary reasons for comparatively higher gas prices has to do with supply issues. Higher taxation on diesel fuel also has a negative impact (for drivers) on diesel fuel pieces. Diesel fuel in California has a state, use and local taxes of 7.25 %. Add to this, 24.4 cents per gallon for the Federal excise tax, and 18 cents state tax. The state of Washington is also notorious for having high and volatile fuel prices. They have a state tax of 34 cents, which is one of the largest in the United States.
Diesel fuel cost is also higher in this part of the country due to the lack of nearby supply sources. Most of the West Coast refineries are in California. In order for prices to be stable and as low as possible, these Californian refineries have to be running at full capacity just to meet the demands of California.
Trying to provide the nearby states with the fuel that they need can be very difficult. If there are any problems with the California refineries or any of the 36 refineries on the West Coast, this makes the situation extremely volatile. Because the amount of fuel available shrinks, the prices go up.
Besides not having enough local refineries, the distance to obtain diesel fuel from other sources in the United States can also cost problems Californians will have to pay for the shipment of fuel the Gulf cost or from sources outside the country.
When company is shipped from another country or from another part of the same country, fuel surcharges will be added to the price of the fuel. Fuel carriers will include transportation surcharges. These surcharges can be whatever the transportation decides they are going to be. There is no federal oversight of surcharges. Therefore, transportation companies can really stick it to states that need emergency fuel. Of course, these increased costs will be transferred to the consumer.
Individuals on the West Cost who drive vehicles with diesel engines have not doubt faced the effects of higher and more volatile gas prices more then individuals in other parts of the country. Many Western states have expensive taxes. Along with the higher then average state tax, the strong dependence of a small number of refineries mean that everything has to go perfectly so that everyone can have access to affordable fuel.
Things do not always work as they should and the costs to bring in fuel from outside of the country or from different parts of the United States costs money. These costs must be absorbed by the consumer. Fuel transportation companies will charge a premium to ship diesel fuel from other parts of the country, raising the prices at the pump.

How is Diesel Fuel Made and Who Uses It?
Diesel fuel is the name given for vehicle fuel that is used in compression ignition engines. It gets its? name from Rudolf Diesel, a German engineer who invented this type of fuel. A patent for the original fuel design was registered in 1892.
Diesel engines can use a variety of fuels, including biodiesel, it is refined from crude oil. Diesel fuel is very important to the United States and to countries around the world. Many countries major transport vehicles use diesel fuel and so they are dependent on diesel fuel for commerce and the transportation of goods.
Diesel fuel is made from crude oil and is a distillate. There are different types and grades of distillates. Number 2 is the most commonly used diesel fuel in the United States.
It is used not only to fuel vehicles but also to heat buildings. Delivery trucks, semi-trucks, trains, boats, buses, barges, military vehicles, and farming equipment use diesel fuel. Most of the fuel is used for motor vehicles while around 25% is used for off road equipment and vehicles.
The vast majority of diesel fuel refined in the United States is made in the United States. Only around 5% of it comes from other countries. Refineries in the U.S. manufacture diesel fuel from crude oil that comes from both domesticated and foreign sources. Diesel fuel is sent by pipeline to terminals which are close to populous areas. Tanker trucks then pick up the fuel and deliver it to gas stations.
The retail price of diesel fuel is dependent on various components. These include the process of refinery, the cost of crude oil, the retail station, marketing, distribution and the availability of product from refineries. How much each of these components figure into the price differs from time to time and also based on the situation.
If U.S. refineries experience trouble and states have to depend on outside sources, the price of diesel will increase in these areas. If the price of crude oil goes up, so will the price of diesel fuel. Taxes, whether they are State, Federal or local will also greatly influence the price of diesel. Some states have higher taxes, such as Washington and California, while other states, such as Missouri, have much cheaper state taxes. Federal excise taxes are the same in every state and in 2008, where a little over 24 cents per gallon. The average state excise tax is around 22 cents for every gallon, although some states, such as Washington, which has a 34 cents per gallon tax, is much more expensive. The owners of retail pumps also determine costs. Retail gas stations which are owned by refiners can sell the fuel for cheaper then a reseller can.
Most diesel fuel is refined in the United States. However, American refineries do use crude oil from foreign countries, therefore, diesel engines are still reliant on foreign fuel. The price of diesel fuel will be dependent upon the costs of crude oil, supply and demand and transportation costs.

What is Diesel Fuel?
Diesel fuel is primarily a combination of middle distillates and additional additives. Number 2 Heating Oil and kerosene are examples of middle distillates. This type of fuel is made to be used in diesel engines. It is injected into the combustion chamber with high temperature air that is compressed in the chamber. It spontaneously ignites. This is different from traditional gasoline which is ignited by spark plugs in the gasoline engine.
Important aspects of diesel fuel that you should concern yourself with include how clean the fuel is, the quality of ignition, operability, stability and lubricity. In 2007, the United States made a commitment to cleaner diesel fuels. In order to decrease harmful emissions, they set strong, new limits.
Contemporary diesel fuels must have minimal amounts of sulfur. Special equipment must be used to meet these standards. These new, cleaner fuels are referred to as Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel or ULSD. ULSD can be used in all vehicles with a diesel engine, even older models.
Today, not all fueling stations which service diesel fuel have ULSD fuel, but a large number of them do. By 2010, all service stations will be required to provide ULSD fuel. Currently, only 80% of diesel fuel that is used for highway driving made in the United States has to be Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel.
Clean diesel fuel is that which does not have a lot of contaminants in the water. This is very important because a high level of contamination can back up the filters and cause significant damage to a cars fuel infection system. Fuel filters should always be used in a diesel engine to provide adequate protection to a vehicle?s fuel system.
Diesel fuels with high lubricity are advantageous because they prevent the wear and tear of the fuel pump and injector. The use of additives to increase lubricity has become more and more common. Diesel pumps have to be labeled with the type of diesel fuel that the pump is dispensing. A decal must be posted on all pumps. For persons in California, Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fuel is the only fuel available.
Diesel fuel is a distillate that sometimes is mixed with additives. Diesel fuel is refined to be used in diesel engines. Diesel engines are found in cars, trucks, SUVs as well as farm equipment and recreational vehicles. Modern discussion about diesel fuel has revolved around it?s increased price and how clean it is. In recent years the United States government has made minimum cleanliness requirements for diesel fuel oil refineries. There has been a big push for all diesel fuel to be Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel. While this has yet to be a reality, by 2010 it will be, as the government has demanded that all diesel fuel be of this type by this time.
While the government and many environmentalists are worried about how clean diesel fuel is, the average consumer is worried about the rising costs of diesel fuel. It is more expensive then regular gasoline. This wasn?t always the case. While some argue that diesel fuel provides better miles per gallon, the high prices at the pump are beginning to scare off a lot of people from purchasing vehicles with diesel engines.

Diesel Fuel and Taxation
Diesel fuel taxes are higher then other types of fuel in the Untied States. There is untaxed diesel fuel which is also known as ?off road? which can be used in the United States. It is often used for tractors, RV?s or utility vehicles. The vehicles which qualify to use ?off road diesel? must not use these vehicles on public roads and they must be used primarily for agricultural purposes.
Untaxed diesel fuel is allowed to go over the limits for sulphur which were established in 2007. ?Off road diesel? is the color red because it has been dyed. If this fuel is found in the possession of a person that does not have rights to it, they can be levied heavy fines, up to $10,000.
?Off road diesel? fuel is also known as red diesel in parts of the world such as Belgium, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. It is used to heat homes, refrigerated trucks and in vehicles used for farming and in boats. In Ireland, this same type of fuel is dyed green.
While the prices of diesel gas in the United States is more expensive then traditional gasoline, this is not the case everywhere. In India, the price for diesel fuel is cheaper then gasoline. It is used in most of the company?s transportation vehicles and thus are priced more cheaply. The same is true for the country of Germany. Their diesel fuel taxes are cheaper then those placed on gasoline.
As individuals are looking for alternative diesel fuel sources, biodiesel is being discussed more and more. Biodiesel taxes in the United States differ greatly depending on the state. In the state of Texas, biodiesel is not taxed at all and the taxes are lower on biodiesel fuels that use blends. Other states do indeed tax biodiesel.
A big factor in the price of diesel fuel is taxation. Fuel, both diesel and gasoline is taxed by numerous sources. This includes the state and federal excise taxes. Some state?s taxes are a lot higher then others. For example, the average state excise tax for biodiesel fuel is around $.22 cents. In Washington state, this figure is $.34. This has a big effect at the pump.
Not all diesel fuel is taxed. Off road diesel is not taxed. Off road diesel fuel is used for farming equipment, recreational vehicles and other vehicles which are not used on public roads. This fuel is typically made red with dye. If an individual is found with off road diesel in their possession unlawfully, they can be heavily fined. In some states in the U.S. biodiesel is not taxed at all. In other states it is.
Red diesel is not just used in the United States but in other countries around the world. In the United Kingdom they use it to heat homes, as fuel in refrigerated trucks and in farming equipment and boats. In India, this type of fuel is used a great deal in their transportation vehicles and is cheaper as not to financially overburden companies or the government.

Some Alternatives to the Shocking Diesel Fuel Prices

Indeed, the world is faced by a spectrum of problems nowadays. The issue on recession has not yet died out but seems to be worsening even more. Add to it the fact that the cost of the basic commodities have also soared up. One of the shocking revelations that confront people, especially the car and truck owners is the increase in the diesel fuel prices. With the presence of all of the political and financial struggles all throughout the globe, this thing is another unwelcomed event.

However, no one can deny the fact that diesel fuel is very vital. It runs cars and industries. Simply put, the world is dependent on it. No one can just do without it. It seems though that no one is in control of its escalating price. The market is filled with uncertainties so the price of fuel changes every now and then. Therefore, the people are in search of ways on how to fight off the deliberately shocking value of the fuel which is in fact an integral part of human life.

Run Your Car on Water

Some years before, there were individuals who claimed that it is possible to run cars on water. There were of course people who gasped and heaved some sigh of relief yet the others were under some disbelieving notion. As it goes, running car on water means that car and truck users can now save money and at the same time promote the so-called concept of “going green”. With water acting as the fuel, there will be lesser emissions which mean that the environment will be in a safer state.

The rumors need to be clarified though. Yes, it is possible to use water as a substitute for diesel fuel. However, it can’t be done outright. What has to be done is to extract the water component that is known as hydrogen gas or H2 by using the electrolysis device which will channel the output towards the engine air intake system. As soon as the hydrogen gas is blended with the normal type of diesel fuel, the combustion chambers will burn the mixture and then produce some enormous and powerful produce. This will then lead to more effective mileage.

The process is done by means of electrolysis. As you know, water is made up of two parts hydrogen and then 1 part of oxygen. This is the main reason as to why it is labeled as H2O. The procedure of letting electricity pass through water, the “Brown gas” or technically known as hydrogen will be separated from it. On the other hand, the Brown gas is itself one type of combustible gas which is an absolute source of energy for vehicles.

Resort to Biodiesel

Biodiesel is one more alternative that people can turn to. It can be rooted from vegetable oils, animal fats, and from the used restaurant grease. In some parts of the world, farmers are selling their corn produce to the biodiesel generating industries. While some parties think that this is an unwise move because instead of growing the corn to feed the hungry mouths of the population, they are given up for the production of fuel. Meanwhile, for the farmers, anything that will give them money is good enough to provide for their needs.

Needless to say, these are some of the alternatives that can be adhered to in order to fight off the rising diesel fuel prices.

Is Biodiesel the Answer to Unstable Diesel Fuel Prices?

You were probably shocked when we had the record breaking fuel prices both on gasoline and diesel in July 2008. What was more shocking was that at one point, diesel prices become more expensive than gasoline. What happened next was completely unexpected. After a couple of months, fuel prices began to drop steeply. Speculator say that prices will reach as high as $200 per barrel but now, it is at $40 to $60 per barrel.

Still, the government took action by releasing funding on exploration of alternative forms of energy and gave incentives on those who produce crops that will be converted into fuel. While the government had been active in its campaign to become energy independent since time immemorial, it was just recently when crude prices were up, that the government had seriously taken it as a priority.

But is biodiesel the answer to unstable diesel fuel prices?

Originally, the diesel engine was designed to run on vegetable oil. But since petroleum diesel was cheaper then, vegetable oil was simply not an economical choice. But now, pump prices have driven farmers to convert their lands into biodiesel plantations. On one hand, the production of alternative fuel like biodiesel is good since its use will reduce our demand for petroleum oil. And if the demand is low, the prices will follow as well.

Since biodiesel comes from vegetable oil, it is 100% biodegradable. It does not hurt the environment. Furthermore, a wide spread use of biodiesel in the future will help solve air pollution in big cities because biodiesel help reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emissions. The decrease on petroleum consumption has a good environmental effect.

On the other hand, experts say that while converting farmlands into biodiesel will ease the demand on petroleum products, it will drive the food prices up and may create food shortage. This is because lands that are supposed to be used in producing food are now producing fuel. Many farmers are now focused on fuel production and not on food production. Early signs of food shortage were felt right after farmers began planting more corn. It should be remembered that just recently, corn prices began to rise because of the increasing demand for biodiesel. Prices of other farm-produced fruits and vegetables rose as well.

It is important, therefore, to understand the effects of solving one problem. Does it create another problem in the process? Or will it just be a temporary solution? It is also important not to focus too much on solving a particular problem.

There are other ways to get biodiesel. Recycled restaurant grease, vegetable oil and animal fats can be used to drive your diesel engine vehicle. Other alternative forms of energy that are both efficient and do not harm the environment include solar energy, electric and even water.

No one really knows what the future of diesel fuel prices is, but one thing is for sure: if high prices happened before, it is not impossible that it will happen again. But that doesn’t mean that we focus our attention solely on producing biodiesels. We have to find and develop other forms of energy that will not compromise other important commodities. There is nothing wrong with using biodiesel but make sure that biodiesels will not become the problem that is much harder to solve.

While high gas prices are rough on car owners, the high price of Diesel Performance Ford Truck Diesel Ford Truck Fuel is catastrophic to an entire industry: trucking. Recently, truckers staged a slowdown to protest those high prices; some are starting to lose their businesses already, and the trend may continue for a while.

This is something we need to think about seriously. It’s terrible to pay four dollars a gallon for ordinary gas in our cars, even though our smaller, lighter vehicles drive limited distances. But most of our Diesel Ford Truck Fuel costs don’t come from personal use; they come secondarily, in the form of getting our food, clothing, and almost everything we use to the store so we can buy it. Higher Diesel Ford Truck Fuel prices threaten the price of everything.

Diesel Performance Ford Truck semi Ford Truck drivers have been hit worse than any other group by high Diesel Ford Truck Fuel prices. While the average car gets between 20 and 25 miles to the gallon, a Diesel Performance Ford Truck semi Ford Truck driven carefully is likely to get no more than one mile to the gallon when fully loaded, and maybe about five when driven empty or trailerless. This is bad on any trucking company, but particularly hard on the gypsy Ford Truck drivers, who get most of our produce to market.

Think about that for a minute. The relative Expense of getting your head of lettuce to the store has roughly doubled. Considering how cheap it is to grow the lettuce today, that means you’re going to see a pretty good rise in prices for lettuce too. While many things in your produce section are shipped long distances, a lot of them come from nearby farms, and those short-haul drivers have to pay for Diesel Performance Ford Truck Diesel Ford Truck Fuel out of their own pockets.

The long haul drivers aren’t in much better shape. In some cases, they’re finding themselves short of cash to pay for Diesel Performance Ford Truck, even though they’ll be reimbursed; in others, the price of Diesel Performance Ford Truck Diesel Ford Truck Fuel is cutting directly into per-mile payment and bonuses. Some companies are having a lot of loads canceled when shippers find out the new higher prices, forcing more empty loads than usual, which again impacts every load price as haulers try to make up the difference.

It’s not just transportation companies that are feeling the pinch. Farming equipment uses mostly Diesel Performance Ford Truck Diesel Ford Truck Fuel. Construction heavy equipment generally uses Diesel Performance Ford Truck Diesel Ford Truck Fuel as well. Ships, trains, buses and older submarines, all use Diesel Performance Ford Truck Diesel Ford Truck Fuel. That means national defense costs more; public transportation and inexpensive rail shipping Expense more; water shipping costs more; even the food you eat and the homes you live in Expense more due to the costs of producing them, let alone the Expense to transport them.

The Expense of Diesel Performance Ford Truck Diesel Ford Truck Fuel is not traceable to a single simple cause; it’s a complex issue. With China online and growing rapidly, there’s a new strain on world Diesel Ford Truck Fuel supplies. Russian developments leave the worldwide Expense of Diesel Ford Truck Fuel high as well, and the Middle East and other oil-producing nations refuse or are unable to produce more petrodiesel, the primary source of Diesel Performance Ford Truck Diesel Ford Truck Fuel today. But petroleum isn’t the only source of Diesel Performance Ford Truck; in fact, Diesel Performance Ford Truck can be produced from garbage, sewage, and wood. Some people are slightly converting engines and burning old French-fry oil and other bio-oil wastes instead of commercial petrodiesel.

Still, the supply remains lower than the demand, and will for the foreseeable future unless some serious changes are made to our Diesel Performance Ford Truck Diesel Ford Truck Fuel supply train. As individuals, however, there are things we can do to provide ourselves with at least a partial supply of Diesel Performance Ford Truck Diesel Ford Truck Fuel for our own purposes.Before you buy a Diesel Performance Ford Truck Ford Truck, you must read this. Stop wasting you time with High Expense of Diesel Performance Ford Truck Diesel Ford Truck Fuel.

How to Weather the Effects of Diesel Fuel Prices

The diesel fuel prices are much lower today than it was in July. But that doesn’t mean that we can drive in any manner we can and waste money on fuel. The economic crisis is still here and is draining your wallet big time. Here are some things you need to do to save fuel and money.

Pressurize

Check your tire pressure regularly. Running on a soft tire increases road drag, road noise, tire temperature and chances of blow-out. Make sure that you follow the manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure.

Lighten up

If you are driving your truck on weekend golf, that is okay. But do you really have to bring your equipment for the rest of the week? Okay, you don’t play golf. Still, you need to remove unnecessary things from your trunk or your truck bed. Extra weight consumes fuel.

Don’t be a drag

Manufacturers have all the right reasons why they design your vehicle the way it is. Avoid altering your ride by using leveling kit. This destroys the aerodynamics of your car. A good looking truck with kits and all may catch eyes but take note, it catches air too. Aerodynamic drag consumes more fuel if the vehicle is modified.

Quit Idling

Idling will get you 0 miles per gallon. Not bad, right? Seriously, you are just wasting your fuel on warm-ups because modern diesel engine vehicles will get into running temperature in a matter of minutes. Once you turn the key, drive with a light right foot ? this is the best way to speed up the process of warming up your car.

Moreover, do not leave your engine running whenever you make a quick stop at the convenience store. Not only it is noisy and wastes fuel, a running car engine also attracts people to hop in and steal your ride.

Activate your overdrive and cruise control
Vehicle manufacturers develop these features and install them in your car for a reason. And you as a consumer pay a premium price to have these. Use it, for diesel’s sake (not the actor). Turning them on will improve your mileage significantly.

Drive sober

I don’t mean that you become the designated driver every time you go out with your friends on a Saturday night. What I mean is, drive sensibly. Aggressive driving, abrupt accelerating and hard braking shorten the distance between your point of origin and the next gasoline station. If you are driving on a stop-and-go traffic, use a light right foot; and do not smoke the back tires when accelerating, If possible, schedule your trip outside the rush hours.

Increase air intake

Air is as important as fuel during combustion. You may be driving at your best but if your air intake restricts air from getting to your engine efficiently, you still consume more fuel. Replace air intake with aftermarket part that minimizes the distance between the filter and the engine.

Speaking of filter, make sure that your keep your air filter clean. Dirty or clogged filter will prevent air from coming in to your engine resulting to poor mileage. Replace or clean air filter whenever necessary.

Regular checkup

Save on diesel by getting a regular checkup for your vehicle. Regular tune up, checkup and change oil will keep your engine in top form and parts in good running condition.

How to Combat Diesel Fuel Prices

With at least half of the world’s population depending on diesel to run their cars, another dilemma is about to cloud over everyone. That is, the visible increase in the diesel fuel prices. Much more, the rise in its cost can impose tremendous changes on the amount of the basic commodities. This nevertheless denotes that apart from tightening everyone’s belts, such need can’t be ignored. Everyday there are thousands of cars that traverse the roads. The diesel fuel is also needed to operate some major industries. With the financial threat that clouds all over the world these days, it seems to be impossible not to mind such changes. In line with this, there are more reasons for you to ponder on using an additive to diesel.

A Look at the Past

Tracing back time, it can be noted that most trucks and car owners have utilized some diesel fuel stabilizers to boost fuel lubricity. Doing so lessened the chances of the wearing and tearing of the engine parts. In the past they were still oblivious of the effects that the additives can bring on to their gas mileage. Their focus then was to ensure that their engines were always in perfect condition and that their gasoline was effectively burned. Now that the times are hard, the industry is trying its best to go back to the old times and promote the use of fuel additives to somehow ease the burden felt by the vehicle owners. Those which possess diesel engines are the targets. Yes, the diesel engines are known to save more energy compared to those that run on gasoline. However, the principal concern for now is that using the additives can create a good impact to combat the rise in the cost of diesel fuel.

The Top Reasons on why You must Use the Additive

It increases mileage. If you are one of the owners of a diesel engine powered car but you have never experienced a great mileage before, then it is time to try using the additive. Just imagine how much you are spending in gassing up your car. You deserve a better mileage, so to speak!

It helps you pass the emission tests. Through time, the government standards seem to be too tight for the diesel engines. With the use of the fuel additive, you don’t simply improve your car engine’s proficiency but you likewise emit lesser emissions. This ranks your car as an environment-friendly one.

Diesel engines have more available parts in the market. Needless to say, people are investing on the parts that comprise the diesel engines. Hence, you will not have much of a problem when you need a replacement.

It is rational to decide on using the fuel additives. Yes, this is a sane thing to do. By doing so, you get to enjoy more miles than by simply running your car only by diesel fuel.

Without asking further questions, one fact remains the same. There is nothing that you can do to lower the value of diesel fuel. Yet you can better save your money and at the same time enjoy more mileage with the use of the additives. In this time and age when the diesel fuel prices seemingly work out of control, the best course of action to take is by means of improving the efficiency of your car’s engine.

Diesel Fuel Prices: Vegetable Oil as Alternative for Diesel

No one has predicted that the price of fuel will go over $4 per gallon on the pump. And no one has ever expected that the prices will go down to below $2 per gallon in just a few months. With this erratic change in diesel fuel prices, you cannot help but wonder how much it will cost to fill up our gas tanks in the future. Will it go back to its record highs or will it remain on its current level? With answers still hanging on the balance, it is good to explore alternative fuel sources.

Vegetable oil. Why not?

You have to pay for diesel; vegetable oil is free. A diesel engine car can run on either but why are car owners hesitant to make a switch?

Ditching petroleum and running on vegetable oil couldn’t be simpler. For one, many car owners do not know anything about vegetable oil; its reliability and effects to the engine. But the main reason is: there is not enough vegetable oil available for everyone. Americans consume 140 billion gallons of gas every year. Restaurants throw 100 million gallons of waste oil annually. Assuming that all 100 million gallons of waste oil will go to gas tanks, simple math will tell us that there isn’t enough ? vegetable oil will only account to 0.07% of the annual gas consumption in the country. Besides, if every American will switch from gas to diesel, the problem of scarcity will rise.

Environmental Impact

We cannot disregard the importance of taking care of the environment when choosing alternative for diesel fuel. As for vegetable oil; it is biodegradable so it does not do harm on the environment.

Reliability

We have mentioned reliability and effects to the engine of using vegetable oil. Should you be concerned?

A little history tells us that Rudolph Diesel had designed his engine to run on vegetable oil. He even displayed it on the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900. But the vegetable-powered diesel engine didn’t prosper because petroleum diesel was more economical during that time. Thus, it is not surprising to hear that modern diesel engine vehicles can run on vegetable oil without a need for conversion.

However, conflicting testimonies of car owners who switch from petroleum diesel to vegetable oil make it hard to guarantee any given conclusions. Some claims that vegetable oil has no effect on the engine while others say that vegetable oil speeds up coking of the engine.

The question of reliability becomes a major issue.

Most owners try vegetable oil on older trucks and do not encounter any problem. Others spent on conversion kits so that their engine can “safely” run on vegetable oil. Others conduct certain filtration process on their vegetable oil before putting it on their gas tank. Some owners even mix fluids on vegetable oil to make it more viscous. We cannot really identify where, if there is any, a problem would begin. We can only speculate the possible factors that cause engine breakdown.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Waste oil is cheaper if not free.
Environmentally friendly
Better lubrication
Use reduces dependency on imported oil

Cons

May void warranty
Cold starting
Can only be used on older vehicles
Exhaust smells of chips (if you consider it a disadvantage)
Use may lead to coking engine when used improperly

What Effects Diesel Gas Prices?
Historically, diesel fuel prices have been lower then regular gasoline. This is no longer the case. Today, diesel prices hover above regular gasoline. This has been the case for the past 5 years or so. There are several reasons for this.
The demand for diesel fuel all over the world has significantly increased. As the demand has increased so have the prices. Diesel fuel is in demand not only in the United States but also in Europe and in China.
In 2006, the United States made more of a commitment to the use of Ultra low sulfur diesel fuel, which is a cleaner fuel. This has affect the costs of producing diesel fuel and also the costs of distribution. The Federal taxes on diesel fuel are also higher then on gasoline which causes the prices to be higher.
The price of diesel fuel is made of several components. They include taxes, marketing and distribution, refinery costs, and the price of crude oil. Today, the average price of diesel fuel around the United States, is $4.43 per gallon.
Below, we will discuss some of the primary factors which determine diesel fuel prices:
Crude Oil: The price of crude oil, along with available supply will have a major effect on diesel fuel prices. The price of crude oil will raise or lower depending on the demand for it. Burgeoning demand has placed strain the available supply which raises prices for the consumer. When there is only so much of something available and an increasing number people want it, they will have to be willing to pay a premium for it. Diesel fuel is not different. OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) has a major role in determining the price of crude oil. This is because they determine how much oil will be produced by it?s members. The members of OPEC are responsible for nearly 40% of the world?s sources of crude oil.
Refining Capacity: The refining capabilities of diesel fuel are tight. Refineries in the United States are running about 90% capacity. Some other countries use a greater percentage then this. With so many countries close to their capacities and the demand increasing, users will have to pay more for the limited supply.
Imbalance Between Demand and Supply: Diesel fuels are very volatile because the United States is so dependent on it. When its? demand can not be satisfied, goods can not be shipped and prices will increase for all goods, including diesel fuel.
Transportation Costs: Parts of the country which are further away from the Gulf Coast tend to have higher diesel prices because of the added transportation costs.
There are many different components which go into how much consumers will pay for diesel fuel. The primary ones include the price of crude oil, the refining capacity in a particular area, whether or not there is an imbalance between demand and supply and transportation costs. If there is a dip in refinery capacity in a certain part of the country, diesel fuel must be shipped in. This will result in increased prices at the pump. The transportation costs to bring in the fuel and the lower supply will cause the price to shoot up.

Diesel Fuel Prices: Why it should not Behave the Way it is Doing Now?

In business, one of the great factors to work by is when there is price stability or at least predictability. Today, even a semblance of stability may be the first thing that is thrown out of the window as crisis upon crisis hits. In most business planning, a good part of the yearly budget allocation goes to the powering up of machineries and to vehicles for the distribution of goods and materials. As diesel fuel prices fluctuate heavily, business predictability suffers, margins are lost and for medium to small businesses the existence could sometimes be a struggle to stay afloat.

Diesel fuel like any commodity is market driven; it is subjected to the mechanics of supply and demand.

Factors influencing supply and costs
Several factors are attributable to this but the common factor is that as intense pressure is demanded on its supply, the result is a spike in prices. This had been going on for the past several years due to the emergence of developing countries and the continued dependency on oil of the developed ones.

Another factor is the practice of the Oil Producing Countries (OPEC) in setting upper production limits on its members. OPEC members produce 40% of the worlds’ crude and its reserves are estimated to hold 66% of total world reserves. Prices are also heavily affected by trade disruptions and wars. This is more so when it affects productivity like the present war on Iraq. Major price fluctuations also happened during the 1980 Iran-Iraq War and the Oil Embargo in 1973.

One of the greater causes is that few alternative sources of energy are available. If an alternative source of energy is available, the demand for oil will decline rapidly and the product supply and demand will become more balanced. This could result in the rapid decline of crude prices. Sadly though that even until this time, when other resources are actually available and should have been tapped and supported, nothing much had been happening. Solar energy for example has been there and is a great source, its technology has been around since 1950 but it has not gained as much patronage and political will to develop and implement as it should have received.

Due to the continued dependency on oil and its derivatives, refining capacity has been getting tight. While the oil dependence of the vehicle fleet and industry of the United States has been a known value since oil was discovered in the 1930’s and has always had a healthy supply of this commodity, the accelerating growth of industries in China that has been growing industrially only for the last 20 years (thereby accelerating the demand), and the growing requirements of other countries like India and Russia have placed a strain on its production.

Taxes. After the combined cost of the raw crude, refining and distribution, taxes are levied. The tax then gets a boost (even if only in increments) every time there is an increase in crude oil refining.

The recent price fluctuations in oil and its byproducts have once again placed a focus on the tapping of additional and alternate sources of energy. This time may it play out well as even when other oil wells could be tapped, even these could eventually tap out.

Alternative Fuel to Fight Diesel Fuel Prices

When diesel was much cheaper than gasoline, everybody went to buy diesel engine vehicles. But the soaring prices of crude oil in the world market and the increased demand for diesel have significantly increased diesel fuel prices, especially in July 2008. While it is becoming cheaper now, no one really knows if diesel prices will stay at its current low price level. And so technologists, scientists and environmentalists have developed alternative fuel to fight the soaring cost of fuel prices including diesel and gasoline.

Biodiesel

Originally, the diesel engine was designed to run on vegetable seed oil or peanut oil. But since petroleum fuel was cheaper then, people have forgotten that diesel engine can run on these natural oils. Now, it is making a comeback. Biodiesel, as we know it today, can be soybean oil, animal fats, vegetable oil or recycled restaurant grease. The good thing is, any diesel engine can run effectively on B20 (a mixture of 20 parts biodiesel and 80 parts petroleum diesel). These natural oils are clean and biodegradable. Biodiesel has lower carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and particulates emissions.

LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas)

LPG is a byproduct of petroleum refining, which are widely used for home heating and cooking, can be a substitute to diesel fuel. LPG is cheaper than all petroleum products. It contains hydrocarbons and vapor at its normal pressure and temperature. Its main component is propane. LPG is widely available and can be used as an alternative fuel with a conversion kit.

Ethanol (E85)

Ethanol is made from fermented biomass, usually corn. Completely biodegradable and renewable, ethanol is clean and doesn’t contribute to greenhouse gas emission. It got the name, E85 because it is composed of 85% alcohol and 15% gasoline. Although it is becoming widely available today and can be used on any diesel engine vehicle, E85 is pricier than other types of alternative fuel.

Methanol

Methanol is naturally abundant on earth or can be made by fermenting biomass. It is somewhat similar to ethanol. However, the availability of methanol is still a problem.

Electricity

The two main issues of electric cars are: it cannot cope with the current traffic and battery life. But with the release of the first sports car that runs on pure electricity ? Tesla ? these 2 issues are put to rest. However, the technology has yet to completely take off. There may be developments here and there but aside from Tesla, there are very few (plug-in) electric cars on the market today. Aside from this, electric cars are very expensive. The next best option, then, is to go hybrid. Hybrid cars have electric motor and diesel or gasoline engine (there are other types of hybrid cars). Although they are more expensive than regular cars with diesel or gasoline engine, they have the best fuel mileage the market can readily offer.

Hydrogen

The most abundant element on earth is hydrogen so it is only fitting to use it as a form of energy. But you cannot get hydrogen for free; it can be made by electrically splitting (electrolyze) water to its basic components ? hydrogen and oxygen. In a sense, a hydrogen-powered car runs on water. Unfortunately, the market has yet to see mass-produced hydrogen cars.

You may have noticed that almost all alternative fuels have a problem of their own. But with the undergoing development and constant research, it won’t be long before we see our vehicles running effectively from any of these alternative fuels.

Industrial Diesel Engines

Industrial diesel engines are any engines that are used
for industrial purposes that run on diesel. Industrial
diesel engines are used to power a major portion of
industrial machinery, from motorbikes to bulldozers,
generators, and even forklifts and trucks. They range
in size from a few pounds to a few tons, with a various
amount of power.

The use of diesel engines is mandated by several large
organizations. All NATO machinery for example, runs on
either diesel or aviation grade kerosene. At the
current level of technology, fossil fuels, and especially
diesel are the most economical and convenient means
of supplying power to a variety of equipment and
even backup generators.

All industrial diesel engines can be either air cooled
or water cooled. The smallest engines for residential
purposes will typically provide about 10kW and cost
a few thousand USD. These smaller scale engines power
much of the mobile machinery we see around us on a
daily basis, such as trucks, farm equipment, small
boats, stationary process machinery, earth movers,
and so on.

The medium scale industrial diesel engines can provide
levels between a few hundred kW and a few thousand
kW and are sold for prices in usually the thousands
of dollars. These types are used in larger machinery
such as larger mining equipment, oil rigs, trains,
large boats, military equipment, and much more.

The largest of industrial diesel engines provide 10,000
to 80,000 kW, sold in the millions of dollars, and
are used for ultra heavy equipment, electric power
generation, and the largest of ships. Large industrial
engines can be up to 49 feet side and run on low
grade diesels. In places such as China, where there
is a high demand for de-centralized power sources,
these types of engines are often utilized.

Industral engines are classified in terms of their
speed, or RPM (Rotations Per Minute). High RPM
engines are normally used for the lighter, more common
applications, such as trucks and other types of land
equipment.

Medium RPM engines are generally used for power
generation. Low RPM ranges, and high torque engines
are used for the biggest type of equipment, such as
marine equipment and applications.

For the most part, industrial diesel engines can
vary in terms of size and performance. Chances are,
you’ve either seen or used industrial equipment at
some point in time. Although they cost a lot of
money, they are the way to go with bigger equipment
for getting the job done right the first time.

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