What_is_Diesel_Fuel

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.