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Additives for Diesel Fuels

Diesel blending

Good performance of diesel engines requires high quality fuels.  But in practice, it is not so simple to find it.  The purchased fuel may be inadequate in terms of cetane number, may be contaminated and unadapted for use at different periods of the year.  In the case of use of low-quality diesel fuel, the condition of engine can deteriorate, which may lead to its failure over time.

To prevent such consequences, special additives have been developed that can perform different functions: increase cetane number, reduce the intensity of oxidation and corrosion processes, and reduce smoke content in exhaust gases.

Additives are differentiated by the way of addition: those that are added directly to the tank, and those that are added in the injection system and are not mixed with fuel.  Their effectiveness is somewhat different.  While the first type of additives cleans the entire fuel system, the second type restores only injection system.

Antigel

Increased wax content in diesel fuel leads to its high self-ignition capacity in summer, and thickening in winter as the temperature decreases.  Paraffin molecules begin to stick together, and it simply can’t pass through a fine filter.  The filtering device is clogged and does not let diesel fuel pass into the engine, which is highly undesirable.  Therefore, special additives, antigels, are added to fuel.  They prevent the formation of paraffin agglomerates and improve the properties of diesel fuel.

How to properly use additives?

It should be noted that the introduction of additives to diesel fuel is only possible if the fuel is in a liquid state.  In the case when fuel has already turned into a gel, it is not possible to restore it with additives.  It is recommended to carry out the mixing of additives at a temperature which is 10 °C higher than the pour point.

It is worth remembering that the effective concentration of an additive is always indicated on its package, and its increase will not lead to a further improvement of diesel fuel properties.

The effectiveness of additives also depends on the initial quality of diesel fuel.  That is why it is recommended to buy fuel only on approved gas stations.

Before adding several additives it is necessary to study carefully both their composition and characteristics of their action.  The fact is that you can purchase incompatible additives that could cause engine to seize.

Today there is a lot of controversy around additives for diesel fuel, and there is no general opinion on their effectiveness.  Therefore, the use of this method of improving diesel fuel is an entirely private matter of each car user.

Quality mixing of additives with diesel fuels

Industrial mixing of additives with diesel fuel requires special equipment.  Existing technologies are not able to fully ensure the quality of mixing, therefore, diesel fuel breakdown into individual components occurs in time.  Given this fact, GlobeCore company began the development of new equipment, which would be devoid of this shortcoming.  The scientific research of the company’s engineering department resulted in market appearance of USB-type plants.  The advantage of this equipment is that the use of injection method and hydrodynamic shock can increase the cetane number of fuel, and the breakdown of the resulting product does not occur for at least 180 days.

Diesel Fuel: How to Determine Its Cetane Number?

Diesel blending

When selecting fuel for your car you should in the first place pay attention to its quality.  Perhaps the most significant of these indicators is its cetane number.  This parameter characterizes the ability of diesel fuels to ignite. In fact, it is the time required for combustion initiation from the moment of fuel injection into a cylinder.  The higher the cetane number, the smaller the time interval, and the higher engine power.

To some extent, cetane number can characterize ecological compatibility of diesel fuel because its combustibility depends on the hydrocarbon content.    For example, paraffin compounds ignite fairly rapidly, whereas aromatic hydrocarbons have the opposite property.

The use of diesel fuel with cetane number of less than 40 will result in the engine being more rough at idle.  This situation is fraught with rapid wear of bearings and other components, which emit the characteristic knocking sound during engine operation.

Determination of cetane number is based on its value equal to the percentage of cetane in the mixture thereof with alpha-methyl naphthalene in a fuel equivalent.  When calculating, the flammability of cetane is assumed to be 100%, and that of alpha-methyl naphthalene is 0%.  In the course of the tests the time of self-ignition of fuel is compared to that of the fuel equivalent.  Here is an example.  If the time of diesel fuel ignition in the combustion chamber is equal to ignition time of 40% mixture of alpha-methyl naphthalene with cetane, the cetane number of the tested fuel will be equal to 40.

Now the question arises:  what to do if the values do not meet the requirements?  Is it possible to increase cetane number?  The answer is definite:  yes, surely.

For this purpose, special additives are added to diesel fuel.  To obtain a homogeneous and nonvolatile product, a GlobeCore USB plants for mixing fuel and additives can be used.  This equipment is designed for mixing from two to five separate components, in particular poor quality diesel fuel with additives.

When using conventional methods of blending known today, fuel tends to break down when separate components are added to it.

The advantage of the unit is that the use of injection method and hydrodynamic shock can increase the cetane number of fuel, and the breakdown of the resulting product does not occur for at least 180 days.

Production of Liquid Soap

Articles
Production of Liquid Soap

Liquid soap is an analogue of solid soap, which includes fewer harmful alkalis. Because of this it does not irritate skin and does not dry it as much as solid soap.  Also, the advantages of this product include the fact that it does not dry and doesn’t turn mushy in case of contact with water.

Hydrolytic interaction between esters of fatty acids and alkali is used to produce liquid soap.  Sometimes this process is called saponification.  Obtaining this product also requires fats with rosin additives, fatty and naphthenic acids, tall oil and additional ingredients to impart useful properties (softening, moisturizing, etc.).

There are several ways of producing liquid soap.  The first one is planing and melting solid soap.  This approach requires the use of bulky and non-standard equipment, so it is used relatively infrequently.  The second way is the so-called hot technology: heating of fats with their saponification with alkali.  It is followed by cooling.  The third way is the cold method that allows using a variety of mixers designed for other tasks.

A standard set of equipment for the production of liquid soap is as follows: mixer, mill, molding machine, automatic stapming machine, and refrigerator.

Mixing equipment has the dominant influence on the quality of the final product.  Today there are many devices with similar functions available in the market.  But most of them can not fully ensure that individual components of the product will not break down over the desired period of time.

GlobeCore USB type plants are free from this deficiency.  They are intended for mixing and dissolution of any liquids (two to five component parts).  A special feature of this equipment is the use of injection method and hydrodynamic shock, which ensures that liquid soap will not break down for a long time.

Modern hydrodynamic (inline) mixing plants have proven themselves in industrial use as cost-effective, accurate and sustainable means of production of high-quality liquid soap, shampoos and other beauty products with optimal cost.  The achievable cost savings and increase of production profitability, compared to conventional technology of mixing components in mixing vessels, can accelerate the return on investment up to 60% per year and provide a return on the project during a period of one year or less.

Blending of Diesel Fuel With Vegetable Additives

Diesel blending
Blending of Diesel Fuel

Every year the TV and other mass-media warn us about the global warming, holes in the ozone layer and other ecological problems. Obviously, this is an attempt to attract public attention and start active countermeasures.

Biodiesel and bioethanol as panacea?

Large-scale implementation of the so-called alternative fuels is offered as one component of a package of measures. As envisioned by ecologists, they can reduce the amount of hazardous emissions and, in time, improve the existing situation. “Biodiesel” and “Bioethanol” – these words are used with increasing frequency. Let’s try to figure out what surprises or bonuses are possible with the application of these fuels.

First of all let’s discuss environmental friendliness. As only natural components are used for production of biofuels, their combustion does not create large amounts of emissions compared with the combustion of fossil fuels. Second, let’s specify such biofuel property as biodegradability. If released into the environment, biofuel not only creates no pollution, but almost completely decays within a month due to microorganisms. Fossil fuel even in a small quantity spoils large amounts of water, pollutes soil and causes mass mortality of animals.

But something is Rotten in the State of Denmark. The main problem of biofuels application is that they cannot be used in existing internal combustion engines. For example, ethanol is a harmful for engine surfaces and fuel system. Biodiesel parameters also differ from parameters of fossil diesel fuel. Yes, you can say that straight biofuels nevertheless can be used at one’s own risk. Let’s chance it. But in this case no automotive manufacturer will give you warranty on their products. The logical question is “Do we need these problems?”

There are two possible ways out of this situation. First, development of revolutionary new engine specially designed for application of straight biofuels. Frankly speaking, these engines have already been created and more research is in progress. But mass implementation of them in foreseeable future is unlikely.

The other way does not stipulate changes of existing design of internal combustion engines and involves application of blended fuels. The main idea is this: vegetable additives are added in small amount into fossil diesel fuel and gasoline. In this case, they change the properties of original fuel insignificantly and the engine can work as usual. This is not a complete solution of ecological problems, but it’s a good start on the way to gradual transition.

In the USA, В2 and В20 grades of diesel fuels are successfully used. They consist of a blend of diesel and biodiesel fuels. In the former case vegetable additive amounts to 2%, and in the latter to 20%. In the European Union there are Е10 and Е20 fuel grades. Their components are gasoline and ethanol. Percentage is determined likewise from the name.

Production of blended fuels

Even the name of “blended fuel” implies that the key role in its production is played by mixing. Even a brief review of the existing methods of blending shows that most of them are unable to ensure stabilityof a product for more than 30 days. Obviously, this is not enough. Especially taking into account the fact that many transportation companies prefer bulk purchasing of fuel to protect themselves from market fluctuations.

With this in mind, GlobeCore has developed USB blending plants. The main feature of this product is the application of several physical processes including injection and hydrodynamic shock. The combination ensures high quality blending of fuels, which do not separate for at least 180 days.

Production of Blended Fuels

Fuel blending
Blended Fuels

Although blending fuel issue is relatively young, it increasingly attracts attention of both young and experienced automobilists. Having heard the phrase “blending fuel”, they try to find out what it is and whether it is possible to use it in their cars.

Let’s try to sort everything out. Appearance of blending fuels became possible due to the shortage of oil reserves in most countries. One of the possible alternatives is the introduction of alcohols as biolfuel. Currently the market of bioethanol worlwide shows annual growth of 20-25%. According to forecasts of industry experts, industrial production of this fuel may achieve 120 billion liters by 2020.

In most cases bio-ethanol acts as an additive to gasoline. Blending fuels, obtained on the base of these two components are marked by Е letter followed by a figure showing the percentage of ethanol. For example, grades of blending fuels Е5 and Е7 contain 5 and 7 percent of ethanol respectively. Application of this fuel does not require any changes of the automobile engine, unlike Е85, Е95 and Е96. Smooth use of the above fuels requires fuel supply and ignition system adjustment.

Wider implementation of ethanol into fuel industry can reduce dependence of a country on foreign oil imports and the amount of hazardous emissions.

Production of blended fuels

General process of blended fuel production includes emulsification of low-octane gasoline with ethanol. As a result, the blend has a higher octane number. Specific value of this parameter depends on volume of injected ethanol, in practice it ranges from 8 to 20%.

To make blended fuel, the four stages, described below, must be consequently followed:

  1. preparation of initial components;
  2. continuous batching and dispersion of ethanol in gasoline;
  3. sampling of products and analysing to determine qualitative parameters;
  4. certification of finished products.

What equipment is the best for liquid blending?

GlobeCore would like to address petroleum storage depots, oil refineries, filling stations, bunkering and transporting companies to our USB series blending units. This equipment is designed specifically for blending of nearly all liquids.

If standard technologies are applied, the storage time of blended fuels does not exceed 30 days, while its complete residence time, for example, at filling stations is 40-50 days at the minimum. Application of USB units by Globecore helps to close this gap and to obtain a product which does not break down for at least 180 days.

This result is achieved due to application of several physical principles simultaneously: Venturi effect, cavitation, acoustic effect, etc.

SPECIFICATIONS OF THE MOST POPULAR USB MODELS

Parameters

USB-5/3

USB-5/5

USB-18/3

USB-18/5

USB-40/3

USB-60/3

USB-60/5

USB-100/3

USB-100/5

Capacity, m3/hour

5

5

18

18

40

60

60

100

100/150

Number of blended fluids

2…3

2…5

2…3

2…5

2…3

2…3

2…5

2…3

2…5

Consumption of the main component, m3/hour

3.5

3.5

11

11.5

30 (40)

50 (57)

50.0

100

100

Consumption of additives, m3/hour
* inlet I

0.25..2.5

0.25..2,5

0.25..2.5

2..7

0.5..3.5

0.5..3,5

0.1..1.0

0.4…4

3…30
* inlet II

0.1..1.0

0.1..1.0

0.1..1.0

0.5..3.5

0.1..1.0

0.1..1.0

0.0..0.02

0.4…4

3…30
* inlet III

–

–

–

0.5..3.5

–

–

0.25..2.5

–

0.05…0,5
* inlet IV

–

–

–

0.15..0.65

–

–

0.5..6.3

–

0.4…5

Supply pressure, MPa

0.8

0.8

0.8

0.8

0.8

0.8

0.8

0.8

0.8

Power consumption, kW

2.7

2.7

15

118

36

45

45

55

55

Delivery head, m, мах

up to 10

up to 10

up to 10

up to 10

up to 10

up to 10

up to 10

up to 10

up to 10

Overall dimensions, mm
**length

500

500

500

500

700

700

1000

2000

2000
**width

300

300

500

600

900

1200

1500

1400

1400

Production of Antifreeze

Articles
Production of Antifreeze

Antifreeze is a substance that is massively used by car owners for cleaning their windshields in the cold season.  Despite the apparent complexity of antifreeze manufacturing process it is quite simple and, if desired, the product can be made even at home.

This requires alcohol, purified water, ethylene glycol, fragrances, surfactants and dyes.  These are the original components used by modern manufacturers of antifreeze.

The choice of alcohol is largely determined by which substances are approved for use in the automotive chemical production in a particular country. Water must be pre-cleaned and must not have any sediment.  As for color, there is no need to reinvent the wheel.  You can decide on a traditional light-blue hue.

Antifreeze production technology includes the following successive steps:

  1. water purification;
  2. mixing of all ingredients;
  3. heating of the mixture;
  4. bottling of the finished product.

When working with small fluid volumes at home there should not arise any problems at any of the stages.  In the case of industrial antifreeze production, the second stage is probably most important.  Mixing a large amount of raw materials is not so simple, considering that it is necessary to ensure that it does not break down into individual components during the subsequent storage and use for its intended purpose.  Therefore, the choice of equipment for blending should be approached very carefully and attentively.

For our part we can recommend the USB-type plants developed by GlobeCore. This equipment is designed for mixing of several components and obtain highly stable mixtures.

When using conventional methods of blending, known to date, antifreeze tends to break down when adding individual component parts.

The peculiarity of the proposed facility is the usage of injection method and hydrodynamic shock can ensure stability of the resulting product for at least 180 days.

Modern hydrodynamic (inline) mixing plants have proven themselves in industrial use as cost-effective, accurate and sustainable means of production of high-quality non-freezing liquids with optimal cost.  The achievable cost savings and increase of profitability, compared to a conventional technology of components mixing in special vessels, can accelerate the return on investment up to 60% per year and provide a return on the project for a period of one year or less.

Fuel saving additives

Additive blending

Additives are special substances added to gasoline to improve it. There is usually an additive for each type of fuel properties. This article deals with fuel economy additives.

The product may come in the form of liquid of capsules. Fuel saving additives include several active components increasing the octane number. Some of the widely used additives are lead tetraethyl, alcohols, naphthalene, acetone, manganese compounds etc.

lead tetraethyl reduces smoke and noise. Alcohols increase octane number and improve combustion. Naphthalene improves quality of the fuel and improves mileage.

Special equipment should be used in oil refining to mix additives with fuel. Most of the modern methods of mixing do not ensure the required homogeneity and stability of the oil product. This results in stratification and separation in storage.

GlobeCore’s USB units are free from this drawback. These units can mix up to five liquid components. The process occurs in the hydrodynamic mixer, for all components simultaneously, with output to general blending collector, according to blend formula.

The design of the USB units allows the use of injection method and hydrodynamic shock to increase the octane number of gasoline without separation of the blend for at least 180 days.

Some of the advantages of GlobeCore technologies are:

  • precise portioning;
  • fast mixing;
  • no need to use mixing tanks for product homogenization.

GlobeCore’s USB unit is a reliable product for oil refineries and filling stations interested in improving the quality of their gasoline.

Increasing fuel cetane number

Fuel blending

We often hear the words “high quality diesel fuel». What are the criteria which define fuel quality? Cetane number is the most important parameter. It defines the ability of the fuel to ignite. In essence, it indicates the rate at which the pressure grows in piston engines when fuel ignites from pressure.

Higher cetane number means faster ignition, uniform growth of pressure and regular smooth engine running.

The theoretical range of cetane number is 0 to 100. Zero is the cetane number of alphamethylnaphtalene, 100 is the cetane number of hexadecane (cetane).

The logical question is can cetane number be increased? Large amounts of low quality diesel are often kept in storage. They could be used as fuel without damage to the engine and fuel system.

Additives are used for practical increase of cetane number. The most popular are thionitrites, amyl nitrates, acetic peroxide.

Cetane number is increased by using amyl nitrite. If 1.5% of the substance is added to diesel fuel with cetane number of 26 to 55, the parameter grows by four points on average.

To use additives with large volume of fuel, special equipment is required, since most of the existing mixing methods cannot ensure homogeneity and stability of the finished product.

The USB type blending system by GlobeCore is designed for mixing of any two to five liquid streams, in particular, low quality diesel fuel with additives. This equipment is designed for oil refineries and filling stations.

A feature of the unit is that the use of injection and hydrodynamic shock allows to increase cetane number of diesel fuel and keep the mix stable to at least 180 days.

Modern hydrodynamic (stream) systems have proven themselves to be reliable in industrial operation as economic, precise and stable units for production of high quality motor fuel at optimal cost.

In the process of blending, the flow rate of each component is constantly adjusted to ensure consistent product quality as per the formulation.

The economy and profit margin, compared to the existing mixing methods, allow to accelerate return on investment by 60% per year and make the project reach break even point in less than a year.

Facts about non-freezing windshield wash

Articles

The windscreen is a very important part of any vehicle, through which the driver evaluates the road situation to make decisions. In summer, the glass can be kept clean using regular water, but in winter time this obviously will not work. The windscreen wash system can be ruined by the freezing water.

Special non-freezing liquids are used in the cold season. A good quality of the washing liquid can handle glass cleaning even in cold weather, and efficiently remove dirt, film and ice.

So what are the ingredients of window wash liquids? First of all, they include surfactants, with washing effect. To keep the glass clean, a 1-2% surfactant solution is sufficient. Aromatizers and dyes are also needed. The former remove odors, the latter make the product look better. Water is also important: distilled water is the best choice. Regular tap water does not work, because it will cause sediment of mineral salts and chalk, scratching the windshield glass.

The most important part, which prevents the non-freezing fluid from freezing – alcohol. Ethanol and isopropyl are mostly harmless for humans. Methanol is cheaper, but cannot be used to make washing fluid, being highly toxic. Vapor coming in through ventilation system can poison the driver and passengers. Vertigo, dizziness, visual impairment, neurological and vascular system damage are some of the effects.

One of the most important things is that the declared minimal temperature compoes with the actual one. The fluid must not leave traces after use. It must also not be aggressive to the paint of the vehicle, plastic and rubber parts of the automobile etc.

Fuel saving additives: types and methods of blending

Additive blending

Fuel economy additives are special substances resembling lube oil. They can be added either directly into a vehicle’s fuel tank or into a fuel storage tank. There is a wide variety of fuel additives in the market.

Depending on their function, the additives may be divided into several types. Antifriction additives, as the name suggests, reduce friction between moving parts of the engine. These additives are effective, but not in terms of fuel savings, which is no more than 5%. Restoration additives restore worn internal surfaces in the engine. Those include small cracks in cylinder walls. This helps engine power and compression. Cleaning additives remove carbon deposits and other combustion products. Those additives are added into the oil when the oil is changed or during fuel filter change. Dehydration additives capture moisture to prevent freezing in cold weather. These protect the engine from premature wear, since even a few drops of water can be detrimental to its function.

Fuel saving additives are probably the most numerous additives in the market. Producers claim fuel savings of 15-20%.

When working with large volumes of fuel, introduction of additives requires special equipment. The thing is that most of the existing mixing methods simply cannot ensure consistent product homogeneity, causing quick separation.

GlobeCore’s USB blending unit are different. The blending system can mix any two to five fluids. Those may be low octane gasoline and additives, for instance. The unit’s main feature is that the use of injection and hydrodynamic shock increases the fuel’s octane (or cetane) number, preventing separation for 180 days.

Using the GlobeCore process improves fuel combustion and improves mileage, increasing engine power and preventing wear of the fuel system components.