What happens when different diesel fuel is used

[Old Tele man]

...here's some interesting reading about the testing results of U.S. Army switching from diesel fuel (DF2) to jet fuel (JP8) in various diesel-powered vehicles:

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc...f&AD=ADA216275

[Odin]

looks like right at the start it doesn't sound promising "s determined that substitution of JP-8 for DF-2 reduced the acceleration rates, and thus power, of all vehicles tested except one, Also, all vehicles tested, except for the M88AI light recovery vehicles, had fuel consumption increases with JP-8 "

it seems like it would be more practical for them to try and just come up with a blend of both for everything, keeping the higher energy density of diesel and the resistance to gelling that jp-8 has-
plus i hear they have mass research into algae bio diesel but won't do it till petrol is too much.

[instarx]

Originally Posted by Odin

looks like right at the start it doesn't sound promising "s determined that substitution of JP-8 for DF-2 ...
it seems like it would be more practical for them to try and just come up with a blend of both for everything, keeping the higher energy density of diesel and the resistance to gelling that jp-8 has-
plus i hear they have mass research into algae bio diesel but won't do it till petrol is too much.

The switch to JP-8 was quite promising because it has already been done. Note that this report was written 22 years ago in 1989. The military currently uses JP-8 or slight variants for all their diesel-powered vehicles and aircraft. The logistics of handling one fuel type alone eliminated huge costs. Additionally, as stated in the report, JP-8 has superior cold weather characteristics (a distinct advantage when you are being attacked in the cold and you need to get your tanks running).

I was at the South Pole in Antarctica over the past winter and except for a few snowmobiles every engine on the station used AN-8 (JP-8 with some de-icing additives) as fuel. Those engines are run in temperatures as low as -100F. At those temperatures the metal tracks on bulldozers break, but the engines keep running on AN-8. It is very convenient that the LC-130 supply planes use exactly the same fuel as the station's generators, cranes, bulldozers and tracked vehicles, so if the planes have spare fuel in their fuel tanks when they land the station gets it. Having one all-temperature fuel for all your vehicles from aircraft to bulldozers is a huge logistical advantage. Any minor loss in individual vehicle efficiency is more than made up for in efficiencies elsewhere.

[Old Tele man]

...I'm glad someone immediately understood the implications--"universal fuel"--and, had actual "hands-on" experience with the results.

...for, me, I actually participated in some of the early "hot weather" tests conducted at YPG, so I knew it was "planned" but because I left Civil Service, never knew the final results.

...what I thought would be of interest to ecomodder readers was the fact that not all engines responded the same way to the new fuel--some went up, some had no change, and others went down as predicted...sorta like what happens with our own cars!