Biodiesel Blending Quick Guide

Slide1: 

Biodiesel Blending Options Biodiesel is blended into diesel fuel via three primary means: 1. B100 splash blended with diesel fuel by the distributor at the time the delivery truck is loaded. Blending only at the end-users tank is not recommended unless thorough precautions are taken to ensure adequate mixing. 2. Pre-blended (via a variety of means) by a jobber or distribution company in bulk storage tanks and offered for sale as a finished blend, often B20 or B2. 3. Blended at a petroleum terminal with automated equipment. This method, though not yet offered in very many locations (One terminal in Virginia has announced plans to offer rack injection blending as of June 2007), ensures complete blending and reduces handling costs for distributors. Splash Blending An operation where the biodiesel and diesel fuel are loaded into a common vessel from the same or separate sources, with some mixing occurring as the fuels are pumped into a common tank. The vessel is usually an individual fuel tank on a fuel delivery truck (or a drum or tote). Once the fuels are splash-blended onto a delivery truck, additional mixing occurs as the truck travels to customers. This approach can be successful if agitation is adequate, but is not recommended practice, especially in cold weather. Little or no mixing can occur if biodiesel is loaded first into an empty delivery truck tank on a very cold day. Pre Blending The biodiesel and diesel fuel are blended by the distributor and bulk-stored in that blended form before loading onto a delivery truck. Created by Virginia Clean Cities in partnership with DMME.

Slide2: 

Created by Virginia Clean Cities in partnership with DMME. Visit us on the web: www.hrccc.org Biodiesel Blending Options In-Line (Injection) Blending The biodiesel is added to a stream of diesel fuel as it travels through a pipe or hose in such a way that the biodiesel and diesel fuel become thoroughly mixed by the turbulent movement through the pipe—and by the additional mixing that occurs as the fuels enter the receiving vessel. The biodiesel is added slowly and continuously into the moving stream of diesel fuel via a smaller line inserted or ‘Y’ in a larger pipe, or the biodiesel can be added in small slug or pulsed quantities spread evenly throughout the time the petrodiesel is being loaded. This is similar to the way most additives are blended into diesel fuel today and is most commonly used at pipeline terminals and racks. Some distributors carry B100 and petrodiesel in separate truck compartments and blend the two fuels with separate metered pumps operating simultaneously at high speeds. These methods offer superior consistency and lower operational costs. Tests to determine if fuel is thoroughly mixed: 1. A top, middle, and bottom sample of the tank contents (see ASTM D405712 for the proper way to take a representative sample of a tank) can be taken and analyzed for the percent biodiesel using infra-red spectroscopy or by measuring the specific gravity or density. See the www.biodiesel.org for more details. 2. Put the samples from the three layers in a freezer with a thermometer and check every 5 minutes until the fuel in one of the samples begins to crystallize. Record that temperature. Then, check every couple of minutes or so until all three samples show crystallization. Compare the crystallization temperatures on all three samples, they should be within 5-6°F (3°C). If not, the fuel will require agitation to mix thoroughly.