DF Sales&Marketing
Oil Tech Moderator
in part from equipment today magazine
The environmental protection agency (epa) published a new regulation in the federal register. It grants partial waivers to allow gasoline containing up to 15% ethanol (e15) to be introduced into commerce for use in model year 2001 and newer light-duty motor vehicles, subject to certain conditions.
As of August 15, 2011, e15 had not been registered with the epa and therefore is not yet legal for distribution or sales as a transportation fuel. But it is just a matter of time before it starts showing up at your local retailer, and this should be a cause of great concern if you run off-road gasoline engines or on-road vehicles older than the 2001 model year. This includes all outdoor power [and sport] Equipment: cut-off saws, rammers, pumps, generators, etc.
Reason for concerns
ethanol is a form of alcohol. “alcohol has inherent properties that cause issues with small engines for outdoor power equipment and these issues become more acute with increasing alcohol content,” says laura timm, communications director at briggs & stratton.
There are four main concerns: first, ethanol causes fuels to degrade more quickly and is corrosive to the fuel system components (fuel tanks, gaskets, hose, carburetors, fuel injectors, caps, etc.). All these components must function correctly to ensure that the engine continues to satisfy the environmental regulatory requirements and offer acceptable performance. Ethanol is a very effective detergent and can dislodge existing deposits, which subsequently obstruct fuel flow.
Second: ethanol changes the combustion chemistry. Fueling rates should be increased to compensate for ethanol content as the optimal air/fuel ratio for ethanol is different than for gasoline. In engines without closed loop fuel control, the fueling rate is not adjusted to compensate for ethanol content, potentially resulting in poor starting, higher operating temperatures, higher pollutant emissions and increased engine wear.
Third: ethanol content leads to greater phase separation. Ethanol has a greater affinity for water than gasoline and absorbs moisture from the air. Water displaces gasoline in the ethanol-gasoline mixture. At some concentration, the water-ethanol mixture separates from the gasoline and sinks to the bottom of the fuel tank due to its greater density. The fuel pick-ups on small engines are typically located at the bottom of the tank and are prone to draw only the ethanol-water mixture.
Fourth: ethanol has a lower energy content. Today’s small engines are primarily carbureted, meaning the air/fuel ratio is fixed unless the carburetor jetting is replaced. Unlike fuel injection systems, carbureted engines’ performance, starting ability and emissions May degrade as few consumers are likely to have engines properly adapted for e15 consumption
small engines simply were not
designed for e15. Even small changes in the amount of alcohol in fuel can have large consequences.
Reduced fuel shelf life
of course, new vehicles will be designed to use ethanol in higher concentrations. Fuel system components in newer vehicles are designed, developed and manufactured with ethanol-compatible materials, eliminating some chemical corrosion concerns. Newer vehicles are also unlikely to sit unused for extended periods of time and are less susceptible to fuel system corrosion and water absorption.
But even with newer vehicles, storage will be an issue. Ethanol changes the shelf life of fuel dramatically. Fuel that might have been good for six months or a year is now good for 30 days.
Equipment with small gas engines typically operates in seasons. At the end of the season, it is often put away without any maintenance. Extended periods provide time for ethanol to corrode fuel system components, absorb moisture from the air and loosen deposits. It’s imperative that you burn or drain the fuel before you store the product for the season.
Despite potential risks to equipment, it could show up at a pump near you.
Real potential for failure
the over-arching concern about the published rule on e15 is the potential for mis-fueling. The epa is counting on customers to read and abide by a warning label on the pump, which May be overlooked. In addition, retailers will not be required to carry gasoline with lower ethanol percentages. Since the price per gallon of e15 May be cheaper, depending upon fuel subsidies, it could become difficult to find stations that carry e10 fuel.
The label is very weak and unlikely to prevent mis-fueling at the pump. The label language is not assertive and does not inform consumers of the potential harm they are about to cause their engine. Further, the label will be completely ineffective if gasoline retailers switch entirely to e15 blends in all of their pumps. Consumers are likely to fill up with e15 instead of driving around town looking for a remaining e0 or e10 pump. Mis-fueling is likely to be rampant, however the epa has not specified how the fuel will be available at gas stations. Some ideas would include blender pumps, or separate pumps altogether with removal of mid-grade gas and re-labeling the pump.
The problem with a partial waiver is that the epa is approving the use of e15 in 2001 and newer vehicles, while depending upon consumers to read a warning label at the pump to avoid putting the fuel in non-approved products. That is not how we fuel our product. What goes in the car goes in the can. What goes in the can goes in the chain saw and the generator and the snowmobile.
Consumers are also driven by purchase price. It is likely that people will use lower priced gasoline for their outdoor power equipment, that is likely to be the e15 grade. Remember, there is less energy in ethanol so it is likely to be cheaper. People May not associate the cost difference with the fact that they are going to have to buy more fuel.
Initial tests conducted by the department of energy on outdoor power equipment indicate potential risks. There were performance irregularities , too much heat, absolute engine failure and accidental clutch engagement. That prospect is scary if you have an open-bladed, clutched piece of equipment and the blade engages when the machine is in neutral.
The possibility of catastrophic failure is real. Ethanol damage is permanent and irreversible, it is not like running bad octane. Say you are a big landscaper and you send your crew out to fuel all of the equipment. If they get the wrong fuel, they can destroy every piece of equipment you own. This is probably not covered by warranty, since most equipment is only warranted to run on e10.
In addition, water and alcohol don’t mix, if you are in a water environment or you are in a humid environment, alcohol absorbs water and then the fuel separates. You have certainly changed the ability of the fuel to mix. If you have a two-cycle engine and are trying to mix oil and gas, the alcohol can more strongly inhibit the mix, so you have a hard time keeping the mix stable and in place.
To sum it up
the primary concerns about ethanol (whether e10, e15 or even e85) is that it absorbs water which among other things can produce a phenomena called phase separation. Depending upon which expert you talk with gasoline/ethanol blends can accommodate between 0.5 and 0.6% water with no serious problems. Above that saturation point, phase separation begins to occur which causes the water and ethanol to drop to the bottom of the tank and render an engine inoperable.
Regardless of what at least one company claims, phase separation cannot be reversed. In most cases the only practical solution is to drain the tank and refill with good fuel. (in some cases, adding more ethanol can work.)
other issues are fuel system corrosion, filter clogging, solubility of fuel additives, additive fallout and increased deposits in the intake tract and intake valve areas. Use of ethanol blends also has a tendency to make the crankcase environment harsher because it does not atomize as well as straight gasoline and produces more blow by contamination. In automobiles, significantly higher catalytic converter temperatures are also associated with ethanol at full throttle as well as somewhat reduced fuel economy. So there are a whole set of problems associated with ethanol. The jury is still out on exactly how much impact they have in the real world, particularly regarding e15.
The environmental protection agency (epa) published a new regulation in the federal register. It grants partial waivers to allow gasoline containing up to 15% ethanol (e15) to be introduced into commerce for use in model year 2001 and newer light-duty motor vehicles, subject to certain conditions.
As of August 15, 2011, e15 had not been registered with the epa and therefore is not yet legal for distribution or sales as a transportation fuel. But it is just a matter of time before it starts showing up at your local retailer, and this should be a cause of great concern if you run off-road gasoline engines or on-road vehicles older than the 2001 model year. This includes all outdoor power [and sport] Equipment: cut-off saws, rammers, pumps, generators, etc.
Reason for concerns
ethanol is a form of alcohol. “alcohol has inherent properties that cause issues with small engines for outdoor power equipment and these issues become more acute with increasing alcohol content,” says laura timm, communications director at briggs & stratton.
There are four main concerns: first, ethanol causes fuels to degrade more quickly and is corrosive to the fuel system components (fuel tanks, gaskets, hose, carburetors, fuel injectors, caps, etc.). All these components must function correctly to ensure that the engine continues to satisfy the environmental regulatory requirements and offer acceptable performance. Ethanol is a very effective detergent and can dislodge existing deposits, which subsequently obstruct fuel flow.
Second: ethanol changes the combustion chemistry. Fueling rates should be increased to compensate for ethanol content as the optimal air/fuel ratio for ethanol is different than for gasoline. In engines without closed loop fuel control, the fueling rate is not adjusted to compensate for ethanol content, potentially resulting in poor starting, higher operating temperatures, higher pollutant emissions and increased engine wear.
Third: ethanol content leads to greater phase separation. Ethanol has a greater affinity for water than gasoline and absorbs moisture from the air. Water displaces gasoline in the ethanol-gasoline mixture. At some concentration, the water-ethanol mixture separates from the gasoline and sinks to the bottom of the fuel tank due to its greater density. The fuel pick-ups on small engines are typically located at the bottom of the tank and are prone to draw only the ethanol-water mixture.
Fourth: ethanol has a lower energy content. Today’s small engines are primarily carbureted, meaning the air/fuel ratio is fixed unless the carburetor jetting is replaced. Unlike fuel injection systems, carbureted engines’ performance, starting ability and emissions May degrade as few consumers are likely to have engines properly adapted for e15 consumption
small engines simply were not
designed for e15. Even small changes in the amount of alcohol in fuel can have large consequences.
Reduced fuel shelf life
of course, new vehicles will be designed to use ethanol in higher concentrations. Fuel system components in newer vehicles are designed, developed and manufactured with ethanol-compatible materials, eliminating some chemical corrosion concerns. Newer vehicles are also unlikely to sit unused for extended periods of time and are less susceptible to fuel system corrosion and water absorption.
But even with newer vehicles, storage will be an issue. Ethanol changes the shelf life of fuel dramatically. Fuel that might have been good for six months or a year is now good for 30 days.
Equipment with small gas engines typically operates in seasons. At the end of the season, it is often put away without any maintenance. Extended periods provide time for ethanol to corrode fuel system components, absorb moisture from the air and loosen deposits. It’s imperative that you burn or drain the fuel before you store the product for the season.
Despite potential risks to equipment, it could show up at a pump near you.
Real potential for failure
the over-arching concern about the published rule on e15 is the potential for mis-fueling. The epa is counting on customers to read and abide by a warning label on the pump, which May be overlooked. In addition, retailers will not be required to carry gasoline with lower ethanol percentages. Since the price per gallon of e15 May be cheaper, depending upon fuel subsidies, it could become difficult to find stations that carry e10 fuel.
The label is very weak and unlikely to prevent mis-fueling at the pump. The label language is not assertive and does not inform consumers of the potential harm they are about to cause their engine. Further, the label will be completely ineffective if gasoline retailers switch entirely to e15 blends in all of their pumps. Consumers are likely to fill up with e15 instead of driving around town looking for a remaining e0 or e10 pump. Mis-fueling is likely to be rampant, however the epa has not specified how the fuel will be available at gas stations. Some ideas would include blender pumps, or separate pumps altogether with removal of mid-grade gas and re-labeling the pump.
The problem with a partial waiver is that the epa is approving the use of e15 in 2001 and newer vehicles, while depending upon consumers to read a warning label at the pump to avoid putting the fuel in non-approved products. That is not how we fuel our product. What goes in the car goes in the can. What goes in the can goes in the chain saw and the generator and the snowmobile.
Consumers are also driven by purchase price. It is likely that people will use lower priced gasoline for their outdoor power equipment, that is likely to be the e15 grade. Remember, there is less energy in ethanol so it is likely to be cheaper. People May not associate the cost difference with the fact that they are going to have to buy more fuel.
Initial tests conducted by the department of energy on outdoor power equipment indicate potential risks. There were performance irregularities , too much heat, absolute engine failure and accidental clutch engagement. That prospect is scary if you have an open-bladed, clutched piece of equipment and the blade engages when the machine is in neutral.
The possibility of catastrophic failure is real. Ethanol damage is permanent and irreversible, it is not like running bad octane. Say you are a big landscaper and you send your crew out to fuel all of the equipment. If they get the wrong fuel, they can destroy every piece of equipment you own. This is probably not covered by warranty, since most equipment is only warranted to run on e10.
In addition, water and alcohol don’t mix, if you are in a water environment or you are in a humid environment, alcohol absorbs water and then the fuel separates. You have certainly changed the ability of the fuel to mix. If you have a two-cycle engine and are trying to mix oil and gas, the alcohol can more strongly inhibit the mix, so you have a hard time keeping the mix stable and in place.
To sum it up
the primary concerns about ethanol (whether e10, e15 or even e85) is that it absorbs water which among other things can produce a phenomena called phase separation. Depending upon which expert you talk with gasoline/ethanol blends can accommodate between 0.5 and 0.6% water with no serious problems. Above that saturation point, phase separation begins to occur which causes the water and ethanol to drop to the bottom of the tank and render an engine inoperable.
Regardless of what at least one company claims, phase separation cannot be reversed. In most cases the only practical solution is to drain the tank and refill with good fuel. (in some cases, adding more ethanol can work.)
other issues are fuel system corrosion, filter clogging, solubility of fuel additives, additive fallout and increased deposits in the intake tract and intake valve areas. Use of ethanol blends also has a tendency to make the crankcase environment harsher because it does not atomize as well as straight gasoline and produces more blow by contamination. In automobiles, significantly higher catalytic converter temperatures are also associated with ethanol at full throttle as well as somewhat reduced fuel economy. So there are a whole set of problems associated with ethanol. The jury is still out on exactly how much impact they have in the real world, particularly regarding e15.
