I went to fill the wifes TDI the other day and I ran into a diesel fuel called GDiesel Clear Diesel...never heard of it before. So I start doing some searching and it appears to be produced by a secondary refiner, Advanced Refining Concepts in Sparks, NV. They do a re-refining process adding natural gas (methane) to the ULSD...interesting. Here is their description:

WHAT IS GDIESEL?

GDiesel® is the next generation diesel fuel which meets or exceeds all ASTM D975 standards for diesel fuel. It is the output of a patented refining process known as ClearRefining®, which combines Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) with natural gas to produce GDiesel® with superior characteristics. GDiesel® requires no modifications to new or existing engines, vehicles, engine pumps or fuel storage tanks.

WHAT IS CLEARREFINING?

ClearRefining® is a patented, closedloop catalytic process that efficiently “re-refines” ULSD fuels by transforming asymmetric hydrocarbon distribution into a more uniform output with better physical and performance characteristics. Unique to the ClearRefining® process is its environmentally-friendly, low profile footprint, which offers modular production capacity scalability in increments of 100,000 gals/day. ClearRefining® is highly automated and offers safe operating conditions thanks to its low pressure (less than 10 psi) and low temperature (under 300 °F) processing requirement.

 

Interesting. I haven't seen any around here. I wonder how they bond the gas molecules to the liquid molecules? Sounds like they are using a "proprietary catalyst" to hold it all together in this article. CNG usually has less BTU than gasoline, but burns cleaner. It states diesel absorbs the NG and grows by about 10%. I would hope their fuel would be cheaper using "filler fuel", but probably not.

A 'Hamburger Helper' for Diesel Fuel - NYTimes.com

 

This is exactly the type of publicity diesel needs. DEF only goes so far, I think the idea of a secondary additive is still discouraging to the average consumer. Inconvenient and, "just more chemicals."

People need to educate themselves and realize diesel is cleaner, and has a much lower overall carbon footprint than hybrid/electric power.

 

They aren't bonding the methane to the diesel molecules as far as I can determine. Apparently they are using a catalytic process where the methane (CH4) is broken apart and the constituent hydrogen atoms and carbon atom bond to the diesel molecule.

 

Correct. I didn't fully read this line.

"In its refinery, Advanced Refining Concepts bubbles the gas through the diesel fuel. In the presence of a proprietary catalyst, the methane and the diesel fuel react chemically, with the diesel fuel pulling apart the methane and absorbing its component atoms, hydrogen and carbon."

 

So with everything being said what does this mean to us the customer? Will it be cheaper to use? Will we get better mpg? Will we get more HP?

 

my guess is it will be more expensive, less mpg's, less HP, less lubricity.... hope im wrong.

 

I think there was an article in Diesel Power or Diesel World on this about a year ago.

 

Neil,
You get that at the Sinclair in Sparks? That's the only place I buy fuel unless I am out of town. Can't beat the price, been running it for a couple years, no problems and mileage seems the same as when I buy fuel on the road.

 

Yes Dave, that's where I bought it. I see no difference in fuel mileage at all (drove to Carson City yesterday and got my usual 46.6 mpg )...cheapest diesel in town that I have found. They must be selling a lot of diesel there...they were adding two more diesel pumps yesterday. Here is an article about it...look at the cover photo...interesting, the fuel is clearer. The next time I go there I am going to get a sample in a jar.

 

Here's another article about it: Is GDiesel the Diesel Fuel of the Future? - PickupTrucks.com News

It's supposedly cheaper and produces up to 30 better fuel economy than regular #2 diesel.

Sounds to me like we're getting the benefits of Low Sulfur Diesel (better power and fuel economy) but the cleanliness of Ultra low sulfur diesel.

 

Glad to hear they are adding extra pumps, sometimes the wait is long. It a long drive from Truckee but worth the savings on the price compared to anywhere between here and there, besides the money I save on fuel gets spent right around the corner at Summit Racing for Mustang parts.

 

Whats the price per gallon? the first article said that it has a lower lubricity...so depending on what fuel treatment you have to add to get the lubricity numbers back up what will the final price per gallon be?

It will probably be a long time before we see it here...heck we still dont have bio here.

 

I filled the TDI today and it was $3.899...I pumped a bit into a clear jar I brought with me and I couldn't tell the difference between GDiesel and water by appearance...it is clear.

 

Interesting. I wonder if it's more resistant to gelling in cold climates?