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238 comments on DrumBeat: December 6, 2006

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AlanfromBigEasy on December 6, 2006 - 12:08pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
We are, it appears, a long way from Peak Sulphur !

Alan

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ThatsItImout on December 7, 2006 - 5:40am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Alan says,
"We are, it appears, a long way from Peak Sulphur !

Indeed true Alan, and thus my fascination with (as expressed in other posts) the whole "desulfuring" issue involving Diesel and by the way, gasoline.

The consumption of natural gas is already going up to "desulfer" Diesel to bring it down to the new ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) standard that is the 80% law of the land, due to become the 100% law by 2010.  This will only become more natural gas consumptive and more expensive as higher sulfur crude oil is brought into the mix.  This is a REAL TIME issue.  I know people in the oil trade who say they sit in on almost daily meetings trying to resolve what the refinery industry sees as a very pressing and difficult problem, in other words, man hours and money are already being spent on this NOW.

The prospect for Diesel is, to put it bluntly, very bad.  With the Nox emmissions standards already presenting an expensive and technically challenging problem, and the rising price of natural gas (which most folks here on TOD) do not see getting cheaper over the long haul, the Diesel engine is rapidly becoming a burden even the industrial/commercial sector is finding hard to bear.

Sign of the times:  Recently at a truck stop, I saw an LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas, or propane) tractor.  It was there while the trucker ate, and NOT to buy Diesel fuel.  More and more school districts, and city bus lines are shopping for LPG or CNG buses.  And no one, not even those of us who now own and love them, are considering a Diesel car if our aging Benzes and Volkswagens ever bite the dust.  We have to face the truth.  Diesel may well be past it's peak.  As a solution, barring a massive increase in bio-Diesel fuel production, it is not an option.

Roger Conner  known to you as ThatsItImout

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AlanfromBigEasy on December 7, 2006 - 12:16pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
The prospects for gasoline are no better, and perhaps worse than for diesel.

Consider Carbon-Hydrogen ratios.

Gasoline has a low C, High H ratio.  Diesel is richer is C, less H.  As oil gets thicker & lower value, the C ratio climbs.  Coal has some H, but much more C (coal is not carbon as some people think, but a complex mix of long chain hydrocarbons, very rich in C).

The primary (99% ?) source of commercial hydrogen for upgrading oil is natural gas or oil itself.  (This is the source of most refinery gain, where oil products > crude oil).

Early CTL plants (example one announced in Illinois) have announced output will be diesel.  In a shortage situation, refinery output will be biased towards diesel (trucks, rail, barge, farms) will be biased towards diesel and the President may waive the ultra-low sulfur requirement for, say, 1/2 the diesel produced in an emergency (today there are two supply & distribution streams, one for 0.5% sulphur and the other for 0.015%)  

And diesel can be stored more easily, safely and longer than gasoline.  If I hear that Isreal has bombed Iran, my first stop will be a truck stop with containers.  I filled up last week for the first time since the beginning of hurricane season (June 1) 16.6 gallons + 5.x gallons top-up mid-season.  I can make a full tank + containers last a year or more.

Now, if we can buy a vehicle that can run on #4 bunker fuel, or even better, Orimulsion# !

Best Hopes for Otto, my 31 mpg (city) 1982 M-B 240D (manual transmission) diesel (pun intended on name)

Alan

# Orimulsion is a mix of 30% water, surfactant and "improved asphalt" from the Orinico of Venezula.  Burns VERY dirty.

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AlanfromBigEasy on December 7, 2006 - 12:45pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Since you own a brother Benz, Bosch is selling a retrofit kit for glow plugs that uses recent improvements.

Called Duraterm, it is a $98.23 relay with 4 new glow plugs that

  1. Speeds up glow time, cutting it in half
  2. Glows slightly hotter
  3. Glows for 3 minutes after starting at less power, resulting in less pollution, noise, and better fuel economy during those 3 minutes.
  4. Glow plugs are expected to have twice the life

One key is patented iron-cobalt alloy whose resistance builds quickly as it heats up, thereby self limiting max heat.

My kit is good only for 1981-85 W123 M-Bs.  Unsure about other applications.  300Ds need to buy an extra glow plug seperately.

Also, some new tires improve fuel economy.  And I have reduced parasitic losses by installed LED bulbs.  Glad to give you details.

Best Hopes,

Alan

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ThatsItImout on December 7, 2006 - 3:07pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Alan,

Thanks for the info, I need a set of glow plugs for mine, and with temps in KY getting into the teens for the next couple of nights, I really need them now...:-).

My old Benz has been getting right on 31 MPG, and I just did a full tire check and found that was running a bit underinflated on two of them, so I hope to be doing 32 plus in the near future....needs an air filter change and perhaps later a clutch, but right now, I can't tear it down for the clutch, it spends too much time on the road. :-)

Thanks again, Roger  
known to you as ThatsItImout

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AlanfromBigEasy on December 7, 2006 - 6:46pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
I sent you an eMail to the address listed under info @ TOD.  Delivery failed.

Please send me your correct eMail address to

Alan_Drake at Juno dott com.

Thanks,

Alan

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ThatsItImout on December 8, 2006 - 5:15am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Sorry about that,

After my Compaq blew, and I went to my Mac, I left my MSN Hotmail account behind....however, I have not been able to get my TOD settings to change for me no matter what...:-(

I will try again in a minute, but in the meantime, use admin@irvingtondesign.com

It's a site associated with some of my energy work, see if it takes.

Thanks for all info and assistance, Roger Conner  
known to you as ThatsItImout

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238 comments on DrumBeat: December 6, 2006

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