Vegas Renewable Diesel (VRD) reports it has developed and tested a cleaner diesel fuel that is “drop-in compatible” with diesel No. 2.
The Las Vegas-based producer of renewable diesel said a Nevada smog test confirmed the achievement, showing an opacity meter rating of 0.5%. A typical hybrid electric vehicle measures 0.72% on this test, the company said.
“It’s the best fuel on the planet,” claimed Timothy D. Wetzel, VRD founder and inventor, who has researched and experimented with renewable fuels for more than 30 years.
Manufacturers have installed diesel particulate filters (DPFs) in every diesel-powered vehicle produced since 2009. DPFs remove the particulate matter, or “soot,” produced as a result of incomplete fuel combustion from the exhaust gas of diesel engines, but the devices are notoriously difficult and costly to maintain.
Many diesel engines burn as little as 65% of the fuel they consume, VRD said, leading to the “black smoke” behind some diesel vehicles. But VRD’s UC2 renewable diesel is reformulated to eliminate soot and ash—and DPF-caused downtime.
VRD says its renewable diesel also:
- Makes regens “a thing of the past”
- Saves truck fleets “thousands” of dollars
- Provides better fuel economy due to a 99.5% complete burn
- Produces more BTU energy per gallon, which translates to more “bang for the buck”
- Eliminates maintenance and cleaning of the entire DPF and keeps sensors working clean
UC2 diesel, which meets or exceeds all ASTM D975 testing, not only reduces DPF maintenance, it keeps engines cleaner, helping ensure they last as long as the manufacturer intended, VRD said.
Soot generated by the fuel also finds its way into crankcase oil in many ways:
- Periods of excessive idling
- Worn piston rings
- Injectors with poor fuel spray patterns
- Rich air-fuel ratios
- Clogged air filters decreasing the air supply, which increases the fuel-air ratio and ultimately leads to increased soot formation
Incomplete combustion occurs and soot is formed when there is an overabundance of fuel (both diesel fuel and lube oil), insufficient residence time in the combustion zone, and/or non-availability of sufficient oxidants. Over-fueling is the primary cause of black smoke from the exhaust of a heavy-duty diesel engine, VRD explained. The resulting soot clogs the DPF.
VRD spent 2021 and the first half of 2022 preparing its renewable diesel refinery in Las Vegas, the company reported. Fuel deliveries throughout Clark County are underway.
“Burning our top-tier UC2 diesel will extend the life of your engines,” VRD concluded. “Just switch diesel with your supplier and run UC2 for a week.
“You will be impressed with the results.”
