Nov 23, 2009
Brazilian Scientists Report Good Results From Flex-fuel Diesel Engine
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
Brazilian scientists are reporting good results from a new type of engine and a new type of renewable fuel. The engine is being called a Flex-fuel diesel engine and the fuel is a mixture of ethanol and biodiesel University scientist added 10% ethanol to B5 biodiesel (a mixture of 5% vegetable oil with 95% petroleum diesel) and reported that the engine performance was very satisfactory. They tested the mixture in truck and bus engines and report that the engines perform normally.
In July they launched the first Flex-fuel diesel bus that can use either ethanol or gasoline in a mixture with biodiesel. The alternative fuels are all mixed in the same tank and the fuel is pre-heated before combustions allowing ethanol or gasoline to be mixed with the biodiesel.
The ethanol in Brazil is produced from sugarcane and the biodiesel is primarily being produced by mixing soybean oil with petroleum diesel. This is another illustration of how committed Brazil is to stay the leader in renewable fuels. According to researcher Octavio Valsechi of the University of Sao Carlos, "The renewable energies offer more and more opportunities for Brazil, the headquarters for world's cleanest fuel."