A New and Better Alternative Fuel System
Alternative Fuel Technology, LLC in Ontario, Canada has come up with a discovery that can help change vehicles that run on diesel fuel into vehicles that don’t pollute (or pollute very little). Alternative Fuel Technology is an organization specializing in research and development. They are currently designing and developing prototype manufacturing of fuel systems that will be able to use a new alternative fuel called dimethyl ether (DME).
Alternative Fuel Technology has developed fuel injector systems for vehicles that run on DME. They also provide DME fuel systems for testing and research.
An exceptional attribute of these systems is that they are low cost and efficient, and they can be retrofitted to work with most diesel engines. The diesel engines that are equipped and retrofitted can then run on the new fuel, DME, which will burn cleaner, lower NOx emissions, eliminate smoke emissions such as soot particulates and eliminate exhaust odor.
DME is considered by many to be the ultimate bio-fuel because of the attributes we have already discussed. It is cheaper, better for the environment and can be derived from numerous natural resources including methanol, coal, natural gas and biomass. Another factor making DME a great bio-fuel is the fact that DME can be administered and sold through existing propane infrastructure. This provides DME a great advantage over other alternative fuels. DME can also be used in most diesel engines with little or no modifications to the vehicle.
There has been a lot of research regarding alternative fuel, but most of the research has been geared and directed toward fuel for engines other than diesel engines. The DME fuel systems being created by Alternative Fuel Technology, LLC are a giant step in the right direction. With so many diesel engines on the road – from cars to trucks to 18-wheelers – the DME fuel systems can not only help the environment, but also help drivers of diesel run vehicles at the same time.
U.S. Should Check India’s Energy Crisis
If the United States wants to see what could happen in the midst of an energy crisis, it should look at India’s current situation. The U.S. has known for a long time that it should conserve energy and broaden the ways it develops energy, as well as becoming less dependent on fossil fuels. Things have gotten to the point where they are out of control, and fuel issues are affecting the entire world.
Right now, the United States is dealing with the pressures of depending on foreign fossil fuels. There is the short supply and the expense, to begin with. Then there are the issues of developing other forms of fuel and energy.
India is dealing with some very intense energy and fuel issues that the U.S. should stay very aware of. Basically, the situation is that India has had a very unstable supply of electric energy as well as an energy shortage. As a result, small businesses and houses are purchasing supplies of diesel fuel to run generators in order to keep their businesses open.
The demand for diesel has gone up 40%, and according to reports, oil companies are REFUSING to meet this demand. Many businesses simply can’t operate under the tremendous strain. Without diesel, fishing boats cannot operate, farmers cannot get their goods to market, and truck drivers cannot travel long distances. In instances where there is diesel fuel available in one area, there may be no fuel available in another, therefore, some truck drivers and farmers are not able to get their goods to market because there is no assurance that they will be able to purchase the diesel fuel to return home.
So, in one area, food and other commodities are piling up waiting for the fuel to be able to take them to market while in another area, people cannot get the food and commodities they need. One fisherman said that his family would go bankrupt waiting to try to sell the fish, especially if they went bad and had to be thrown out or given away. At the other end, he said that family members who were to receive some of the fish that he can’t deliver will go hungry.
As we keep hearing lately and have been hearing for decades, everything is dependent on other things. Energy and energy sources are not stand-alone issues. To see how interconnected they are, one only look at what India is going through. Hopefully that will motivate lawmakers and others to HURRY up and find a short-term and long-term solution.
Diesel Powered Cars Are Back in Style Again
Those of us who were here for the huge fuel crisis in the 1970’s probably remember the fact that cars that ran on diesel fuel were part of the suggested solution to the problem. On top of that, the cost of diesel fuel was a good deal less than the cost of leaded and unleaded fuel.
In the 70’s and early 80’s 2/3’s of the Mercedes in the United States were diesels. In addition, Volkswagen, Audi and other companies had diesels available here and even General Motors jumped – erroneously – on the diesel bandwagon.
Two of my friends bought Cadillacs that ran on diesel fuel. Let’s just say that though the fuel was a lot less costly than the problems and the repairs. Just because a car that runs on gas is “converted” to be able to run on diesel fuel does not mean it was meant to do so and does not mean that it does it well. My two friends had a number of repairs that they paid for out of their pockets until the motors basically fell apart and had to be replaced by Cadillac. The replacement was paid for by General Motors, who also reimbursed my friends for the other costs that they had previously paid for. They kept the cars as long as they could, but got rid of them before the warranties expired. They both bought Mercedes 300D turbo diesels and drove them for around 200,000 miles with no problems.
Now that we are in the midst of another fuel crisis, there is a new crop of diesels headed for the marketplace. There is a difference in the diesel of the 21st century. The gas mileage is better than before, the engines are smoother, the cars more luxurious and there have been other improvements.
The downside is that diesel fuel costs more than regular gasoline, which is the opposite of the situation in the 70’s and 80’s. Proportionately, the cost of the vehicles is higher, as well. This means that if you plan to keep the car for the long term – especially since diesels can easily run for 200,000 to 300,000 miles or more – it could well be worth the investment to purchase a diesel run car.
They say that every 20 years or so certain things come back into style. The latest diesel cars are back, and not only are they stylish, they just might help with your personal fuel situation in the long run.