Ethanol Could Improve Diesel Engine Efficiency

Cindy ZimmermanAg Leader, Audio, Corn, Equipment, Ethanol, General, Precision Pays Podcast

Using ethanol mixed with water in diesel engines could make them more efficient and reduce emissions.

cleanflexNational Corn Growers Association chairman Bob Dickey is also chairman of CleanFlex Power Systems, which is so new they haven’t built a website yet, but what they have done is developed a method to efficiently use ethanol in diesel engines.

Dickey started the idea a year ago when he bought a new John Deere 150-hp four-cylinder turbo diesel irrigation system engine and retrofitted it to use an ethanol and diesel blend. “It worked so well that we applied for a grant at the University of Nebraska and we’re currently doing research there to bring credibility to what we’re doing,” Dickey says.

The company has developed a new hydrated-ethanol fuel called EM60 (a mixture of 60% ethanol and 40% water) to combine with diesel fuel to power diesel engines. “Just like oil and water don’t mix, ethanol and diesel don’t mix,” Dickey said. So, they run two lines into the diesel engine. “The only time the ethanol, water and diesel are together is at the point of combustion and it really works well. The engine runs cooler, it runs more efficient and the emissions are reduced.”

CleanFlex president Ron Preston says they are talking with agricultural equipment manufacturers, railroads, and even bus companies about the idea because the EM60 fuel has the potential to help meet Tier 4 emission standards that become effective in 2011. “There are 60 million diesel engines in the United States,” Preston says. “We’ve been working with EPA and going through the proper steps to make ethanol a solution that will help them meet emissions requirements.”

Listen to a Precision.AgWired.com Podcast with Bob Dickey and Ron Preston about CleanFlex by clicking on the player below – or subscribe to our monthly podcast, sponsored by AgLeader Technology, by following this link or the sidebar link.

8 Comments on “Ethanol Could Improve Diesel Engine Efficiency”

  1. Hi,

    I`m very interested in this project of converting diesel engine on to ethanol .

    Send me your comments

    Thanks

    rajesh

  2. Hi,
    I`m very interested in this project of converting diesel engine on to ethanol .

    Send me your comments

    Thanks

    rajesh

  3. hi i would be very interested in the conversion process to run diesel engines on Ethanol

    regards

    glen

  4. hi i would be very interested in the conversion process to run diesel engines on Ethanol
    regards
    glen

  5. dear sir would 100% ethanol run a diesel engine if small amont of oil can be pump into the injecion system

  6. dear sir would 100% ethanol run a diesel engine if small amont of oil can be pump into the injecion system

Comments are closed.