By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, May 1 -- Chevron Products Co. has introduced a lower-emissions fuel for diesel engines that is available in limited quantities to on- and off-highway commercial customers in Southern California. The California Air Resources Board has verified the technology's emission benefits, with data showing particulate matter (PM) reductions of 63% and nitrogen oxides (NOx) reductions of 14%.
Chevron is using the technology through an agreement with Lubrizol Corp., a fluid technology company specializing in high-performance chemicals, systems, and services.
Chevron said the fuel reduces emissions from most existing-design diesel engines without hardware add-ons, engine modifications, or replacements. It is a "water-in-fuel" diesel blend that utilizes Lubrizol's proprietary technology to lower PM and NOx emissions in diesel engines.
The fuel is created using a high-speed blending process that creates water droplets less than 1 micron in size. Additives encapsulate the droplets and prevent them from coalescing, making them "invisible" to the engine while improving combustion, to reduce emissions.
Initially available to commercial accounts at Chevron's Montebello, Calif., terminal, the product is marketed to customers with centrally fueled fleets or equipment, including buses, waste management fleets, agricultural-construction equipment, and stationary power generators.
