Jones 1 Benjamin M. Jones English 015 Dr. Fleeger 13 November 2009 Diesel: Fuel of the Future? For years people have written off diesel engines as sluggish, noisy and dirty. Many major diesel sources agree with this: “…diesel engines of five to ten years ago weren’t so good. They were noisy, vibrated, had smelly exhaust emissions, and were more costly to build than their gasoline counterparts.”(Schifsky) This preconceived opinion has been passed from one generation to the next in the United States, diesel technology has improved but the American public isn’t willing to buy into the new diesel era. People still feel, with the exception of some country folk, that diesel engines are the old, dirty, smokey beasts that they saw when they were kids, belching plumes of thick black smoke into the sky. However, this is simply no longer the case. Diesel has cleaned up its image, is striving to become more efficient, and is buying for its place as America’s future fuel. Strict EPA emissions regulations have forced the diesel industry to clean itself up. Introductions of such things as ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) and new regulations on how much NOx (nitrogen oxide) and other hydrocarbons can be emitted into the atmosphere has forced many engine makers to adapt very expensive and complicated emission controls to their engines. These new controls will make future diesel engines even cleaner than they are today claims Chrysler: "The most significant challenge is nitrogen oxides and particulate emissions. Future diesel engines will have to be four to eight times cleaner than they are today."(Navarro)
Jones 2 In addition to the cleaning up of diesel emissions, diesel has also cleaned up its reputation for being an engine that vibrates and makes a lot of noise. “Today’s diesels are much more civilized.” States Chuck Schifsky from Truck Trend. Schifsky then goes on to give a comparison of Fords 2002 5.4L (Liter) gasoline engine and their 7.3L Diesel engine, finding that at idle the diesel does vibrate and make more noise than the gasoline, but once highway speeds are reached the difference is minimal. (Schifsky) Diesel has also cleaned itself up with the introduction of Bio-Diesel; this fuel is created from cooking grease. Bio-Diesel considerably reduces diesel emissions and is easily and affordably produced. This in addition to ULSD has greatly reduced the emissions of diesel engines in the United States so much that it is rare that you see a truck blowing smoke as it rolls down the highway. The Chrysler corporation, although they don’t manufacture their own diesel engines, their major selling point of their large trucks is the Cummins Diesel power under then hood, Chrysler says “Diesel engines today are 500% cleaner than they were 20 years ago”. (Navarro) As you can see diesel has strived to clean up its image and has done so with flying colors, and will continue to in the future. So what does diesel need to accomplish to become Americas Fuel of the Future? Diesel is well on its way, but many people are still unsure about how diesels perform and are concerned about the initial price jump over the gasoline base engine. The initial cost of diesel engines are higher than gasoline engines because diesels are built much heavier to withstand the high compression within the cylinders. Heavier parts including thicker blocks, stronger heads, stronger connecting rods that are used in diesel engines cost more to manufacture, which in turn passes the extra expense down to the consumer. This cost will be driven down if Americans begin to choose diesel over the gasoline engines. Schifsky again gives the example of the 2002 F-250 Ford and states that to upgrade from the stock 5.4L gasoline engine to the 7.3L diesel the
Jones 3 price jumps by about $4800. However, Schifsky show that in the same F-250 to upgrade from the 5.4L to the 6.8L gasoline engine the cost difference is only $600. (Schifsky) New diesel technology is always decreasing the amount of money that is necessary for engines to be built, and with time this cost will be equal to that of a comparable gasoline engine. So why are diesels a better alternative to gasoline engines? Diesel engines make their peak power at much lower rpm’s (rotations per min.) than gasoline engines, this means that diesels have the brute pulling force but are slower and don’t take off as fast as a gasoline engine is capable of. This problem has been addressed by engine manufactures in ways such as the addition of turbochargers which aid the engine in increasing its rpm’s faster. Also many new diesels use a multi-point injection system which uses less fuel to make the same power increasing fuel efficiency. Diesel fuel is also much easier to refine than gasoline is which makes it cheaper to produce. However, the United States puts a tax on diesel that drives the price higher than gasoline. Again this price could be reduced if there was more non commercial demand for the fuel. Diesel is also much more efficient than gasoline, according to Schifsky “diesel fuel contains approximately 147,000 BTU’s of energy, while a gallon of gasoline only has 125,000 BTU’s. This means that it takes more gasoline to equal the power output of diesel, making diesel engines more efficient per gallon of fuel burned.” (Schifsky) So, this would equal out to more MPG (miles per gallon) putting money back into the consumers pocket over the long run. Diesel engines also have a much longer service interval with their mileage before a necessary rebuild being almost three times that of a gasoline engine; this also saves the consumer money if they keep the vehicle long enough. To me diesel is the fuel of the future and I will always love the sound, smell, and feel of a diesel burning vehicle. But whether diesel will become the fuel the United States needs to
Jones 4 slingshot itself into the next era of internal combustion powered cars is yet to be seen. Europe is already on track with diesel technology with a major part of their vehicle sales including a diesel engine, many of which are American automakers export vehicles. The United States could vary easily shift into a diesel era the same as Europe, but it needs to be initiated somewhere, whether with the consumer, or with the automakers. The continually increasing price for fuel is driving Americans to find more efficient, cleaner, and more reliable vehicles, vehicles which in some cases are diesel. It is time for the U.S. to shed the old conceptions of diesel and realize that it is the fuel of America’s future.
Annotated Bibliography Schifsky, Chuck. "Tech: Gas vs. Diesel Which is Best for You?" Truck Trend. Motor Trend, 2002. Web. 5 Nov. 2009. <http://www.trucktrend.com/features/ tech/163_0210_diesel_vs_gas/index.html>. This article compares gasoline and diesel citing such criteria as power, torque, towing, capacity, fuel mileage, noise, vibration, cold weather, exhaust emissions, short and long term maintenance, fuel cost, and fuel availability. After the comparison Schifsky concludes that gasoline engines are better for people who use their trucks for simply transportation, and diesel for those who tow and haul on a regular basis. Schifsky also gives some history about the two engine types and then gives information on where they were in 2002. After the conclusion the author also gives specific facts and figures about the big threeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s large gas and diesel engines. This article gives me information on the difference between gasoline and diesel powered medium duty engines. It compares many different factors which allows me to focus my writing on certain issues. Also this article gives many specific details and examples to show its point.
Federal Trade Comission. "DIESEL - FUEL OF THE FUTURE?" Federal Trade Comission. N.p., 2 May 2007. Web. 12 Nov. 2009. <http://www.ftc.com>. This article gives information on the new developments in diesel technology in the United States, showing how in the past diesel was dirty and slow, but now it has moved into a
Jones 5 range comprible with gasoline. Also this article gives information on what automakers need to do to make diesel a viable option for America, and what specific things are good about diesel fuel. This gives my paper a wealth of details on how diesel can be a viable option for the U.S.. This article also shows me how incentives in the states should make people move toward diesel in the future. Ostroff, Jim. "Diesel Isn't the Fuel of the Future." The Kiplinger Letter (July 2009): Web. 5 Nov. 2009. <http://www.kiplinger.com/ businessresource/forecast/archive/diesel_not_fuel_of_future_090722.html>. This article shows how gasoline is a better option for the future of fuels. Citing reasons such as U.S. automakers promoting hybrid vehicles and initial cost of a diesel engine, this gives a somewhat opioniated and one sided stance on this issue. This gives me some insight on how people argue against diesel power as a future fuel. This allows my paper to have depth because of its opposing stance I can address the issues brought to light by this article. Navarro, Xavier. "Do Diesels Have a Future?" Journey to Forever. N.p., 14 May 2008. Web. 5 Nov. 2009. <http://www.journeytoforever.org/ biodiesel_future.html>. This article shows how diesel is a much better fuel than gasoline. It gives specific information on diesels efficency and how diesel fuel is easier and cheaper to refine. Also this article show data on fuel economy and explains how diesel engines are able to attain better mileage than comparable gasoline engines. The author also gives the comparison of bio-diesel vs. corn based gasoline aleternatives, focusing not only on their differences but on how they will impact the economy. This article gives my paper specific facts and figures about diesels effecency. It also gives my argument weight by showing how diesel could revolutionize the American car industy, and gives specific quotes from many major sources supporting diesel.