Diesel Fuel

Diesel fuels vary from highly volatile jet fuels and kerosene, to the heavier furnace oil. Automotive diesel engines are capable of burning a wide range of fuel between these two extremes. How well a diesel engine performs with different types of fuel is dependent upon engine operating conditions and the fuel characteristics. The classification of commercially available fuel oils has been set up by the American Society for Testing Materials. Grade 1D fuels range from kerosene to what is known as intermediate distillates. Grades 2D and 4D each have progressively higher boiling points and contain more impurities. The fuels known as high-grade fuels, kerosene, and 1D fuels, contribute a minimum of engine deposits and corrosion and have less impurities. Refining the fuels removes the impurities, but it also lowers the heat value. Therefore, the higher grade fuels develop slightly less power than the same quantity of low-grade fuels. This is more than offset by the cost of maintenance repairs in using low-grade fuel.