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Generator Sets Powered

by an Alternative Fuel
Best practices and operating tips for diesel engine operators
By Grant Suhre, John Deere Power Systems

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or years, petroleum-based fuels have been the Canada. ASTM D 6751 identifies specifications B100 must meet
industry standard, primarily due to the lack of before being blended with petroleum diesel, typically in blends up
acceptable, cost-effective and reliable alterna- to B20.
tives. However, with growing interest in sustain- The European EN 14214 specification is similar to ASTM D
able energy, alternative fuels are becoming more 6751, but is somewhat more stringent in some elements of the crite-
widely adopted and readily available. ria. Specifically, thermal stability has a higher requirement.
Using biodiesel in diesel-powered prime-pow-
er generator sets offers users a green fuel alternative. In addi-
tion, biodiesel offers gen-set operators a cost-effective and eas-
ily adaptable green alternative that doesn’t require the extensive
investment or development that other green power technologies
do. However, there are many guidelines that prime-power gen-
set operators must follow to effectively use biodiesel. For exam-
ple, biodiesel should not be used in standby gen-sets because of
the amount of time the fuel sits idle.

Biodiesel Basics
Biodiesel is a renewable, oxygenated fuel made from agricultural
resources, such as soybeans or rapeseeds. It contains no petroleum
but can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a
biodiesel blend. Biodiesel refers to the pure alternative fuel before
blending with petroleum-based diesel fuel. Biodiesel blends are de-
noted as “BXX,” with “XX” representing the percentage of biodie-
sel contained in the blend. For example, B20 fuel is a blend of 20
percent biodiesel with 80 percent conventional diesel. B100 is pure
biodiesel. In Europe, biodiesel is typically produced from rapeseed
oil. In the U.S., it is most commonly produced from soybean oil. It
also can be made from other new and recycled oilseed crops, animal
fats and grease.
Beyond the obvious benefit of being a renewable fuel alternative,
biodiesel reduces dependence on petroleum and results in improved
lubricity, zero aromatics and minimal sulfur. In addition, biodiesel
John Deere PowerTech Plus 9.0L diesel engine.
is biodegradable and nontoxic, has a high cetane content, produces
less visible smoke and lowers engine particulate matter, hydrocar-
bons, carbon monoxide and life-cycle carbon dioxide emissions. Biodiesel-powered Generator Sets
Biodiesel also has a favorable energy balance of 3.2 to 1, which rep- It would appear that biodiesel provides an easy green fuel solution
resents the difference between the energy produced by 1 kg of fuel for gen-sets. But there are some important criteria gen-set owners
and the energy necessary to produce it. need to consider before switching to biodiesel. It is important to
But biodiesel has drawbacks. Its naturally biodegradable nature base the decision on the gen-set application: prime or standby pow-
creates stability and storage issues that require protection from er generation. Most manufacturers recommend biodiesel only for
direct sun, frost and temperature extremes. In addition, biodiesel prime-power gen-set engines, as these engines don’t have extended
produces less power and isn’t as fuel-efficient as petroleum diesel. low- or no-usage periods. In prime-power gen-sets, biodiesel is not
For blends up to B20, users should expect up to a 2 percent reduc- stored for prolonged periods, preventing the fuel from deteriorating
tion in power and a 3 percent reduction in fuel economy. In blends and absorbing water, which can lead to engine failure.
above B20, up to a 12 percent reduction in power and an 18 percent For standby gen-sets, biodiesel fuel is not recommended because
reduction in fuel economy should be expected. Unlike petroleum these engines may run only once a year for testing purposes. Because
diesel, biodiesel is not well regulated or as readily available in North biodiesel is naturally biodegradable, it is important that the fuel be
America, making it more difficult to locate biodiesel blends that used only in gen-set applications that operate regularly to ensure the
meet American Society for Testing Material (ASTM) or European fuel is stable and doesn’t cause engine damage.
(EN) specifications. While biodiesel is not appropriate for use in standby gen-sets,
ASTM International is a standards group consisting of techni- there are some specific applications where biodiesel may be con-
cal experts from producers, users, consumers, government and aca- sidered. For example, peak-shaving gen-sets generate electric-
demia. ASTM standards are commonly recognized in the U.S. and ity when demand exceeds the power grid’s available capacity.

54 • POWER ENGINEERING JUNE 2010 www.power-eng.com

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In peak-shaving applications or similar
uses, which require the engine to run a
few hours a day, there is a reduced risk
of biodiesel deterioration and fuel system
damage. Users will ultimately need to
evaluate specific gen-set applications on a
case-by-case basis to determine if biodie-
sel is a viable alternative.
After evaluating the specific gen-set
application, users will need to determine
the correct biodiesel blend by referencing
the engine manufacturer’s recommended
blend percentage.
John Deere prefers that operators use 5
percent blends (B5) in all of its engines, ex-
cluding standby gen-set engines. But John
Deere engines can also operate on biodiesel
concentrations up to a 100 percent blend
(B100). For any biodiesel blend below B20,
the biodiesel portion must meet the ASTM
D6751 or EN 14214 specification. For any
blend B20 and above, the biodiesel portion
must meet the EN 14214 specification and
use a fuel conditioner containing detergent/
dispersant additives.
The detergent/dispersant additive in
the conditioner is intended to prevent the
formation of deposits in the fuel injection
system and ensure the engine continues to
operate reliably. Gen-set users should con-
sult their dealers for approved biodiesel fuel
conditioners that improve storage and per-
formance of biodiesel fuels.
Service and Maintenance Considerations
When switching from petroleum die-
sel to biodiesel in gen-set engines, some
additional service and maintenance pro-
cedures should be considered to ensure
successful operation.
Due to the solvent nature of biodiesel
and the potential for “cleaning” of the low
pressure portion of the fuel system, includ-
ing the vehicle fuel tank and lines, the op-
erator should be prepared to install new
fuel filters. When biodiesel is introduced to
older or used engines the potential exists
for premature filter plugging. Users should
also be aware that due to the potential for
“cleaning,” the life of the fuel filters may be
reduced to half its standard life for the first
two changes, thus requiring shorter replace-
ment intervals.
Also, when using biodiesel fuel the en-
gine oil level must be checked daily. If oil
becomes diluted with fuel, the oil change
intervals will need to be shortened. When
using biodiesel blends greater than B20, oil
service intervals should be cut in half. And
in no instance should the fuel dilution of the
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oil be allowed to exceed 5 percent.
The following maintenance proce-
dures should be observed with gen-sets
that use biodiesel:
• Drain and clean the fuel storage tank
before and after using biodiesel
• Install tank caps and covers properly to
prevent water from entering
• Clean any spills on painted surfaces im-
mediately if using B20 or higher blends
• Replace fuel filter more often initially
• Check engine oil sump level daily prior
to starting the equipment
• Switch to regular diesel fuel for standby
generators, occasional/seasonal appli-
cations and extended periods of storage
or idle of the equipment
• Fuel conditioners containing deter-
gent/dispersant additives are required
when using blends of B20 or greater
and are recommended when using
lower biodiesel blends.
Storage Guidelines
When using biodiesel, several storage
guidelines must be observed to ensure prop-
er fuel storage and stability. Biodiesel blends
up to B20 should be used within 90 days
of the date of biodiesel manufacture; blends
from B21 to B100 should be used within 45
days. These usage time periods help ensure
a stable fuel because biodiesel is naturally
biodegradable. These time frames are the
primary reason biodiesel is not an appropri-
ate fuel for standby or limited-use gen-sets.
Storage tanks should be kept as full as
possible to minimize condensation because
water accelerates microbial growth. To im-
prove storage and extend fuel life, it is rec-
ommended that a fuel stabilizer be used. To
be effective, the stabilizer needs to be added
to the fuel when it is fresh (close to the time
it was produced). It is also important to re-
quest a certificate of analysis from the fuel
distributor to ensure the fuel complies with
the specifications reviewed earlier.
Regularly testing biodiesel fuel to ensure
it continues to meet specifications is recom-
mended. Using a summer or winter blend
biodiesel conditioner during the appropri-
ate season will help to improve storage and
maintain the fuel.
When storing biodiesel, users need to be
aware that it is susceptible to extreme tem-
peratures. Extreme high temperatures ac-
celerate degradation. The direct exposure of
storage tanks to sunlight will ensure higher
temperatures that will lead to biological and
thermal breakdown. The high temperature
ranges created by direct exposure can lead
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to moisture accumulation due to the storage
tank breathing.
With extreme cold temperatures, biodie-
sel has the potential to freeze or gel. This
can create problems both in storing the fuel
and operating the engine. If the fuel begins
to gel, it can restrict or clog filters and may
become too thick to be pumped from the
fuel tank to the engine. Precautions should
be taken at low ambient temperatures by
storing the fuel in a heated environment and
using cold-temperature additives.
Emissions Implications
While biodiesel blends below B20 offer a
green fuel alternative, engines operating on
biodiesel blends above B20 may not fully
comply with all applicable emissions regula-
tions. Blends above B20 produce increased
levels of nitrous oxide (NOX) emissions,
which are regulated by the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency (EPA). It is the
end-user’s responsibility to use biodiesel
fuel blends recommended by the engine
manufacturer that meet EPA and European
Union (EU) emissions regulations.
It is also the end-user’s responsibility to
obtain any local, regional or national ex-
emptions required for the use of biodiesel in
any emissions-certified gen-set engine.
Biodiesel users in the U.S. are strongly
encouraged to buy biodiesel blends from a
BQ-9000 Certified Marketer and sourced
from a BQ-9000 Accredited Producer (as
certified by the National Biodiesel Board).
Certified Marketers and Accredited Produc-
ers can be found at www.bq-9000.org.
For users who elect to convert to biodie-
sel in gen-set engines and can achieve EPA
emissions certification, there may be op-
portunities to use alternative and locally
produced fuel sources when operating the
gen-set. While the U.S. doesn’t currently
have common standards for interconnect-
ing distributed energy resources (DER) into
the utility grid, some localized programs
do exist that allow gen-set operators to sell
excess electrical generation to the local util-
ity. There may be additional opportunities
available to gen-set operators to profit from
their green fuel strategy if the U.S. institutes
a cap-and-trade system similar to Europe’s.
John Deere recognizes the importance
of biofuels to its customers and to the envi-
ronment. The proper use of biofuels in the
appropriate applications, including prime-
power gen-sets, is the right thing to do from
a long-term economic standpoint, as well as
environmental, energy-security and rural-
development standpoints.
JUNE 2010 POWER ENGINEERING • 55
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