DTN Ethanol Blog
Todd Neeley DTN Staff Reporter

Thursday Oct 1, 2009

Group Looks at Using Ethanol in Diesel Engines

CleanFlex Power Systems of Lincoln, Neb. has its sights set on finding a way to retrofit diesel engines with the ability to run on a mix of ethanol, water and diesel, according to the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, S.D.

During a demonstration in Sioux Falls Wednesday Biofuel Systems Engineer Kevin Kenney displayed the technology at work in a maroon pickup.

The technology also could work diesel-powered freight trains and the company has discussions with John Deere.

CleanFlex President Ron Preston said the invention can be used at temperatures as cold as 90 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit below zero, and retrofitting a diesel engine can cost between $5,000 to $7,500.

(Sioux Falls Argus Leader, Oct. 1, 2009)

(http://www.argusleader.com/…)

DTN: The CleanFlex idea is similar to what some other private companies have done in developing technology to retrofit standard vehicles with the ability to use E85. The big difference between the two, however, is that most flexible-fuel vehicles kits are much less expensive than the CleanFlex technology. One of the barriers to making such kits widely available is having federal approval to use them. (Todd Neeley)

Posted at 10:58AM CDT Oct 1, 2009 by Todd Neeley
Comments (2)
I read an article on TheOilDrum.com that said GE was experimenting with running diesel engines on a 50% coal & 50% water mixture with the coal ground to a 5 micron size. It’s interesting that the presence of water is useable, part combustion and part steam engine.
Posted by Thomas Blazek at 09:31PM CDT Oct 1, 2009
Adding Ethanol water blends through the turbo of a diesel engine has been going on and the technology has been around for years. I have seen mixtures as high as 60% ethanol and 40% water used with a reduction of diesel as high as 36%. The engine runs cooler and cleaner
Posted by Jerry Horton at 08:43AM CDT Oct 2, 2009
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