Ag Processing, Inc., (AGP) an Omaha,

Nebraska-based cooperative, is conducting an alternative fuel test by

running part of its tractor fleet on a

blend of soybean methyl esters

(biodiesel) and petroleum (petro)

diesel fuel. Since January 1995,

AGP has conducted tests with nine

over-the-road trucks stationed in

Sheldon, Iowa—three sets of three 

different chassis and engine groups.

In each set, two trucks use biodiesel

and the third uses petro diesel. The

operators used a blend of 65% petro

diesel and 35% biodiesel in these

tests. In its first year of testing, AGP

learned enough to draw some conclusions about biodiesel's advantages

and disadvantages over conventional

diesel fuel. Operators also discovered 

the proper means of storing, using,

and blending biodiesel in adverse

weather conditions.

Biodiesel's main advantages are that

it is domestically produced and is

renewable. Laboratory tests have

demonstrated that heavy-duty engines

running on biodiesel blends have

lower hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide,

and particulate matter emissions and

somewhat elevated oxides of nitrogen

emissions. In addition, instead of a

diesel odor, biodiesel smells more

like vegetable oil. It also makes the

engine run more quietly because it

lubricates the engine fuel pump and

injectors. As fossil fuel supplies continue to be depleted, biodiesel shows

great promise as a fuel of the future 

in the trucking industry. But along

with its positive aspects, biodiesel 

also has some drawbacks, in the areas

of both performance and storage.

(Continued on pg. 2)

Volume 6, Number 1

Lessons Learned from the Biodiesel Fuel Test

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Grocery Chain Puts LNG

Tractors on California 

Roads.....................................3

Using LNG as a Vehicle 

Fuel........................................4

LE-55 Natural Gas Engine

Project Targets 55% Efficiency

and Low Emissions................6

This tractor in AGP’s fleet runs on a blend of 65% petroleum diesel and 35% soybean methyl esters (biodiesel).

Photo courtesy of Ag Processing, Inc./PIX04978
Biodiesel has a higher gelling temperature than petro diesel, so trucking 

companies must be careful about its

storage. If biodiesel is stored at a 

temperature below 45°F, it can turn

into a gel and clog the fuel filters 

and lines. Storing biodiesel at a 

temperature above 45°F can prevent

this gelling. According to AGP, the

cold filter plugging points (the temperature at which the fuel causes

clogging) are:

Soybean oil, 30°F 

#2 Diesel fuel, 0°F 

#1 Diesel fuel, -40°F. 

This tendency to gel in cold weather

presented the main problem for the

AGP team during the tests. The

1995–1996 winter was particularly

harsh. Even in the blended fuel,

biodiesel solids formed if the temperature dropped too low, causing the

fuel lines to clog. The operators had

to raise the temperature of the fuel

above 100°F to make the biodiesel

solids return to solution. The biodiesel

blend had to be tested for gel temperature if the mixture consisted of more

than 20% biodiesel. The operators

learned that the biodiesel and petro

diesel had to be blended as soon as

possible, and at a temperature above

45°F. Because the biodiesel was

heavier than the petro diesel, they

also concluded that the biodiesel

should be added on top of the petro

diesel to ensure a better mixing of 

the two fuels.

AGP blended the biodiesel with some

#1 petro diesel to lower the gelling

temperature, making the fuel easier

to handle in colder environments.

However, they experienced some

problems with this particular blend

and have yet to determine the optimum blend of biodiesel and petro

diesel in their trucks. They found 

that if they used too much #1 diesel

fuel in the blend, the trucks would

show poor performance and lower

mileage. But if they used too little 

#1 diesel fuel, gelling and clogging

of the fuel system would result. 

AGP tried to keep the fuel warm by

installing a submersible heater and 

a circulation pump into the biodiesel

storage tanks. The heater kept the

temperature of the fuel at 45°F, and

the pump ran 20 minutes a day to

keep the mixture from gelling. The

below-ground storage tanks kept the

fuel at about 56°–58°F without needing a submersible heater.

AGP also used a similar solution in

the trucks themselves. In the nonelectronic diesel engines, they

installed in-tank fuel heaters that

used engine coolant to heat the fuel.

The return fuel from the injectors to

the fuel tanks in the electronic diesel

engines heated the fuel in the tank

sufficiently to prevent gelling, so 

these fuel tanks did not need fuel 

heaters. When the truckers shut down

the biodiesel tanks for a longer period

of time, they attached a blanket-type

electric heater. This heater kept the

fuel warm so that the engine would

start more easily and the fuel filters

would not plug.

Overall, AGP was able to overcome

the problems experienced in the first

year of tests. By blending the biodiesel

fuel with petro diesel, adding anti-gel

products, and using heating systems

in the above-ground storage tanks

and trucks, the company was able to

reduce the amount of gelling, and the

second winter's operations showed

that they had surmounted the problem.

Clearly, their results show considerable promise for using biodiesel fuels

in the trucking industry. In just over

2 years of testing, the AGP trucks

have logged nearly 900,000 miles

using the biodiesel mixture, and the

overall results have been good. The

important lessons learned in this 

project add to the growing body of

knowledge about this alternative fuel.

Alternative Fuels In Trucking—Volume 6, Number 1 2
Grocery Chain Puts LNG Tractors on California

Roads: Raley's Said to be First in the State with

Commercial Use of Alternative Fuel Heavy Trucks

by Jim Beach, Staff Reporter

West Sacramento, California—If

you're running a host of food and

drug superstores, you know that

cleanliness is essential to the success

of your business. For Raley's, an 

87-store chain of markets in northern

California and northwest Nevada,

the concept includes running a clean

machine as well. That's why Raley's

works hard to keep its fleet of tractors

and trailers spic and span, inside and

out. After all, the equipment on the

road, as much as the condition of its

stores, can influence a customer's

impression of Raley's.

Now Raley's is taking the cleanliness

concept to a new level, committing

itself not only to clean-looking trucks

but also clean-running trucks. It has 

fielded the first contingent of overthe-road trucks powered by liquefied

natural gas (LNG) that California has

seen in commercial service. On April

16, the West Sacramento-based company took delivery of eight Kenworth

T800s with Cummins LNG engines.

It also added two Ottawa yard trucks

with Cummins LNG power plants. 

It is also testing to see if LNG equipment can do the job that diesel power

does and if the company can justify

the expense of LNG.

Use of LNG will replace some

100,000 gallons of diesel fuel a 

year. In that span of time, the LNG

units will save five tons of nitrous

oxides (NOx) that otherwise would

be pumped into the air over 

Sacramento. The new LNG trucks

are different than the rest of Raley's

vehicles in more ways than the fuel

they burn. While the diesel fleet is

painted in company yellow, the new

trucks sport a blue background with

white clouds and "Clean Air

Machine" written on the side.

The tractors are powered by Cummins

L10Gs, the first natural gas engine

certified by the California Air

Resources Board. The turbocharged,

electronically controlled engines are

rated at 300 horsepower and 900

foot-pounds of torque.

The Ottawa LNG yard trucks, supplied

by Mid-Pacific Industries, Woodland,

California, are also Cumminsequipped. They have B-5.9G engines,

which produce 195 horsepower and

420 foot-pounds of torque. 

The Sacramento Metropolitan Air

Quality Management District

(SMAQMD) estimates that an LNG

engine produces approximately 60%

less pollution than the typical diesel

engine. Air quality officials project 

a reduction of 20 to 40 tons of NOx

during the first 7 years. NOx is a

major precursor to ozone, the pollution that turns the Sacramento area's

summertime air gray, they say.

Many experts consider LNG the most

logical alternative to diesel fuel.

Although LNG is chemically identi- Raley’s Groceries has fielded the first contingent of over-the-road trucks powered by liquefied natural gas that California has seen in commercial service.

Alternative Fuels In Trucking—Volume 6, Number 1 3 Photo courtesy of Transport Topics, Inc./PIX04977
Worldwide interest in using alternative fuels instead of conventional

gasoline and diesel sources continues

to increase. This interest is driven by

needs and issues such as compliance

with environmental requirements to

meet national goals and promote

overall energy security, and by economics, where alternative fuels can

reduce operating costs. In many parts

of the world, government mandates

have been imposed on fleet operators

to accelerate the process of converting to alternative fuels.

A number of options must be considered when evaluating opportunities 

to use alternative fuels in place of

gasoline or diesel. In the United

States, for example, most alternative

fuels are used either in federal fleets

or in mass transit situations. So far,

there is limited use in heavy-duty

applications or by the private sector.

In other parts of the world, alternative fuels use has spread from government applications to utilization 

in a wide part of the private sector. 

Additional variations include the

choice of fuel, and in some cases, no

single choice predominates. Variables

affecting what options to choose

include required vehicle range, incremental cost of producing or converting vehicles, cost of the fueling

infrastructure and of the fuel itself,

overall engine performance, and

vehicle lifetime. In addition, factors

such as public acceptance, overall

infrastructure safety, and the vehicle's

convenience to the users need to be

considered. Because emissions performance of various alternative fuel

vehicles is highly variable, it also

plays a role in determining whether a

given combination of fuels and vehicles would meet emissions-reduction

objectives. Finally, overall economics

are the ultimate driver, because government mandates can only push the

adoption of alternative fuels so far.

With these factors taken into account,

most conversions to alternative fuels

in the United States have been from

gasoline to compressed natural gas

(CNG), along with some conversions

to propane. Limited amounts of other

fuels—ethanol, biodiesel, methanol,

and electricity—are being used,

primarily in regional or niche areas.

The principal drawbacks of CNG are

its limited range and the relatively

high cost of tanks, as well as issues

of safety and public acceptance. One

emerging fuel that can most likely

deal with these issues is liquefied

natural gas (LNG). Recent studies

have shown that LNG is a superior

form of natural gas for certain 

Using Liquefied Natural Gas as a Vehicle Fuel

by Richard E. Rice, Manager, Fossil Fuel Program

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL)

cal to compressed natural gas (CNG),

it packs more energy by volume than

CNG, because it stores fuel in a

denser fashion. CNG is more widely

used in light truck operations, where

its bulky tanks are less of a liability.

LNG trucks are limited in their operational area because of range and

fueling concerns. The refueling station at Raley's distribution center is

the only site in the area. Equipped

with two 87-gallon LNG tanks, each

of the new units should have a range

of about 600 miles. Raley's fueling

station also will be open to other 

LNG users. The city of Sacramento

will refuel two LNG-powered municipal garbage trucks there.

The Raley's fleet may help clear new

ground for over-the-road freight

operations. There is a growing interest in alternative fuel heavy trucks.

Another trucking operation, Jack B.

Kelley, Inc., also uses Kenworth

T800 LNG tractors in its operations

in southern Arizona. Kelley put 10

units to work last April and plans to

add more.

Although long-haul LNG trucking

may or may not loom large in the 

foreseeable future, some companies,

such as Raley's, and with the help of

agencies such as the SMAQMD, are

prepared to take a risk in local operations.

Reprinted with the permission of

Transport Topics. Copyright ©1997

by American Trucking Associations,

Inc. The article has been edited

slightly to conform to the style of

Alternative Fuels in Trucking.

Alternative Fuels In Trucking—Volume 6, Number 1 4
Alternative Fuels In Trucking—Volume 6, Number 1 5 

situations, such as in large, heavyduty, centrally fueled fleets; in large

off-road vehicles; and in marine

applications. Traditionally, these

vehicles have run on diesel. By

focusing on this rather narrow but

large usage area, significant environmental benefits can result because the

conversion to LNG will reduce the

amount of diesel burned.

Because of LNG's relatively high

energy density, its use dramatically

increases the amount of fuel storage

capability over that of CNG. Other

advantages include the relative purity

of LNG (generally greater than 98%

methane) and the ability to transport

the liquid commodity from place to

place. The environmental benefits are

essentially the same as for CNG. The

disadvantage primarily centers on the

cryogenic nature of LNG and the

necessity for storage in unique vessels and limited liquid hold time.

The Idaho National Engineering and

Environmental Laboratory's (INEEL)

experience with LNG is described in

the following paragraphs.

Fueling Infrastructure. INEEL uses

a temporary fueling station that provides natural gas as a either liquid

cryogenic fuel (LNG) or highly 

compressed gas (CNG). This fueling

station is skid-mounted and can be

moved conveniently to various locations. Using this station to service

our natural gas vehicles is very valuable in identifying fueling infrastructure issues and problems. This station

was built by MVE, Inc., and was 

provided to us by Amoco LNG.

INEEL will soon acquire a new 

permanent fueling station being built

by Drexel Engineering to serve both

LNG and CNG fueling needs far into

the future.

Heavy-Duty Vehicles. INEEL's

transportation fleet includes six LNG

buses powered by the 275-horsepower Detroit Diesel Company (DDC)

50G engine, which is a prototype of

the closed-loop natural gas engines

DDC expects to introduce in large

numbers in the medium- and heavyduty trucking industry. This is a joint

project with DDC and tank supplier,

CVI, and is receiving significant

national attention. Four of these

buses went to Atlanta in June 1996,

where they were successfully operated

throughout the Olympic games.

LNG Research for Heavy-Duty

Transportation Applications.

INEEL is engaged in a program

sponsored by both the U.S.

Department of Energy and the Gas

Research Institute to pursue research

on technologies that will accelerate

the deployment of LNG long-haul

trucks. Research topics include

development of fuel delivery systems, engine controls, tankage, fueling stations, and other hardwarerelated technologies. Additionally,

we are looking at public perception

issues and risk assessment, and have

completed a system analysis to evaluate dynamic industry response to the

introduction of new technologies.

These activities are conducted in collaboration with a large number of

industry partners. Although initially

focused on heavy-duty trucks, most

of the research topics are generic and

are relevant to other LNG applications in transportation.

For further information please contact Richard E. Rice (208) 526-1992,

rrr@inel.gov or Bruce Wilding (208)

526-8160, wilding@inel.gov.

These liquefied natural gas buses provided reliable transportation during the

1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.

Photo courtesy of Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory/PIX 05089
The U.S. Department of Energy

(DOE), California's South Coast 

Air Quality Management District

(SCAQMD), the Gas Research

Institute (GRI), and the American

Trucking Association's Trucking

Research Institute (TRI) are joining

forces in a 5-year-plus program

directed at engine original equipment

manufacturers (OEMs). The program

is designed to enhance natural gas

engine efficiency and emissions 

performance, which will require 

substantial research investment on

the part of the OEMs. The goal of

the program is to build natural gas

engines with 55% thermal efficiency

and low emission levels, code-named

LE-55. The program's total cost is

$1.2 million.

Breakdown of Cost-Sharing

by LE-55 Sponsors

Funding 

Sponsor Amount

U.S. Department of 

Energy $400K

Gas Research Institute $400K

South Coast Air Quality 

Management District $400K

Trucking Research 

Institute In-kind

Total: $1.2 million

In explaining its funding decision,

the SCAQMD board said that

although heavy-duty trucks represent

less than 10% of the total vehicle

population registered in the basin,

they contribute 13% of the carbon

monoxide (CO), 40% of the oxides

of nitrogen (NOx), and 87% of the

area's particulate matter (PM) emissions inventory. Recognizing the 

contribution of heavy-duty truck

emissions to the inventory, and that

out-of-state trucks are significant

contributors to the emissions inventory, the California Air Resources

Board (CARB) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

entered into an agreement with the

major heavy-duty engine manufacturers to set a NOx plus hydrocarbon

standard of 2.5 g/bhp-hr in 2002. 

The California state implementation

plan (SIP) seeks to reduce these levels

further to 1.0 g/bhp-hr of NOx.

The SCAQMD and others have been

supportive of developing and demonstrating natural gas heavy-duty

engine technology. Over the past

decade, major U.S. engine manufacturers have developed heavy-duty

natural gas engines for use in transit

buses and heavy-duty commercial 

LE-55 Natural Gas Engine Project Targets 55%

Efficiency and Low Emissions

South Coast Air Basin. Number of vehicles and predicted emissions in 1997.

(Source: South Coast Air Quality Management District)

Z1-B165501

Percent of vehicles in the air basin Predicted percent of vehicle NOx emissions

All other vehicles

96%

Heavy-duty trucks*

4%

All other vehicles

65%

Heavy-duty trucks*

35%

*All trucks over 8,500 lb GVW

Alternative Fuels In Trucking—Volume 6, Number 1 6
trucking. These current-generation

natural gas technology engines can

achieve NOx emissions well below

2.0 g/bhp-hr; however, there is a 

significant performance penalty to

achieve those levels. Conversely, if

performance is optimized, emissions

suffer. These technology barriers 

currently inhibit the widespread use

of natural gas in intra- or interstate

trucking operations. Thermal efficiency improvements while retaining

emissions of 2.5 g NOx or lower are

necessary if natural gas engines are

to successfully compete with diesel

engines and achieve full commercialization.

The SCAQMD board believes that

participation in this engine development project is in its best interests 

for a couple of reasons. First, the

agency will be an active participant

in determining the direction of this

national program and will be able to

ensure that the developments focus

on the NOx and PM emissions reductions from heavy-duty trucks required

in the basin. Second, the district will

be able to participate in review and

selection of the proposals. Because

interstate trucks are significant contributors to emissions in the basin,

it is advantageous for the SCAQMD 

to participate in this national program

to support natural gas engine technology developments that could 

ultimately lead to the increased and

widespread use of clean-burning fuels.

The program started with meetings

with heavy-duty engine OEMs to

determine the requirements for (1)

near-term (2 years or less) prototype

engine development, and (2) longterm goals for advanced natural gas

heavy-duty engines. From the meetings, a Statement of Work was generated, forming the basis for bids from

major engine manufacturers.

The OEMs performed the necessary

research and planning to prepare bid

packages. The packages contained the

OEMs' technical approach for building the prototype and illustrated how

this will lead to their ultimate highefficiency design. OEM proposals are

being evaluated by an advisory committee made up of representatives of

DOE, GRI, SCAQMD, the California

Trucking Association, and others.

Proposals for the advanced natural

gas engine development have been

submitted to TRI, which is a charitable trust research and educational

organization that supports the U.S.

commercial trucking industry

through research activities. DOE

selected TRI to initiate and coordinate the LE-55 research effort. As 

the research arm of the American

Trucking Association, TRI has 

direct access to ATA member companies, which include all major OEM

chassis and engine manufacturers.

ATA's Engineering Department,

which directly supports TRI's engine

and vehicle-related research, maintains relationships with every industry involved in the manufacture of

commercial trucks and components.

Ongoing research programs include

topics such as advancement of alternative fuels, intelligent transportation

systems for commercial vehicle 

operations, and driver fatigue and

alertness.

TRI will provide technical and administrative management of the selected

development projects, and provide

cosponsors with quarterly reports. 

At the completion of the near-term

engine development program, the

project sponsors will assess the feasibility of proceeding with longer term

development.

Reprinted with permission from LNG

Express, Zeus Development Corporation. This article has been edited

slightly to conform to the style of

Alternative Fuels in Trucking.

Alternative Fuels In Trucking — Volume 6, Number 1 7
Volume 6, Number 1

René Howard, Editor

Jim Miller, Graphic Designer

Alternative Fuels in Trucking is published quarterly

by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory

(NREL), a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) 

national laboratory. The newsletter is written by 

the American Trucking Association Foundation’s

(ATAF’s) Trucking Research Institute.

The aim of Alternative Fuels in Trucking is to

inform fleet owners and operators, equipment suppliers, government officials, and other interested parties

about important developments in the use of alternative

fuels in heavy-duty trucks. Suggestions and comments

are welcome and may be directed to the National

Alternative Fuels Hotline at 800-423-1DOE. Views

expressed by guest authors are their own, and not

those of ATAF, DOE, or NREL.

NREL/BR-540-22753

August 1997

Printed with a renewable-source ink on paper

containing at least 50% wastepaper, including

20% postconsumer waste

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY •

U.S. Department of Energy

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Office of Transportation Technologies

How to Reach Us

• The AFDC World Wide Web 

address is 

http://www.afdc.doe.gov

• The Alternative Fuels in

Trucking newsletter is available

on the WWW at http://www.

afdc.doe.gov/1/trknews It is

available on-line 2 or 3 weeks

before the newsletter is mailed.

To speak to a human

being, call the

National Alternative

Fuels Hotline at 

800-423-1DOE.