Diesel 81761 225270115 2008-07-12T20:22:21Z 79.117.86.184 /* Automobile racing */ {{seealso|Diesel engine}} {{seealso|Diesel (disambiguation)}} {{portal|Energy}} '''Diesel''' or '''diesel fuel''' ({{IPAEng|ˈdiːzəl}}) in general is any [[fuel]] used in [[diesel engine]]s. The most common is a specific [[fractional distillation|fractional distillate]] of petroleum [[fuel oil]], but alternatives that are not derived from petroleum, such as [[biodiesel]], [[biomass to liquid]] (BTL) or [[gas to liquid]] (GTL) diesel, are increasingly being developed and adopted. To distinguish these types, petroleum-derived diesel is increasingly called ''petrodiesel''. Ultra-low [[sulfur]] diesel (ULSD) is a term used to describe a standard for defining diesel fuel with substantially lowered sulfur contents. As of 2007, almost every diesel fuel available in America and Europe is the ULSD type. == History == === Etymology === The word "diesel" is derived from the [[Germany|German]] inventor [[Rudolf Diesel|Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel]] ([[March 18]], [[1858]] – [[September 30]], [[1913]]) who in 1892 invented the [[diesel engine]]. === Diesel Engine === {{Main|Diesel engine}} [[Diesel engine]]s are a type of [[internal combustion engine]]. [[Rudolf Diesel]] originally designed the diesel engine to use [[vegetable oil]]s as a fuel in order to help support [[agrarian]] society{{Fact|date=June 2008}} and to enable independent craftsmen and artisans to compete with large industry.{{Fact|date=June 2008}} ==Petroleum diesel== [[Image:essodiesel.jpg|thumb|right|A modern diesel pump]] ===Diesel refining=== '''Petroleum diesel''', or '''petrodiesel''',<ref>[http://www.maccompanion.com/macc/archives/April2008/Greenware/KickingGasoline.htm macCompanion Magazine<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> is produced from [[petroleum]] and is a [[hydrocarbon]] mixture, obtained in the [[fractional distillation]] of [[crude oil]] between 200&nbsp;°C and 350&nbsp;°C at [[atmospheric pressure]]. ===Burning effiency=== The density of petroleum diesel is about 0.85 kg/l (7.09 lbs/gallon) whereas [[gasoline|petrol (gasoline)]] has a density of about 0.72 kg/l (6.01 lbs/gallon), about 15% less. When burnt, diesel typically releases about 38.6 MJ/l (138700 Btu per US gallon), whereas gasoline releases 34.9 MJ/l (125000 Btu per US gallon), about 11% less.<ref name=TEDB>Table B4, [http://www-cta.ornl.gov/data/Appendix_B.html Appendix B, Transportation Energy Data Book] from the [[Center for Transportation Analysis]] of the [[Oak Ridge National Laboratory]]</ref> Diesel is generally simpler to refine from petroleum than gasoline. The price of diesel traditionally rises during colder months as demand for [[heating oil]] rises, which is refined in much the same way. Due to its higher level of pollutants, diesel must undergo additional filtration{{Fact|date=April 2008}} which contributes to a sometimes higher cost. In many parts of the United States and throughout the UK, diesel may be higher priced than petrol.<ref>[http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/gdu/gasdiesel.asp Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Reasons for higher priced diesel include the shutdown of some refineries in the [[Gulf of Mexico]], diversion of mass refining capacity to gasoline production, and a recent transfer to [[ultra-low sulfur diesel]] (ULSD), which causes infrastructural complications.<ref>http://www.eia.doe.gov/bookshelf/brochures/diesel/dieselprices2006.html</ref> ===Use as vehicle fuel=== Unlike [[Petroleum ether]] and [[Liquefied petroleum gas]] engines, diesel engines do not use high voltage spark ignition (sparkplugs). Ignition of diesel only occurs under high pressure and/or with very high temperature. A car running on diesel compresses the air inside the cylinder to immense pressure ( compression in diesel engines is about 3 times higher than in ones running on gasoline ), which causes it to heat up, and the diesel fuel then being injected. The hot air inside the cylinder causes the diesel fuel to react with the air oxygen (to burn), heating and expanding the burning mixture in order to transfer the thermal energy to mechanical one, or in other words to move the piston. ([[glow plug|glow plugs]] are used to assist starting the engine to pre-warm cylinders to reach a minimum operating temperature). Higher compression ratio and slower, more even burn of diesel fuel ( and lack of detonation ) result in higher efficiency and better durability of the diesel engine when compared to gasoline ones. This and being less flammable/explosive than gasoline are the main reasons for this kind of fuel to be in military use in [[armoured vehicle|armoured fighting vehicle]] like [[tanks]], [[humvees]] etc. Engines running on diesel also provide more torque and are less likely to [[Stall (engine)|stall]]; as they run at a lower RPM, they will rather stutter a lot before stalling.{{Fact|date=June 2008}} An important disadvantage of diesel as a vehicle fuel, compared to gasoline or other petroleum derivated fuels, is that its viscosity increases at a rather fast pace as the fuel's temperature goes down, turning into a non-flowing gel at temperatures as high as -19 ºC (-2.2 ºF) or -15 ºC (+5 ºF), which can't be pumped by regular fuel pumps. Special low temperature diesel contain additives that keep it in a more liquid state at lower temperatures, yet, starting a diesel engine in very cold weather still poses considerable difficulties. ===Use as car fuel=== [[Diesel engine|Diesel-powered]] cars generally have a better [[fuel economy]] than equivalent gasoline engines and produce less [[greenhouse gas]] pollution. Their greater economy is due to the higher energy per-litre content of diesel fuel and the intrinsic efficiency of the diesel engine. While petrodiesel's 15% higher density results in 15% higher greenhouse gas emissions per litre compared to gasoline,<ref>{{cite web | publisher=US Environmental Protection Agency |date=2005 | url=http://www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/420f05001.htm | title=Emission Facts: Average Carbon Dioxide Emissions Resulting from Gasoline and Diesel Fuel }}</ref> the 20–40% better fuel economy achieved by modern diesel-engined automobiles offsets the higher-per-liter emissions of greenhouse gases, and produces 10-20 percent less GHG emissions than comparable gasoline vehicles.<ref>{{cite web | title=Greenhouse Gas Reductions | url=http://www.dieselforum.org/policy-insider/greenhouse-gas-reductions/ | publisher=Diesel Technology Forum | accessdate=2008-03-13 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Diesel cars set to outsell petrol | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2332669.stm | publisher=BBC News | date=[[October 23]] [[2002]] | accessdate-2006-11-19 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.dieselforum.org/policy-insider/fuel-efficiency/neste/4/ | title=More Miles To The Gallon | publisher=Diesel Technology Forum | accessdate=2006-11-19 }}</ref> However, the EPA carbon footprint estimates do not include the carbon cost of vehicle manufacture, nor the carbon cost of filtering particulates, sulfates, and nitrates emissions. Biodiesel-powered diesel engines offer substantially improved emission reductions compared to petro-diesel or gasoline-powered engines, while retaining most of the fuel economy advantages over conventional gasoline-powered automobiles. ===Reduction of sulfur emissions=== In the past, diesel fuel contained higher quantities of [[sulfur]]. [[European emission standards]] and preferential taxation have forced [[oil refinery|oil refineries]] to dramatically reduce the level of sulfur in diesel fuels. In the United States, more stringent emission standards have been adopted with the transition to [[Ultra-low sulfur diesel|ULSD]] starting in 2006 and becoming mandatory on [[June 1]], [[2010]] (see also [[diesel exhaust]]). U.S. diesel fuel typically also has a lower [[cetane number]] (a measure of ignition quality) than European diesel, resulting in worse cold weather performance and some increase in emissions.<ref>[http://www.memagazine.org/backissues/membersonly/jan05/features/idlehour/idlehour.html "Idle Hour," Feature Article, January 2005<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> This is one reason why U.S. drivers of large trucks have increasingly turned to biodiesel fuels with their generally higher cetane ratings. ===Environment hazards of sulfur=== High levels of sulfur in diesel are harmful for the environment because they prevent the use of catalytic [[diesel particulate filter]]s to control [[Diesel particulate matter|diesel particulate emissions]], as well as more advanced technologies, such as nitrogen oxide ([[NOx]]) [[adsorb]]ers (still under development), to reduce emissions. However, the process for lowering sulfur also reduces the [[lubrication|lubricity]] of the fuel, meaning that [[additive]]s must be put into the fuel to help lubricate engines. [[Biodiesel]] and biodiesel/petrodiesel blends, with their higher lubricity levels, are increasingly being utilized as an alternative. The U.S. annual consumption of diesel fuel in 2006 was about 190 billion litres (42 billion imperial gallons or 50 billion US gallons). [http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_cons_prim_dcu_nus_a.htm] ===Chemical composition=== [[Image:Dieselrainbow.jpg|thumb|right|Diesel is [[immiscible]] with water]] Petroleum-derived diesel is composed of about 75% [[saturated hydrocarbon]]s (primarily [[paraffin]]s including ''n'', ''iso'', and [[Cycloalkane|cycloparaffins]]), and 25% [[aromatic hydrocarbon]]s (including [[naphthalene]]s and [[alkylbenzene]]s).<ref>Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 1995. ''[http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp75-c3.pdf Toxicological profile for fuel oils]''. Atlanta, GA: [[United States Department of Health and Human Services|U.S. Department of Health and Human Services]], Public Health Service</ref> The average chemical formula for common diesel fuel is C<sub>12</sub>H<sub>23</sub>, ranging from approx. C<sub>10</sub>H<sub>20</sub> to C<sub>15</sub>H<sub>28</sub> ===Algae, microbes, and water=== There has been much discussion and misinformation about [[algae]] in diesel fuel{{Fact|date=February 2007}}. Algae require sunlight to live and grow. As there is no sunlight in a closed fuel tank, no algae can survive there. However, some [[microbes]] can survive there, and can feed on the diesel fuel. These microbes form a colony that lives at the fuel/water interface. They grow quite rapidly in warmer temperatures. They can even grow in cold weather when fuel tank heaters are installed. Parts of the colony can break off and clog the fuel lines and fuel filters. It is possible to either kill this growth with a [[biocide]] treatment, or eliminate the water, a necessary component of microbial life. There are a number of biocides on the market, which must be handled very carefully. If a biocide is used, it must be added every time a tank is refilled until the problem is fully resolved. Biocides attack the cell wall of microbes resulting in [[lysis]], the death of a cell by bursting. The dead cells then gather on the bottom of the fuel tanks and form a sludge, filter clogging will continue after biocide treatment until the sludge has abated. Given the right conditions microbes will repopulate the tanks and re-treatment with biocides will then be necessary. With repetitive biocide treatments microbes can then form resistance to a particular brand.{{Fact|date=October 2007}} Trying another brand may resolve this. Petrodiesel spilled on a road will stay there until washed away by sufficiently heavy rain, whereas gasoline will quickly evaporate. Diesel spills severely reduce tire grip and have been implicated in many accidents. They are especially dangerous for two-wheeled vehicles. == Synthetic diesel == [[Wood]], [[hemp]], [[straw]], [[corn]], [[Waste|garbage]], [[food scraps]], and [[sewage-sludge]] may be dried and gasified to [[synthesis gas]]. After purification the [[Fischer-Tropsch process]] is used to produce synthetic diesel.<ref>{{cite web | title=http://www.fas.usda.gov/pecad/highlights/2005/01/btl0104/syntheticdiesel.htm | url=http://www.fas.usda.gov/pecad/highlights/2005/01/btl0104/syntheticdiesel.htm | accessmonthday=December 5 | accessyear=2005 }} appears to be at this link http://www.fas.usda.gov/pecad2/highlights/2005/01/btl0104/syntheticdiesel.htm now</ref> This means that synthetic diesel oil may be one route to biomass based diesel oil. Such processes are often called [[Biomass to liquid|Biomass-To-Liquids]] or BTL. Synthetic diesel may also be produced out of [[natural gas]] in the [[Gas to liquids|Gas-to-liquid]] (GTL) process or out of coal in the Coal-to-liquid ([[CTL]]) process. Such synthetic diesel has 30% less particulate emissions than conventional diesel (US- California).<ref>{{cite web | title=SYNTHETIC DIESEL FUEL | url=http://www.energy.ca.gov/afvs/synthetic_diesel.html | accessmonthday=December 5 | accessyear=2005 }}</ref> == Biodiesel == {{main|Biodiesel}} [[Biodiesel]] can be obtained from [[vegetable oil]] (vegidiesel/vegifuel), or animal fats (bio-[[lipid]]s), using [[transesterification]]. Biodiesel is a non-[[fossil fuel]] alternative to petrodiesel. It can also be mixed with petrodiesel in any amount in modern engines, though when first using it, the [[solvent]] properties of the fuel tend to dissolve accumulated deposits and can clog fuel filters.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} Biodiesel has a higher [[gel point]] than petrodiesel, but is comparable to diesel. This can be overcome by using a biodiesel/petrodiesel blend, or by installing a fuel heater, but this is only necessary during the colder months. A diesel-biodiesel mix results in lower emissions than either can achieve alone,<ref>[http://www.wvofuels.com/2005/04/06/is-biodiesel-cleaner/ Is biodiesel cleaner than petrol diesel? at Waste Vegetable Oil Fuels<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> except for NO<sub>x</sub> emissions. A small fraction of biodiesel can be used as an additive in low-sulfur formulations of diesel to increase the lubricity lost when the sulfur is removed. In the event of fuel spills, biodiesel is easily washed away with ordinary water and is nontoxic compared to other fuels. Biodiesel can be produced using kits. Certain kits allow for processing of used vegetable oil that can be run through any conventional diesel motor with modifications. The modification needed is the replacement of fuel lines from the intake and motor and all affected rubber fittings in injection and feeding pumps a.s.o. This is because biodiesel is an effective [[solvent]] and will replace softeners within unsuitable rubber with itself over time. Synthetic gaskets for fittings and hoses prevent this. Chemically, most biodiesel consists of [[alkyl]] (usually [[methyl]]) [[ester]]s instead of the alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons of petroleum derived diesel. However, biodiesel has combustion properties very similar to petrodiesel, including combustion energy and [[cetane number|cetane]] ratings. [[Paraffin]] biodiesel also exists. Due to the purity of the source, it has a higher quality than petrodiesel. === Biodiesel emissions === The use of biodiesel blended diesel fuels in fractions up to 99% result in substantial emission reductions. Sulfur oxide and sulfate emissions, major components of [[acid rain]], are essentially eliminated with pure biodiesel and substantially reduced using biodiesel blends with minor quantities of ULSD petrodiesel. Use of biodiesel also results in substantial reductions of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter compared to either gasoline or petrodiesel. C02, or carbon monoxide emissions using biodiesel are substantially reduced, on the order of 50% compared to most petrodiesel fuels. The exhaust emissions of particulate matter from biodiesel have been found to be 30 percent lower than overall particulate matter emissions from petrodiesel. The exhaust emissions of total hydrocarbons (a contributing factor in the localized formation of smog and ozone) are up to 93 percent lower for biodiesel than diesel fuel. Biodiesel emissions of nitrogen oxides can sometimes increase slightly. However, biodiesel's complete lack of sulfur and sulfate emissions allows the use of NOx control technologies, such as [[AdBlue]], that cannot be used with conventional diesel, allowing the management and control of nitrous oxide emissions. Biodiesel also may reduce health risks associated with petroleum diesel. Biodiesel emissions showed decreased levels of PAH and nitrited PAH compounds which have been identified as potential cancer causing compounds. In recent testing, PAH compounds were reduced by 75 to 85 percent, with the exception of benzo(a)anthracene, which was reduced by roughly 50 percent. Targeted nPAH compounds were also reduced dramatically with biodiesel fuel, with 2-nitrofluorene and 1-nitropyrene reduced by 90 percent, and the rest of the nPAH compounds reduced to only trace levels.<ref>[http://www.hempcar.org/petvshemp.shtml Hempcar.org-Pollution: Petrol vs Hemp<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ==Aircraft== The first diesel powered flight of a fixed wing aircraft took place on the evening of [[September 18]], [[1928]], at the Packard Motor Company proving grounds, Utica, Michigan with Captain Lionel M. Woolson and Walter Lees at the controls (the first "official" test flight was taken the next morning). The engine was designed for Packard by Woolson and the aircraft was a [[Stinson Aircraft Company|Stinson]] SM1B, X7654. Later that year [[Charles Lindbergh]] flew the same aircraft. In 1929 it was flown {{convert|621|mi|km}} non-stop from [[Detroit, Michigan|Detroit]] to [[Langley, Virginia]] (near [[Washington, D.C.]]). This aircraft is presently owned by Greg Herrick and resides in the Golden Wings Flying Museum near Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 1931, Walter Lees and Fredrick Brossy set the nonstop flight record flying a [[Bellanca]] powered by a Packard diesel for 84h 32 m. The [[Hindenburg disaster|Hindenburg]] was powered by four 16 cylinder diesel engines, each with approximately {{convert|1200|hp}} available in bursts, and {{convert|850|hp}} available for cruising. Modern diesel engines for propellor-driven aircraft are manufactured by Thielert Aircraft Engines and SMA. These engines are able to run on [[Jet fuel#Jet A|Jet A]] fuel, which is similar in composition to automotive diesel and cheaper and more plentiful than the 100 [[octane]] low-lead gasoline ([[avgas]]) used by the majority of the piston-engine aircraft fleet.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} The most-produced aviation diesel engine in history so far has been the [[Junkers Jumo 205]], which, along with its similar developments from the [[Junkers (Aircraft)|Junkers Motorenwerke]], had approximately 1000 examples of the unique opposed piston, two-stroke design powerplant built in the 1930s leading into World War II in Germany. == Automobiles == The very first diesel-engine [[automobile]] trip (inside USA) was completed on [[January 6]], [[1930]]. The trip was from [[Indianapolis, Indiana|Indianapolis]] to [[New York City]], a distance of nearly 800 miles (1300 km).{{Fact|date=December 2007}} This feat helped to prove the usefulness of the [[compression ignition engine]]. ===Automobile racing=== In 1931, Dave Evans drove his [[Cummins]] Diesel Special to a nonstop finish in the [[Indianapolis 500]], the first time a car had completed the race without a [[pit stop]]. That car and a later Cummins Diesel Special are on display at the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]] Hall of Fame Museum.<ref>{{cite web | title=Indianapolis Motor Speedway | url=http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/museum/ | accessmonthday=December 5 | accessyear=2005 }}</ref> In the late 1970s, Mercedes-Benz at [[Nardò]] drove a C111-III with a 5 cylinder diesel engine to several new records, including driving an average of 314 km/h (195 mph) for 12 hours and hitting a top speed of 325 km/h (201 mph). With turbocharged diesel cars getting stronger in the 1990s, they were entered in [[touring car racing]], and [[BMW]] even won the [[24 Hours Nürburgring]] in 1998 with a [[BMW E36|320d]]. After winning the [[12 Hours of Sebring]] in 2006 with their diesel-powered [[Audi R10 TDI|R10 TDI]] [[Le Mans Prototype|LMP]], [[Audi]] won the [[24 Hours of Le Mans]], too. This is the first time a diesel-fueled vehicle has won at Le Mans against cars powered with regular fuel or other alternative fuel like [[methanol]] or [[bio-ethanol]]. Competitors like Porsche predicted this victory for Audi as current [[FIA]] and [[Automobile Club de l'Ouest|ACO]] regulations are seen as pro-diesel. French automaker [[Peugeot]] entered the diesel powered [[Peugeot 908]] [[Le Mans Prototype|LMP]] in the 2007 [[24 Hours of Le Mans]] in response to the success of the [[Audi R10 TDI]]. In an effort to further demonstrate the potential of diesel power, California-based [[Gale Banks Engineering]] designed, built and raced a Cummins-powered pickup at the [[Bonneville Salt Flats]] in October 2002. The truck set a top speed of 355 km/h (222 mph) and became the world’s fastest pickup, and almost equally notable, the truck drove to the race towing its own support trailer. On [[23 August]] [[2006]], the British-based earthmoving machine manufacturer [[J. C. Bamford|JCB]] raced the specially designed [[JCB Dieselmax]] car at 563.4 km/h (350.1 mph). The driver was [[Andy Green]]. The car was powered by two modified JCB 444 diesel engines. Other important Diesel engine performances are the Audi R10 winning Le Mans 24h Race and Seat Leon TDI's victories in the WTCC Series. == Other uses == Poor quality, (high [[sulfur]]) diesel fuel has been used as a [[palladium]] extraction agent for the [[liquid-liquid extraction]] of this metal from [[nitric acid]] mixtures. This has been proposed as a means of separating the [[fission product]] palladium from [[PUREX]] [[raffinate]] which comes from used [[nuclear fuel]]. In this solvent extraction system the [[hydrocarbon]]s of the diesel act as the [[diluent]] while the di[[alkyl]] [[sulfide]]s act as the extractant. This extraction operates by a [[solvation]] mechanism. So far neither a [[pilot plant]] or full scale plant has been constructed to recover palladium, [[rhodium]] or [[ruthenium]] from [[nuclear waste]]s created by the use of [[nuclear fuel]].<ref>Torgov, V.G.; Tatarchuk, V.V.; Druzhinina, I.A.; Korda, T.M. ''et. al'', ''Atomic Energy'', 1994, '''76'''(6), 442–448. (Translated from Atomnaya Energiya; 76: No. 6, 478–485 (June 1994))</ref> ==Health effects== [[Image:Diesel-smoke.jpg|thumb|right|225px|Diesel exhaust from a large truck starting up in USA with old technology device.]] Diesel combustion exhaust is an important source of atmospheric [[soot]] and [[fine particles]], which is a fraction of air pollution implicated in human heart and lung damage. Diesel exhaust also contains [[nanoparticles]] which have been found to damage the cardiovascular system in a mouse model.<ref> http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=washingtonstory&sid=aBt.yLf.YfOo Study Pollution Particles Lead to Higher Heart Attack Risk</ref> The study of [[nanotoxicology]] is still in its infancy, and the extent of health and societal effects caused by diesel combustion is unknown. Biodiesel and biodiesel blends result in greatly decreased pollution levels. ==Taxation== Diesel fuel is very similar to [[heating oil]] which is used in [[central heating]]. In [[Europe]], the [[United States]], and [[Canada]], [[tax]]es on diesel fuel are higher than on heating oil due to the [[fuel tax]], and in those areas, heating oil is marked with [[fuel dyes]] and trace chemicals to prevent and detect [[tax fraud]]. Similarly, "untaxed" diesel (sometimes called "off road diesel") is available in the United States, which is available for use primarily in agricultural applications such as fuel for tractors, recreational and utility vehicles or other [[non-commercial]] vehicles that do not use [[public road]]s. Additionally, this fuel may have sulphur levels that exceed the limits for road use using the newer 2007 standards. This untaxed diesel is dyed red for identification purposes,<ref name="26 CFR 48.4082-1">{{cite web | url = http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=5e6923448149c8865561ae47adaf28a7&rgn=div8&view=text&node=26:16.0.1.1.6.5.14.41&idno=26 | title = Title 26, § 48.4082-1 Diesel fuel and kerosene; exemption for dyed fuel. | accessdate = 2006-10-28 | author = United States Government Printing Office | authorlink = United States Government Printing Office | date = [[2006-10-25]] | work = Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) | quote = Diesel fuel or kerosene satisfies the dyeing requirement of this paragraph (b) only if the diesel fuel or kerosene contains— (1) The dye Solvent Red 164 (and no other dye) at a concentration spectrally equivalent to at least 3.9 pounds of the solid dye standard Solvent Red 26 per thousand barrels of diesel fuel or kerosene; or (2) Any dye of a type and in a concentration that has been approved by the Commissioner. }} Cited as 26 CFR 48.4082-1. This regulation implements {{usc|26|4082-1}}.</ref> and should a person be found to be using this untaxed diesel fuel for a typically taxed purpose (such as "over-the-road", or driving use), the user can be fined US$10,000. In the [[United Kingdom]], [[Belgium]] and the [[Netherlands]] it is known as [[red diesel]] (or '''gas oil'''), and is also used in [[agricultural]] vehicles, home heating tanks, refrigeration units on vans/trucks which contain perishable items (e.g. food, medicine) and for marine craft. Diesel fuel, or Marked Gas Oil is dyed green in the [[Republic of Ireland]]. The term '''DERV''' ("diesel engined road vehicle") is used in the UK as a synonym for unmarked road diesel fuel. In [[India]], taxes on diesel fuel are lower than on gasoline as the majority of the transportation that transports grains and other essential commodities across the country runs on diesel. In [[Germany]], diesel fuel is taxed lower than gasoline but the annual vehicle tax is higher for diesel vehicles than for gasoline vehicles.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} This gives an advantage to vehicles that travel longer distances (which is the case for trucks and utility vehicles) because the annual vehicle tax depends only on [[engine displacement]], not on distance driven. The point at which a diesel vehicle becomes less expensive than a comparable gasoline vehicle is around 20,000 km per year (12,500 miles per year) for an average car.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} Taxes on [[biodiesel]] in the United States vary from state to state and in some states (Texas, for example) have no tax on biodiesel and a reduced tax on biodiesel blends equivalent to the amount of biodiesel in the blend, so B20 fuel is taxed 20% less than pure petrodiesel.<ref>http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/progs/ind_state_laws.php/TX/BIOD Texas Biodiesel Laws and Incentives</REF> Other states, such as North Carolina, tax biodiesel (in any blended configuration) the same as petrodiesel, although they have introduced new incentives to producers and users of all biofuels.<ref>http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/progs/ind_state_laws.php/NC/BIOD North Carolina Biodiesel Laws and Incentives</ref> ==See also== <div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;"> * [[Diesel engine]] * [[Common ethanol fuel mixtures]] * [[Kerosene]] * [[Liquid fuels]] * [[hybrid vehicle|Diesel hybrid vehicles]] * [[Comparison of automobile fuel technologies]] * [[List of diesel automobiles]] * [[Turbodiesel]] * [[Dieselisation]] </div> ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== <!-- ==============================({{NoMoreLinks}})============================== --> <!-- DO NOT ADD MORE LINKS TO THIS ARTICLE. WIKIPEDIA IS NOT A COLLECTION OF LINKS --> <!-- If you think that your link might be useful, instead of placing it here, put --> <!-- it on this article's discussion page first. Links that have not been verified --> <!-- WILL BE DELETED --> <!-- ============================================================================= --> {{Commons}} * [http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/dieselexhaust/ U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety & Health Administration: Safety and Health Topics: Diesel Exhaust] [[Category:Petroleum products]] [[Category:Liquid fuels]] [[Category:Diesel]] [[Category:Hydrocarbon solvents]] [[Category:German loanwords]] [[Category:Diesel engines| ]] [[Category:Motor fuels]] [[bs:Dizel gorivo]] [[bg:Дизел]] [[ca:Gasoli]] [[cs:Motorová nafta]] [[da:Dieselolie]] [[de:Dieselkraftstoff]] [[es:Petrodiésel]] [[eo:Dizeloleo]] [[eu:Gasolio]] [[fr:Gazole]] [[ko:경유]] [[hi:डीजल]] [[id:Diesel]] [[it:Gasolio]] [[he:סולר]] [[lt:Dyzelinas]] [[nl:Dieselolie]] [[ja:軽油]] [[no:Diesel]] [[nn:Diesel]] [[pl:Olej napędowy]] [[pt:Diesel]] [[ru:Дизельное топливо]] [[simple:Diesel engine]] [[sk:Motorová nafta]] [[sr:Дизел гориво]] [[fi:Dieselöljy]] [[sv:Dieselolja]] [[th:น้ำมันดีเซล]] [[vi:Dầu diesel]] [[tr:Mazot]] [[uk:Дизельне паливо]] [[zh:柴油]]