The most common fuel oil is kerosene, followed by diesel fuel. Diesel has a larger paraffin/wax concentration and produces more BTUs (heat) than kerosene. Kerosene, on the other hand, is frequently utilized at extremely cold temperatures since it does not thicken as easily as diesel. During the winter months, some individuals add a little kerosene to their diesel fuel to reduce the temperature at which it solidifies. Due to the road fees that are added to the price of diesel fuel, kerosene is normally less expensive than diesel. Despite the fact that diesel fuel has more BTUs than kerosene, the latter burns cleaner.
Does diesel burn the same as kerosene?
If you go about on the internet, you can come across a forum question like this:
In most cases, the responses are mixed. ‘Don’t worry, you’ll be OK,’ said half of the people. “Watch out for ________,” the other half will warn.
Regular diesel is referred to as #2 diesel fuel oil, whereas kerosene is referred to as #1 diesel fuel oil. Some people believe it is similar enough to conventional (#2) diesel fuel that they may try to use it interchangeably. What would motivate them to do so, and what problems may they face?
What Makes Kerosene What It Is
The qualities of kerosene determine what happens when it is burned. Because kerosene is a lighter diesel oil than #2, it is referred to as #1 diesel. Because of its smaller weight, it has somewhat less energy roughly 135,000 BTU per gallon vs. 139,000 BTU for #2.
Aromatic compounds are often concentrated in #2 and heavier diesel fuel oils; kerosene does not have extremely significant levels of them. This is one of the reasons why #2 diesel burns drier and with less lubricity than kerosene.
Drier burn
The most prevalent worry is kerosene’s dry burn, which can harm gasoline pumps. In comparison to #2 diesel, kerosene has extremely little lubricity. When running on kerosene, gasoline pumps without lubricity suffer a lot of wear and may burn out. Additional wearable pieces, such as rings, gaskets, and valves, are mentioned by some. Adding some automatic transmission fluid to the kerosene is a simple cure for this. In this case, 2-cycle oil can also be used.
Hotter burn?
Some will argue that kerosene burns hotter than #2 diesel, resulting in worries about rings being burned out. Others argue that because kerosene has a lower energy value, it will not burn at a higher temperature.
The fact that kerosene has less total energy than #2 is undeniable. However, having less total energy simply means that a gallon of kerosene produces less total heat than a gallon of standard on-road diesel.
Kerosene has a lower viscosity than gasoline, which allows it to burn at a higher temperature in an engine.
Cutting Diesel with Kerosene
Kerosene can be combined with diesel fuel for a few advantages. Kerosene is particularly beneficial in the winter for modifying the cold weather handling temperatures of diesel fuel. The rule of thumb is that adding ten percent kerosene to a diesel fuel blend lowers the cold filter plugging point by five degrees. It may be more cost effective to use kerosene as a mixer than than a cold flow polymer in extremely cold climates.
To reduce emissions, kerosene and #2 are mixed together. According to the theory, kerosene “burns cleaner” than #2, resulting in lesser pollutants.
Is kerosene a clean fuel?
Kerosene, unlike natural gas or other common combustion fuels, burns rather cleanly. Because the carbon monoxide emissions produced by a kerosene heating system are deemed low, the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in your family is also low when you use kerosene.
Can I use kerosene in my diesel car?
Kerosene burns cleanly in most diesel engines and does not affect them. As a result, kerosene burns cooler than diesel and lacks the lubricating additives found in diesel. This means that if you use kerosene in your diesel engine, it will place a strain on your injector pump unless you use the proper lubrication.
What burns faster kerosene or propane?
With the Mi-T-M kerosene forced air heater, which is a more powerful fuel source, you receive more heat for your money. The heat produced by a kerosene heater is measured in British thermal units (BTUs) and begins at around 75,000 BTUs per gallon. BTUs start at 18,000 BTUs per gallon with Mi-T-M Propane heaters. As a result, kerosene will keep you warm when you’re out beneath the sky.
Mi-T-M Heaters come in a variety of forms and sizes, and most only have one or two settings, so you’ll need to figure out which size is suitable for you. Hundreds of portable heating solutions are available from Mi-T-M.
Another factor to consider is the price of each type of gasoline. Let’s look at one state at a time and compare apples to apples. According to the New York State Energy and Development Authority, kerosene costs roughly $4.20 per gallon in the state, while propane costs around $3.10 per gallon.
Kerosene is flammable, has a strong flame, and produces a lot of heat. However, propane is the cleaner-burning of the two fuels, and it’s usually easier to locate and purchase.
After that, think about how long each sort of heater will keep you warm. A propane type powered by a 20-pound propane cylinder will run for 65 hours on low and 24 hours on high when set to low.
Why kerosene is not used in cars?
Kerosene, because to its density, has less lubricity, which can cause multiple wear and tear in automotive mechanisms, causing them to burnout, and because it is very flammable, it can cause major accidents.
What burns faster gasoline or kerosene?
Many people mix up autoignition temperature and flash point, but they’re not the same thing. Without an external ignition source, a substance’s flash point is the lowest temperature at which it will burn.
The temperature at which a substance spontaneously ignites is known as the autoignition temperature (also known as the kindling point). That is, the temperature at which the chemical spontaneously combusts equals the temperature.
The autoignition temperatures and flash points of diesel, gasoline, and kerosene are all different. Let’s have a look at how each of the fuels compares.
Gasoline, with a flash point of -45°F, has the lowest flash point in the group. At 100°F, kerosene comes in second, followed by diesel at 126°F. So, what does this imply in terms of application?
Simply put, because gasoline has a lower flash point, it will ignite more dependably around a flame at lower temperatures. On a chilly, frosty morning, you’ve probably heard that diesel engines are difficult to start. Part of the reason is because of this!
The autoignition temperatures of gasoline, diesel, and kerosene are generally similar. The difference in temperature between gasoline and diesel and kerosene is about a hundred degrees, although it’s unlikely to matter much outside of an industrial context.
Will kerosene burn with a match?
Is it possible to light kerosene with matches? Kerosene can be lit with a match, but not if the match is inserted into the liquid kerosene. The flammable part of kerosene is the vapor; liquid kerosene is not flammable, but it is combustible.
