What Is The Cetane Rating Of Shell Diesel?

If someone is curious about the exact specs of the fuels supplied on Shell forecourts in the United Kingdom, the company’s own material data sheets can be found here:

Simply choose the United Kingdom as your country, then go to fuel products to obtain Shell’s own data sheets and specs for its normal FuelSave and V-Power petrol and diesel products.

Shell’s regular FuelSave diesel has a higher typical cetane number (53-55) than its own V-Power superdiesel, which is noteworthy to notice (typical cetane number of 51 – 53).

FuelSave unleaded has an octane rating of 95 to 95.2, whereas V-Power has an octane rating of over 99.

Which diesel has the highest cetane rating?

The cetane rating, often known as the cetane number, is a measurement of diesel fuel quality or performance. The higher the number, the more efficiently fuel burns in a vehicle’s engine. The cetane number is a rating assigned to a fuel to rate the quality of its combustion, analogous to the octane rating. The difference is that the octane rating is used to rate gasoline, while the cetane rating is used to grade diesel. High-performance diesel vehicles require fuel with a higher cetane rating, just as high-performance gasoline vehicles demand higher octane ratings.

The amount of cetane—a clear, colorless hydrocarbon that ignites under high pressures—in a particular diesel mixture determines its cetane rating. The maximum attainable purity of diesel fuel is pure cetane, which has a cetane rating of 100.

The fundamental difference between cetane and octane ratings is that the octane rating shows how well a gasoline can withstand pre-ignition owing to compression, ensuring that the fuel only ignites when a spark from the spark plug strikes it. The cetane number, on the other hand, measures the fuel’s ignition delay. In other words, it refers to the time it takes for the fuel to be pumped into the chamber and for combustion to commence. Unlike gasoline engines, which try to avoid any compression ignition, diesel engines rely on compression ignition and so do not require a spark. The delay between when the fuel is delivered into the combustion chamber and when it ignites is decreased with a higher cetane number. Because of the compression, the fuel is able to ignite more easily and quickly. As a result of the reduced delay period, the fuel combustion is more thorough.

What’s the difference between Shell V-Power diesel and normal diesel?

Shell’s version of an upgraded diesel fuel, similar to BP’s ‘Ultimate Diesel,’ is called V-Power Diesel. Shell V-Power Diesel, like BP Ultimate Diesel, is developed for current compression-ignition diesel engines to provide improved engine performance as well as higher engine protection, resulting in more consistent operation and engine longevity.

Because of the synthetic gas to liquid (GTL) component, V-Power diesel is much clearer and odourless than regular diesel.

What type of diesel does Shell use?

Shell Diesel and Shell biodiesel blends are both developed to fulfill the needs of the most discerning customers and are readily accessible at most Shell locations across the United States.

Is Shell diesel top tier?

None of the Shell, BP, or Sunoco stations in the vicinity of the Ports are top class, with the exception of one of the Costcos (the other two Costcos with diesel within 10 miles don’t qualify?).

What is the highest cetane rating?

0 is the lowest cetane number possible (least ignitable). The cetane number refers to the percentage of cetane in the mixture that correlates to the test fuel’s ignition quality. Equally a result, a fuel with a cetane number of 50 is as ignitable as a 50/50 blend of cetane and 1-methylnaphthalene. Heptamethylnonane (with a cetane number of 15) can also be used as a non-ignitable reference fuel instead of 1-methylnaphthalene.

What is Ron fuel rating?

A nationwide 95 RON octane standard can deliver significant carbon reductions in the nation’s light-duty vehicle fleet faster and at a lower cost than any other proposal currently under consideration by policymakers at the national level, particularly policies requiring nationwide vehicle electrification.

Standardizing 95 RON high octane gasoline for light-duty, gasoline-powered vehicles can assist the environment while also allowing drivers to get more mileage out of each gallon of petrol. A standard could be in place well before 2030, and in year one alone, the combination of new high-octane fuel in optimized, higher compression engines would reduce carbon emissions from light-duty cars and SUVs by 2.69 million metric tons and 1.11 million metric tons for pickup trucks—equivalent to over 700,000 electric vehicles at a fraction of the cost.

All vehicle technologies, including electric vehicles, are expected to play a significant part in the future of transportation, according to AFPM, but consumer preferences must be respected. A 95 RON octane standard, in addition to refiners’ efforts to decarbonize heavy transportation through renewable diesel, can open up an altogether new variety of cleaner, fuel-efficient vehicle transportation options for consumers, including inexpensive, family-friendly vehicles.

  • What we’re proposing: A 95 RON octane standard across the US, requiring automakers to build more fuel-efficient vehicles that can run on cleaner, higher-octane gasoline. The octane metric used around the world is RON, which is more efficient to produce and validate. On the anti-knock index now used in the United States, 95 RON is essentially similar to 91 octane. However, unlike 91 premium gasoline, 95 RON would not be a niche commodity designated just for high-end vehicles. It would be mass-produced and considerably less expensive.
  • How it would work: A date would be set by which all gasoline-powered vehicles sold in the United States would be manufactured to run on 95 RON high octane fuel, a fuel/vehicle design combination that would result in improved vehicle mileage and lower tailpipe emissions. 95 RON fuel would be added at pumps alongside existing fuel options as these new cars reach the road.
  • The benefit of octane: We use octane to reduce engine knock. Higher octane fuel, such as 95 RON, can improve fuel economy in higher compression engines. According to AFPM and USCAR’s combined analysis, a 95 RON octane standard would boost new vehicle fuel efficiency by 3-4 percent, which is badly needed. While something may appear insignificant, it is not. It’s a crucial missing ingredient in the drive to boost fleetwide fuel efficiency right now. A 95 RON requirement will benefit America’s farmers and renewable fuel producers, as well as fuel refiners, merchants, and consumers, because ethanol is the world’s cheapest source of octane.

Which is better BP Ultimate diesel or Shell V-Power diesel?

We are regularly questioned whether premium diesel fuel is superior to standard diesel fuel in the course of our business. And our quick response is invariably a loud yes “Yes,” says the speaker. However, additional information is needed to answer the other major concern about premium diesel fuel, which is whether it is worth the extra price.

Premium diesel has more detergent and additives than regular diesel, which helps to improve the combustion performance of an engine. Using a premium diesel usually results in a gain in performance and/or MPG, as well as lower engine emissions and other benefits, depending on engine design.

Yes, premium diesel is superior to regular diesel. Is the extra price tag, however, justified?

We are not so sure about it. The fundamental issue is that, given the huge increase in cost per litre, premium diesel fuels might be so much better. The additional detergent now offered is insufficient to keep most gasoline systems and engine types clean, and it does not aggressively remove existing deposits. Unfortunately, we’ve discovered that diesel vehicles that only run on premium diesel fuel continue to deposit. Not so much in the fuel system as much as in the combustion region, emission components (EGR, DPF), and intake manifolds, intake valves, and other areas. Using a premium diesel in these places will surely postpone the accumulation of carbon deposits. However, don’t expect miracles in terms of cleaning results. Fuel system pollution, biological degradation, and carbon build-up rise as the percentage of bio-diesel increases. Regrettably, current fuels are insufficient to meet these concerns.

Please keep in mind that there are legal constraints, such as the old BS EN590 specification, that limit the types of additives that can be used in fuel. Those rules, however, have no bearing on whether premium diesel, as it is manufactured now, is a fair value for the money you spend at the pump.

So, what should you do if premium diesel isn’t worth the extra money and normal diesel isn’t up to par? To ordinary diesel fuel, we recommend adding a high-quality diesel fuel conditioner with combustion catalyst technology. This will often result in a fuel that outperforms premium diesel while also being less expensive per tank. This is supported by extensive testimony as well as research evidence. More comprehensive fuel conditioners include technology to clean and remove existing deposits, lubricate the diesel pump, remove water, prevent fuel degradation or contamination, reduce emissions, improve performance, and increase MPG, among other things.

It’s simply a matter of evaluating the advantages of premium diesel against the advantages of a fuel conditioner, as well as convenience and expense.

In this topic, there is also the matter of consistency to consider. It’s not uncommon to find fuel of varying grade from the same gas station. According to our understanding, fuel merchants and refineries have distribution agreements in place that require gas stations to sell fuel from the nearest refinery in the area, regardless of brand. The additive packets are then applied at the refinery or directly into the station gasoline tanks in some cases.

Similarly, there is a difference in the price of gasoline. Octane testing on a regular basis will reveal remarkable discrepancies in fuel octane. It tests at 95.6 one week, 96.8 the next, and so on. As you may expect, this makes testing octane boosters exceedingly difficult due to the inconsistency of base fuels.

A piece of advise we’d like to provide is to “Know” your local gas station. Purchase fuel at stations with a high turnover of fuel whenever possible. Avoid filling your car from tanks that are low on fuel or that have recently been filled, since this can cause deposits and moisture to settle. Come return later if you spot a tanker. The inherent faults and irregularities found in our fuels should be protected by a fuel conditioner.

Please note that we will be producing a video in the future illustrating one of the tests we do to determine the cleaning strength of fuels and fuel additives.

What is Shell premium diesel?

Modern diesel engines are always breaking new ground. To set ourselves apart, we’ve worked tirelessly to develop Shell V-Power Diesel, which features innovative technologies to clean and preserve your engine*.

Our premium diesel formulation is designed to increase engine performance by eliminating existing dirt deposits and restoring the cleanliness of your engine*.

Cleans and protects

Shell V-Power Diesel contains powerful cleaning chemicals to help prevent crud from accumulating on essential fuel system components including fuel injectors and intake valves*.

The same cleaning compounds aid in the removal of junk left over from other fuels, allowing your engine to burn fuel more efficiently and completely*.