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This paper summarizes the impact of recent developments in diesel fuel and the effect of these changes in conjunction with emerging compression-ignition engine technologies. Some changes were made to reduce exhaust emissions or were the result of advancements in aftertreatment systems. These changes included fuel properties such as aromatic and sulfur content, cetane number, density, lubricity, and viscosity. Other changes included the introduction of blending components and additives. Blending components included such things as water, ethanol, and bio-mass materials. The pros and cons related to these changes in diesel fuel technologies are discussed.

This study compared four different candidate fuels which were prepared by blending different components with a typical No. 2 diesel. Two fuels were blended with a synthetic diesel prepared from natural gas condensate, and all candidate fuels were splash blended with a proprietary additive package from International Fuel Technology Inc. (IFT). These fuels were then compared to the No. 2 diesel and to a California Air Resources Board (CARB) equivalent diesel fuel. The comparisons included fuel properties such as sulfur content, aromatics, cetane, lubricity, distillation; emissions; and fuel consumption. Emission testing was conducted on a 1991 Detroit Diesel Series 60. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) transient cycle was utilized for emissions, fuel characterization was performed according to ASTM standards, and fuel consumption was calculated by the carbon balance method.