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A detailed study is undertaken to examine how 2010+ diesel engine exhaust emissions change when a soybean-derived B20 biodiesel fuel is used instead of a conventional ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel and to investigate how these changes impact the aftertreatment system. Particulate matter (PM) emissions for each fuel are characterized in terms of mass emissions, size distributions, organic versus soot fraction, metals content, and particle morphology. PM mass recorded by Dekati Mass Monitor, thermal analysis of quartz filters, and calculated from particle size distributions consistently shows a 2 - 3 fold decrease in engine-out soot emissions over a wide mid-load range when changing from ULSD to B20 fuel. This is partly due to a decrease in particle number and partly to a decrease in average size. HC and NO emissions, in contrast, exhibit little change with fuel type.

Fleet managers are continuously looking for ways of increasing the operational efficiency of their fleets and reducing cost. Key aspects are containing downtime, improving fuel economy, reducing maintenance cost, and increasing vehicle residual value. Moreover, there is also great interest in coaching drivers by stressing safety and encouraging best driving practices. Telematic tools are becoming more affordable for monitoring fleet utilization remotely, eliminating the error-prone process of manual recording and providing an efficient way of analyzing vehicle utilization. An important benefit of remote electronic monitoring is in the ability to tailor maintenance practices to fleet operating requirements. An even greater benefit is achieved when the system incorporates remote diagnostic capabilities so that vehicles can be serviced faster and more reliably.