Truckin' into The Future - The Fuel? Your Choice

If you're talking about the latest alt fuel on-highway trucks developed by Volvo, that is. Recently unveiled at the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC) in Washington, D.C., these trucks are able to operate on biodiesel, methanol/ethanol, biogas, biogas and biodiesel, hydrogen and biogas, dimethylether (DME) and synthetic diesel. And it's all in the name of CO₂ neutral highway transportation. If you're like us, this pronouncement leaves you with more questions than answers--read on--here's what we've learned.

According to the April 2008 issue of Diesel Progress magazine, Volvo set out to prove that the technology to run highway trucks on alt fuels is a go, here and now. This project was part of an agreement between the U.S. Dept. of Energy, Volvo Group, Mack Trucks and the Swedish Energy Agency. The goal: to develop commercial vehicle technologies with a minimal environmental impact. Climate effect, energy efficacy, land-use efficiency, fuel potential, vehicle adaptation, fuel cost and infrastructure, CO₂ levels, engine performance and fuel economy were all primary considerations for this project. "We looked at everything you have to do to get that fuel produced, processed, burned in the vehicle and the actual wheels turning," said Anthony Greszler, vice president, advanced engineering Volvo Powertrain North America, who was quoted in the article. "How much energy do you put in and get out? ..."

So what are the 7 fuels powering these trucks?

• Biodiesel - Becoming widely accepted and popular and produced from rapeseed, palm or soybean oil, biodiesel can power up any diesel engine, although it's received some flack for lower standards (depending upon the producer) which can affect performance--and there are those cold weather issues to be aware of.
• Methanol & Ethanol - Made from wheat, corn, sugar beets, straw, wood waste or energy crops through fermentation and hydrolysis or gasification (methanol), both of these fuels have lower energy density per gallon (compared to gasoline).
• Biogas - produced through anaerobic digestion of organic waste, sewage and manure, three trucks were designed to run on blends using biogas and biodiesel and hydrogen and biogas. Low emissions and low noise make this a good fuel for urban trucks--especially since garbage collection trucks could use the biogas from landfills.
• Dimethylether (DME) - This is a fuel produced through the gasification of biomass. It has low viscosity and lubricity but can be carried in standard LPG tanks although it requires an adapted electronic control and fuel system.
• Synthetic diesel - A manmade fuel similar to diesel fuel, the only thing lacking is lubricity--but that's solved by additives. Synthetic diesel is produced through the gasification process of wheat, corn, sugar beets, straw and other energy crops or organic waste. It can be used in any diesel engine without modification and offers similar performance to regular ole diesel.

All in all, we think this is good stuff. There's definitely more possibilities for clean motoring than what's currently available in the dealer showroom. And that equals a cleaner future--stay tuned.

photo - © Mark Renders/Stringer - Getty Images