by Anthony Lim (Paultan.org) ... Still, nothing like actual field tests to offer reliable evidence as to the suitability of B10, and that’s what the MPOB has done, announcing that the fuel has aced a long-term test carried out by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
In just a little over three-and-a-half-years, more than three million km of independent testing has been carried out on B10 by DBKL without a single case of fuel-related breakdown being experienced. The authority has been one of the first third-party consumers of B10 biodiesel – testing commenced in January 2014 involving 50 vehicles of various sizes and engine capacity, from pick-up trucks and five-tonne lorries to vans, heavy machinery and excavators.
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These vehicles obtained their supply of B10 via two 16,000 litre skid tanks at DBKL, and in terms of mileage, accumulated an average between 60,000 to 70,000 km of travel, with one of its five-tonne lorries recording more than 200,000 km. The vehicles in service with DBKL’s fleet range from three years to 15 years in age, and are Euro 2 and Euro 3 compliant.
Two specific vehicles, a Nissan Navara pick-up truck and a Nissan five-tonne lorry are due for a more detailed inspection involving an engine tear down, which is expected to be jointly-conducted by MPOB, Nissan Japan and Edaran Tan Chong Motor.
According to Muhammad Alif Muhammad Noor, a mechanical engineer at DBKL’s mechanical and electrical engineering department, the city council is seriously considering extending the use of B10 to its entire 2,040 vehicle fleet.
“The use of B10 biodiesel is in line with DBKL’s very own policy of creating a greener city. What is most obvious is that B10 has reduced exhaust emissions and lower toxicity levels compared to petroleum-based diesel,” he explained. In a Department of Environment (DOE) free acceleration test to measure Hartridge Smoke Unit (HSU) levels, the DBKL vehicles using B10 registered a HSU reading of between 2.7 and 2.8, well under the stipulated level of 50 HSU. READ MORE
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