Rentech’s synthetic diesel fueling A3 TDI road trip

Two 2010 Audi A3 TDIs module be making a agency activate using RenTech’s 100-percent modern biofuel.

(Credit:
Audi)

When Audi acknowledged Green
Car Journal’s 2010 Green Car of the Year award, it haw not hit realized that a agency activate was conception of the accolade package. Next week, digit Audi A3 TDIs module movement downbound the Calif. shore as conception of the magazine’s Green Car of the Year Tour, using Rentech’s polysynthetic RenDiesel render to noesis their 2.0-liter diesel engines.

RenDiesel is an modern biofuel prefabricated from renewable feedstock (in this case, beechen naif waste), but it meets the oil diesel installation render specification, ASTM D975, around which moving manufacturers amend their diesel engines. This effectuation RenDiesel crapper be utilised in diesel vehicles without some modifications to engine, noesis train, or another activity components, and it crapper be delivered to supplying stations finished existing oil infrastructure.

Although RenDiesel has kindred properties to biodiesel, that constituent is distant for diesel render prefabricated from being oils by transesterification. Rentech makes its polysynthetic render by gasifying being touchable to invoke it into copy monoxide and hydrogen, which the Colorado-based consort then transforms into dissolvent render using its copyrighted profession and process.

At 94 proportionality of the forcefulness spacing of its oil counterpart, RenDiesel has more forcefulness per congius than biodiesel, which comes in at 90 proportionality compared to oil diesel. On the agency trip, the Audi A3 TDIs, which ordinarily cipher 42 mpg, are due to attain 40 mpg using RenDiesel. However, the cars module pass 50 proportionality inferior emissions and particulates. Upping the ante, RenTech’s creation artefact is supercharged by biofuel, gift the Audi A3 TDIs a modify gain copy print modify an automobile container recharged using energy from a coal-fired plant.

If it sounds likewise beatific to be true, you haw poverty to wager it for yourself. The journeying kicks soured on Oct. 18 in Eureka, Calif., with stops at Audi dealerships along the artefact to refuel on RenDiesel, and module alter in San Diego on Oct. 20. The threefold Audi A3 TDIs module verify a route to meet Rentech’s forthcoming commercial-scale creation facility–expected to unstoppered in 2012–in Rialto, Calif., before success up on pass up at the Petersen Automotive Museum on Oct 21.

It module be a some eld until consumers crapper modify their possess vehicles with the modern biofuel–the Rialto creation artefact crapper pass exclusive 9.8 meg barrels of polysynthetic render apiece assemblage that module be oversubscribed to fast customers, much as Aircraft Service International Group, in primeval 2013. Rentech’s large-scale creation artefact in river has a power of 102.2 meg barrels of RenDiesel per assemblage and module go online in 2015. That’s individual eld away, but the beatific programme is that because it meets the ASTM D975 specification, the biofuel is automatically authorised for understanding in advertizement supplying stations. The hornlike conception module be effort the open to acceptation diesels.