Anyone ever heard of ultra low sulphur kerosene (ULSK)? I found a place that sells it close by for about $4.39 USD. It appears to be clear as water or slight yellow tint, and smells like 1-K. ?
T-bone, $4.39 per gallon? Pint? Barrel? Uh,no, I have not heard of ULSK but I suspect it is the sulfur in all hydrocarbons that gives the shiney brass than dull brown patina.
Yes, heard of it. Ultra Low Sulfur Kerosene is just No. 1 diesel with no more than 15 ppm sulfur. Scott
Wow you guys rock! (1) Alternate labeling language for 40 CFR 80.570(a): For clear, untaxed kerosene at blocked pumps- ULTRA-LOW SULFUR KEROSENE (15-ppm Sulfur Maximum) [color:brown]
I suspect it is what I burn in my stoves and my "kerosun" heater. I used to get the red dyed stuff up in Brighton, CO above Denver. It burned "clean enough" and I kept adding denatured alcohol by a tablespoon or two per tank to help keep the wick clean. "They", (the retailers) make claims that it's the same, but I can tell that the K-1 clear I am getting here is a good little bit cleaner. I think it must be "ULS" kerosene, but would have to verify it with the company. I will try and remember to call and ask tomorrow! ATB! Edit- I have also heard that what Forester Scott said is true. Due to the close proximity on the fractional distillation scale and the "cleaness" required for diesel fuel now, the two fuels, apparently are one and the same. At least the outlet in Brighton told me it was just dyed diesel now, and that the low sulphur requirement meant it was the "same" as what they used to sell as "kerosene". The huge above ground tank they sold if from was labeled "kerosene". If you asked for kerosene, they charged a dollar more per gallon and pumped it from the same tank... I asked for the "no.1 red dyed DIESEL" product and got a 1.00usd per gallon price break!...
If ULS diesel works that well, is clear and burns like you say (maybe throw a bottle of Heet in with every 5 gallons), then fuel may just be a whole lot easier to find: Ultra-low Sulfur Diesel (Wikipedia) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-low_sulfur_diesel#United_States
More geeky info on fuels- http://www.ehow.co.uk/facts_5808896_difference-jet-fuel-diesel-fuel_.html Somehow I suspect that all of this stuff is perfectly usable in a roarer stove, given proper ventilation. What I WOULD NOT do is burn it in my indoor wickie catalytic kero heater. At least not until I was given a warranty of safety in doing so.
In place of kero I use Klean Heat (which I usually can find at Home Depot. http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...ot.sa.el.wc.integration.endeca.EndecaDataBean@4409dbb&ddkey=Search It's almost water clear in color with a very faint yellow component. It burns with practically no odor and has been in my Petromax and Optimus products for several years. They specifically (both on Home Depot and on the product itself) claim "less sulpher and aromatics". I can vouch for the "no odor" - really none. They also claim less smoke and soot - which I have found to also be true. If I recall correctly, it's about 9 bucks a gallon. As a gallon or two lasts me a full season of RV camping - and my gear stays cleaner; it's worth it to me. Your mileage may vary. ken kene@pobox.com ken
Well, here's my report on the ULSD in my Primus Multifuel. The local gasoline station has it ready at the pump at $3.18USD per gallon. It is marked on the pump, Ultra Low Sulphur and says the content is 15PPM. I don't remember seeing anything about taxes. I brought a couple of gallons home and compared it agains K1 Kerosene. Smells the same as K1. It has a slight yellow tint compared to clear K1. It also seems to have the same consistency as K1. As for burning in a stove, it worked well in my Primus Multifuel and had the same performance as K1, boil time for 1 litre was less than 4 minutes. As for how it burned that's a little different story. The flames didn't turn completely blue. There were some slight yellow 'hints' in the flame as it burned. At simmer the flames were mostly yellow. With the valve fully opened, it took a couple of minutes for the stove to catch up on the vaporization process, so the stove would chuff every 20 or 30 seconds. I played with the burner plate a bit and raised it up and eliminated the chuffing and a few of the yellow streaks in the flames. Once it got going, it ran beautifully. I put a kettle on and dirtied up the bottom at first since it was doing some chuffing, but after I tweaked the flame plate, soot was not a problem after that. There were still some very slight streaks of yellow in the flames even after 10 minutes but hardly noticeable at all when the kettle was on. One difference is that it didn't leave near as much soot as K1. Here are the two fuels. On the left is the ULS Diesel. Slight yellow tint. After the prime, the flames were a bit yellow. It was a little easier to prime than K1. Flames had settled down and burner is at full throttle. There were yellow flame tips the first minute. Burning fairly nice. Even nicer. I guess my conclusion is that it works. My stove will probably need as much cleaning as when I use K1 Kerosene. Before, during, and after the stove was burning, there was not any smoke coming off the flames, which I was grateful for. I guess I'll have to try my 96 or other brassie to see how well ULS Diesel works. At 3 bucks a gallon, versus $6.99 USD for K1 Kero, it's not a bad option for those times when kero is scarce or expensive. sam
Humph, sounds like I'll have to try it... Or wait till you run some more to see if it clogs up your burner! Since I've got about 15 gallons of K1 left, I'll probably wait...
Sam, thanks for trying that. Marathon's No. 2 ULS diesel has exactly the same boiling point range, 360-550F, as their 1-K kerosene and their No. 1 ULS diesel, according to the MSDS. Other No. 2 diesel MSDS's I have read have indicated a boiling point range of 350-700F, so I suspect different sources will give you different performance, depending on the specs of the fuel you get. The lighter fractions seem to be the same, but some sources have heavier fractions than others. Lamplight kerosene heater fuel is another brand that promises low sulfur. It is water-clear and has a very slight oily odor. The http://www.wmbarr.com/ProductFiles/Kerosene%20(1210.2)%203-9-10.pdf]MSDS[/url] for Klean Strip 1-K kerosene says it has less than 10ppm sulfur, far below the permissible 400ppm. Its boiling point tops out at 425F, so there are even fewer heavy fractions.
Just thinking out loud here, BUT- Were the specs for kerosene refined 30,50, or more years ago much "dirtier" than the diesel we have now? and, IF so, why shouldn't we use modern diesel instead?
diesel has lubricating oils added which is good for a diesel engine but makes all our pots black. I put diesel in my Hurlock a while ago to see what would happen. It ran fine and put out more heat but covered the pot with soot and I had to clean the jet next time I used it before it would even attempt to light
From what I've read. #1 diesel is most similar in viscosity to 1-K kero, #2 has more BTUs, both types will be ULSD by the end of Dec 2010 in the US. However, I don't know how that compares to NZ diesel.
closest info I can find says 50ppm http://www.med.govt.nz/templates/StandardSummary____351.aspx Still a lot better than the 2000ppm we had till 2004.
Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel does not give the same fuel milage as #2 Diesel. Of that i am certain. Number 1 diesel is what some truckers use in their engines when they are in very cold climate conditions. Since most modern truck stop companies now "winterize" their fuel it is very uncommon for a truck to "gel up" during extreme cold conditions. In the 15 years i owned my truck i never had a gel problem. The usual procedure when "mixing your own" was to add about 1/4 #1 diesel to 3/4 #2 to get a good winterized fuel. Since #1 diesel does not have the lubricity of #2 it is not good to use it straight as it will cause problems with your injecters. lance
