FERIC conducted a case study to look at the effects of using biodiesel for log haulage.
The FERIC study titled “Introducing biodiesel to the forest transportation sector: a case study”, was authored by C Rittich and appeared in Advantage, Volume 11, no.26. The study involved monitoring the five trucks of a small log hauling contractor, with the trucks fuelled with a B20 biodiesel blend.
The trial took place in winter with temperatures reaching -35 degrees C. This cold weather did not affect the operation of the engine. Engine oil analysis was carried out, and this confirmed that no abnormal engine wear was experienced. Engine dynamometer tests were also carried out and showed that power, fuel consumption and emissions were not affected by the biodiesel use.
The report produced from this study also provides recommendations for log hauling operators who might be considering using biodiesel.
Source: www.feric.ca