GM Announces B20 Biofuel Capability for 2011 Duramax 6.6L Turbo Diesel Engine
By Scott Doggett February 8, 2010
General Motors announced today that its new lineup of heavy-duty diesel pickups will have B20 biodiesel capability, meaning that they will be able to run on a fuel blend that's 80 percent conventional hydrocarbon-based diesel and 20 percent vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel.
GM made the announcement at the National Biodiesel Conference and Expo taking place in Grapevine, Texas.
To make the Duramax 6.6-liter engine and its fuel system compatible with B20, GM upgraded some seals and gasket materials to withstand the ester content of biodiesel and added an upgraded fuel filter that includes a coalescing element.
The coalescing element improves the separation of water that may be present in the fuel, because biodiesel can absorb water. Also, additional heating of the fuel circuit was added to reduce the chance of fuel gelling that could plug filters.
The new Duramax will power the redesigned 2011 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra heavy-duty pickups, as well as the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size vans. Chevy will unveil the 2011 Silverado heavy-duty trucks at the Chicago Auto Show on Wednesday.
"B20 capability in our new heavy-duty trucks is the latest addition to a growing number of alternate-fuel options offered by General Motors," said GM VP Mike Robinson.
GM already leads in the marketing of fuel-flex vehicles capable of running on E85 ethanol with more than 4 million vehicles on the road today. Like ethanol, biodiesel is a domestically produced, renewable fuel made primarily of plant matter - mostly soybean oil.
In pure form, biodiesel produces less carbon dioxide than conventional diesel - at least at the tailpipe. At the point of origin, however, soybean farms account for more destruction of the Amazon than any other crop, as enormous expanses of the rainforest have been knocked down and then burned to create open space for planting.
The 2007 federal energy bill mandates increased biodiesel production, and more states and municipalities are requiring it.
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That's really amazing stuff if GM is doing this plan then it will rock as the fuel price has raised 2 times in past 2 years Biofuel will be cheap and can be easily made as well..
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