Kerosene

Martin Brooks

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Mar 27, 2008, 8:02:03 AM3/27/08

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Hi all,

Can you run a diesel engine on kerosene? If so what would need to be added
to it?

Regards,

Martin Brooks

Peter A Forbes

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Mar 27, 2008, 3:19:29 PM3/27/08

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On Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:02:03 -0000, "Martin Brooks" <NB_Sw...@hotmail.co.uk>
wrote:

Oil and Duty/VAT :-))

Not quite that simple!

Kerosene and Paraffin are two different things, although often lumped together
as one.

Kerosene is close to what is used in jet engines and gas turbines, but as they
have separate lubrication systems for the engine parts that handle the fuel, the
fuel doesn't need oil to be added.

Diesel engines in general, especially those with rotary DPA pumps rely on the
added oil in the diesel to lubricate the pump bearings. Multi-fuel diesels
usually have in-line pumps with camboxes that are lubricated from the engine.
Bedford and Horstmann ( ne: Coventry Climax H30) both supplied engines with
in-line pumps to the MOD for this reason.

I think the derivation of the fuel is different as well, kero is a crude oil
product, paraffin is lower down the chain IIRC and may have additives from coal
tar products. Paraffin absorbs water, while kero does not, another reason why it
is not favoured as a fuel.

campingstoveman

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Mar 27, 2008, 3:42:06 PM3/27/08

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Surely diesel is also heavier than paraffin and kerosene,structurally not
weight :-))

Martin P
"Martin Brooks" <NB_Sw...@hotmail.co.uk> wrote in message
news:fsgp9u$njk$1...@aioe.org...

Dave Liquorice

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Mar 27, 2008, 6:04:26 PM3/27/08

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On Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:42:06 -0000, campingstoveman wrote:

> Surely diesel is also heavier than paraffin and kerosene,structurally
> not weight :-))

Yep, diesel, gas oil etc is 35sec. kerosene parrafin is 28sec.

"sec" being the number of seconds a given quantity of the oil takes to
flow through a specified hole in a specified container.

Mr Forbes description of kero v parrafin is interesting, particulary the
hydroscopic nature of parrafin, that is something I've not heard before.
Is there a reference for that anywhere?

--
Cheers
Dave.

Nick H

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Mar 28, 2008, 6:19:38 AM3/28/08

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"Dave Liquorice" <allsortsn...@howhill.com> wrote (snip):-

>
> Mr Forbes description of kero v parrafin is interesting, particulary the
> hydroscopic nature of parrafin, that is something I've not heard before.
> Is there a reference for that anywhere?
>

If it's the reason parts washed down with parrafin seem to rust quickly,
then yes.

Nick H

John

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Mar 28, 2008, 7:36:46 AM3/28/08

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> > Mr Forbes description of kero v parrafin is interesting, particulary the
> > hydroscopic nature of parrafin, that is something I've not heard before.
> > Is there a reference for that anywhere?
>
> If it's the reason parts washed down with parrafin seem to rust quickly,
> then yes.
>
> Nick H

That would explain something that's puzzled me for a few years.
When I was VERY young, I painted my push bike. The paint was too thick
but I found parrafin thinned it OK. The resultant mixture took ages to
dry and the bike went rusty as it did so.

John

Kim Siddorn

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Mar 28, 2008, 2:57:33 PM3/28/08

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There's a good deal of free water in paraffin. I always use petrol to wash
down things (electric motor parts for instance) that I can't subsequently
wash in detergent and finally plain water.

regards,

Kim Siddorn