The recent CFR innovation, F5 Cetane EFI Rating System with the added Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) upgrade, now has ASTM Approval.
The CFR Engines Inc. (CFR®) F5 Cetane EFI Rating System with XCP® TECHNOLOGY (XCP) was recently accepted into the ASTM method D613, publication of D613-25 Procedure B.
The F5 Cetane EFI Rating System is a cutting-edge F5 cetane engine equipped with a modern high-pressure electronic fuel injection (EFI) system. This system, combined with CFR XCP TECHNOLOGY, provides precise control over fuel injection timing and quantity. The result is improved cycle-to-cycle consistency in combustion events, leading to more accurate Cetane Number (CN) measurements.
With The F5 EFI system upgrade, the extremes of the cetane number scale range from zero (0) to 100 for middle distillate fuels can be ventured. Jet Fuel and Kerosene matrix for the lower end of the scale in the region of 15 to less than 40 Cetane Number, with 40 to 60 Cetane Number for the Gas oil and Automotive Diesel fuel cuts and the Renewable diesel fuels, such as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and hydrogenation-derived renewable diesel (HDRD) often have ultra-high cetane values exceeding 70 CN. In comparison, alternative non-renewable diesel fuels like gas-to-liquids (GTL) can have cetane values surpassing 80 CN. The EFI system is more compatible with renewable diesel and biodiesel than the Legacy F5 engine.
In keeping with most Governments pledges to reduce Carbon Emissions by 2030 and further reduce these by 2050, CFR is dedicated to sustainability and has identified opportunities for improvement. Traditionally, laboratories use potable water for cooling at a rate of 5-6 liters per minute, amounting to an average of 2,400 liters per 8-hour shift per engine. In legacy cetane engines, the water used for cooling the injector nozzle is typically discarded. The new EFI design eliminates the need for injector cooling, enabling the implementation of a Closed-Loop System for the cetane engine. Laboratories already employing an Engine Air Control System (EACS) with closed-loop cooling for octane engines can easily extend this system to include the cetane engine, to conserve water. Additionally, the EFI system uses sample and reference fuels more efficiently, reducing the amount of fuel required for testing by less than half the quantity of fuel sample and standards than that of the Legacy F5 Cetane Engine and minimizing fuel waste.
The production of renewable diesel is expanding rapidly, driven by low-carbon fuel policies that promote the use of fuels with minimal life cycle CO2 emissions. In 2022, U.S. renewable diesel production reached approximately 1.5 billion gallons, while consumption was about 1.7 billion gallons, including roughly 0.3 billion gallons of imports. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. renewable diesel production capacity is projected to more than double by the end of 2025, thanks to several new projects either under construction or in the planning stages.
