A-21 Fuel--Half Water, or Half Vapor?
		by Erich Schunter In the February issue of  Better World 'Zine, my "Alternative Fuels" article introduced our readers to the development of a new alternative fuel source consisting partly of ordinary water. A-21 fuel is the brainchild of a Reno, NV-based inventor named Rudolph W. Gunnerman, and is marketed by Advanced Fuels, a joint venture company formed between Caterpillar Inc. and the A-55 Limited Partnership, the company who originally developed the A-21 technology. The fuel, the result of seven years and $7 million worth of investment, recently was declared by the U.S. Department of Energy a "primary fuel," eliminating the biggest regulatory hurdle in its path for its eventual use in government fleets and ultimately, private vehicles. However, the company's claims about efficiency, emissions, cost and availability have yet to be substantiated, and serious questions are yet to be answered. --E.S. Efficiency Advanced Fuels claims A-21 has the same power equivalence on a per gallon basis as its gasoline or diesel counterparts. The current formulation of 30% water in A-21 supposedly allows the fuel to burn cooler and more efficiently, producing more energy and less unburned carbon--a major source of pollutants. More efficient burning allows A-21 fuel to achieve the same miles per gallon as unleaded gasoline in cars, according to the company, and nearly the same miles per gallon in diesel-powered vehicles, without loss of horsepower or torque. This claim represents a quantum leap in spark or compression-ignited engine efficiency and therefore provokes the most skepticism in the industry about the A-21 fuel technology. According to the Department of Energy, a 10% gain in efficiency of engines of these types would be evidence of a significant (and some say unobtainable) breakthrough. Contents Efficiency Emissions Cost Availability Where's the Data? Water Isn't Free Lingering Doubts Emissions Federal classification of A-21 as a primary fuel came after the conclusion of several pilot projects involving A-21 fueled generators and engines. As a result of these tests, the company claims that engines running on the A-21 fuel formulas exceed federal pollution reduction standards for the year 2004 and beyond--without the pollution control devices required on current engines. In spark-ignited engines, nitrogen oxides (NOx), hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide emissions are claimed to be reduced to levels below those currently being measured on vehicles with catalytic converters. In diesel engines, NOx and particulate emissions reductions of 50%-80% are claimed, depending on the naptha/water ratios in the fuels. Similar reductions are claimed in industrial and power boiler applications. The reduced nitrogen oxide emissions are the most exciting, since NOx is the primary culprit in smog-related problems. Furthermore, Advanced Fuels claims that since the production of naptha is responsible for less than 10% of the pollution released from an oil refinery, significant pollution reductions could be made at the refinery level. Cost According to Advanced Fuels, the ultimate cost per gallon of A-21 cannot be accurately predicted, but given current naptha prices, A-21 fuels should be less expensive than gasoline or diesel. This seems a reasonable inference--refined naptha costs approximately 1/2 that of gasoline or diesel. Thanks to the federal ruling, the fuel can now be sold just like gasoline and diesel fuels through existing distribution infrastructure (tankers, station pumps) reducing infrastructure startup costs. A-21 fuel supposedly requires only minor modifications to existing engines to convert them to the new fuel. Advanced Fuels predicts costs for modifications to gasoline engines in the range of $300-$500--down from initial company estimates of $1200-$1500--and for diesel engines, under $1000--down from $2000-$15,000. The prices seem to have dropped because a nickel metal catalyst previously thought necessary is not needed. Modified engines can still run on gasoline or diesel, albeit less efficiently. Equipment at the refinery level needed to produce naptha accounts for only 10% of total refinery costs. The minor costs supposedly involved for conversions of both the delivery infrastructure and engines themselves are encouraging. This is especially true in the case of diesel conversions, which are still less expensive than modifications that will be required when new regulations on diesel fleets go into effect in 1998. Availability Initially, Advanced Fuels plans on marketing the fuel as an alternative to diesel for heavy-duty trucks and construction equipment in smoggy areas. But since A-21 can use existing delivery, storage and pumping infrastructures, Advanced Fuels views the entire internal combustion engine sector as its potential market. Even given this "transparency," as it is known in the oil industry, questions abound regarding exactly how available A-21 will be. What is the ultimate source of naptha going to be? If naptha becomes unavailable from the oil industry for whatever reason, are other sources such as oil shale or sand tars economically feasible? A cheap, reliable source of naptha is essential to keeping the production costs of A-21 down. It seems unlikely that Advanced Fuels will obtain such a source without either developing partnerships with, or purchasing outright, petroleum refineries. After all, A-21 fuels compete directly with the refineries' cash cow: gasoline and diesel production. These refineries could choose to cut off the supply of naptha completely for A-21 production, or drive the price up so as to make A-21 prohibitively expensive. The company claims the automated blending process used to produce A-21 is easily accomplished within the existing petroleum infrastructure, but no plans for partnerships with existing petroleum production facilities, transporters, or retail companies have been announced. One can only assume Advanced Fuels plans to eventually market the technology to the giant oil consortiums, as purchasing the refining, delivery and retail sale operations needed to bring A-21 to a widespread number of consumers would be prohibitively expensive. Where's the Data? A-21 owes its genesis to Mr. Gunnerman's quest to develop an effective way for compression ignition and spark-fired engines to dramatically reduce emissions below mandated levels without major modifications to the engines, fuel systems or the current fuel delivery infrastructure. Heady and admirable requirements indeed, but according to company claims and press releases, A-21 delivers. Unfortunately, any proof or independently verified data to support their claims is yet to appear. While it is understandable for a company to be close-mouthed about a product still under development, this reporter was promised actual test data--verifiable data, I had hoped. This was supposed to make its way to me after being reviewed by Advanced Fuels legal department. The "test data" I received consisted of nothing more than updated company press releases. When pressed on the issue and told that the absence of verifiable test data might cast doubts on the authenticity of A-21, my Advanced Fuels contact became quite indignant, asking "What was it that you were looking for? Confidential lab data?!?" He went on to say that Advanced Fuels was a publicly held company; if they lied, they could go to jail or face shareholder lawsuits. Feel free to draw your own conclusions about the link between lying and refusing to provide test data. In the absence of independently verifiable test data, oil industry representatives and environmentalists (and journalists) remain skeptical. According to one industry analyst, "We've learned that there's no such thing as a silver bullet." Water Isn't Free One thing yet to be recognized in calculating the costs of A-21 is what values will be assigned to the water and emulsifiers. Will the price of the emulsifier remain relatively stable, or might we see an upward spike associated with demand? The price of naptha is bound to go up. On the other hand, the cost of water has to be measured at least partially in terms of the demand on existing water supplies. Clean, usable water is something that we all tend to take for granted in some degree or another, especially in Western culture. Our eyes are about to be opened, however, to the growing problems with our fresh water supply on a global level. At the UN Conference on Human Settlements this spring, experts warned that the scarcity of water was replacing oil as a flash point for conflict in an increasingly urbanized world. At the "Water for Thirsty Cities" forum at the conference, also known as Habitat II, panelists foretold of a looming "water shock" as devastating as the "oil shock" of the 1970's. By the year 2000, many countries will have half as much water as they did in 1975. Lack of safe drinking water already subjects millions to disease and premature death, and widens the gap between rich and poor. According to Wally N'Dow, Secretary General of the UN settlements conference: "Water stands today as one of the most critical dangers, one of the most critical breakdowns of peace between nations. It has replaced the threat of war over oil." The looming water crisis is a critically important issue, one that will be explored in depth in a future issue of BWZ. Lingering Doubts One has to wonder why Advanced Fuels seems so eager to cultivate public interest in its fuel technology, while at the same time remaining very unwilling to share hard data. Assuming that A-21 is for real, perhaps Advanced Fuels is trying to garner enough attention for their technology so that they are not ignored by their perceived eventual target, the oil consortiums. Without the involvement of the oil consortiums and their existing resources and infrastructure, it seems unlikely we will see A-21 used on anything but a limited application basis. A disturbing thought continues to linger--the issue of A-21's water content. Water makes up 30% of the current formulation of A-21 and this percentage rises to 55% under certain applications. In order to measurably impact air pollution levels, millions of gallons of A-21 will have to be used in replacement of gasoline and diesel. A-21 production in these numbers is going to demand large amounts of water, demands that already-stretched municipal water systems might not be able to meet. The continued availability of fresh, inexpensive water is also a very important issue--one Advanced Fuels seems to dismiss without much consideration. Concerns over water will have to wait though, until independently verifiable test data is obtained. Until that time, A-21 exists as an exciting concept, nothing more. The data may come soon, as plans have been made to submit A-21 to California's environmentally stringent fuel certification tests. However, no date was given for submission. At this rate, the average consumer will not be able to purchase A-21 for years. Discuss it! What do you think about this article? This is important, I want more I found it interesting Ehh, it was OK It's not that significant I don't care Subscribe Now!
		Disclaimer .  © Copyright 1995, 1996, Better World Publishing All rights reserved. Better WorldSM and BWZ are Service Marks of Better World Publishing ....    Questions and comments?