Opal fuel - quality and performance tested

Aug. 17, 2011 - PRLog -- Petrol sniffing is a highly dangerous form of substance abuse and destroys lives. Opal fuel which is a direct substitute for regular unleaded 91, has been specially designed to help discourage petrol sniffing.

Manufactured by BP Australia, Opal fuel was introduced to the Australian market in 2005. Designed with lower levels of aromatics; the properties associated with giving petrol sniffers a ‘high,’ Opal fuel meets all the specifications of the National Fuels Quality Standard Act 2000. A combination of laboratory and field tests undertaken since 2005 indicate that Opal fuel is safe for use in cars and boats in which the manufacturer recommends regular unleaded 91. Details of the testing and results observed are outlined in this fact sheet.

Laboratory testing on vehicles - 2004
As with all BP fuel products, thorough testing and control processes were undertaken to ensure the quality and performance of Opal fuel prior to its launch in 2005. This included independent laboratory testing at the Toyota Vehicle and Engine Testing Laboratory in Melbourne in October 2004. Three tests were undertaken on a Toyota Avalon 3.0 litre Automatic, a Ford Falcon Futura 4.0 litre Automatic and a Holden Commodore 3.5 litre Automatic.

Driveability test
The driveability test measures the operation of a vehicle as perceived by a driver. It consists of assigning demerit points to vehicle performance characteristics that can be attributed to the fuel and that are not an acceptable part of vehicle operation. The three cars were driven on Opal fuel by trained assessors and demerit points were assigned for noted performance issues. At the end of the test the points were tallied and compared to the points recorded by the same assessors driving the same cars on regular unleaded 91. The report found that there was no significant difference between a vehicle running on Opal fuel and the same vehicle running on regular unleaded 91.

Tailpipe emissions
Using ADR 79/00; the standard testing design rule for measuring tailpipe emissions; Opal fuel was compared to regular unleaded 91. Emissions measured were unburnt hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) and oxides of Nitrogen (NOx). Using the average of three runs, the tailpipe exhaust emissions for a vehicle running on Opal fuel were equal to or less than the tailpipe emissions of the same vehicle running on regular unleaded 91. The only exception was the Avalon which showed an increase in NOx. There are exhaust emission benefits from using Opal fuel. Overall, the cars that were run on Opal fuel tested lower for regulated exhaust emissions.

Impact on air quality
When vehicle exhaust air toxics were calculated using the USA EPA air toxics indicator model, air toxics were reduced by 45% when using Opal fuel when compared with using regular unleaded 91. Because of its formulation with less than 5% total of benzene, toluene, xylene and olefins, Opal burns very cleanly when compared to regular unleaded 91, helping to reduce air toxics. Typical vehicle exhaust air toxics indices for regular unleaded 91 are 19-22. Opal fuel showed 9-12, a reduction of 45% versus regular unleaded 91.

Fuel economy in cars
Opal was tested for fuel economy in line with the testing standard ADR 81/01, and compared to regular unleaded 91. Testing showed a minor decrease in fuel economy in cars between Opal fuel versus regular unleaded 91. However the reported variation of 0.3 litres per 100km is within the normal variability for petrol grades and can vary depending on car maintenance and driving styles.