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Originally Posted by briers
Ive never understood v-power diesel - i know it has a bunch of detergents in there for cleaning and lubrication but it also has a higher cetane rating. I thought this would produce more soot as it would ignite quicker before it has had sufficient time to mix with the air. Obviously fractions of a second, but that is enough to ignite fuel before optimal mix leaving soot..
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Best to let BP describe why higher cetane makes for better, more complete combustion.
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Cetane number is the key measure of diesel fuel combustion quality. The number relates to the ignition delay - the period that occurs between the start of fuel injection and the start of combustion. Good quality combustion occurs with rapid ignition followed by smooth and complete fuel burn. The higher the cetane number, the shorter the ignition delay and the better the quality of combustion. Conversely, low cetane number fuels are slow to ignite and then burn too rapidly, leading to high rates of pressure rise.
If the cetane number of the fuel is too low, these poor combustion characteristics give rise to excessive engine noise, increased exhaust emissions and reduced vehicle performance while increasing engine stress. Excessive smoke - and indeed other, invisible emissions - and combustion noise are familiar problems associated with diesel vehicles, particularly under cold starting conditions.
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HighlandPete