: >> Used to be, there was Jet-A, which was diesel, and Jet-B which was : >> kerosene. In the last few decades, jet fuel has gotten a lot more : >> complicated with many different grades and military and civilian : >> specifications that are different and I haven't tried to keep up. But : >> I think JP5 is either kerosene or a mixture of diesel and kerosene. So : >> that would not work in a car.
: Let me tag onto my own message here. There is also aviation diesel : (not jet fuel) which is used in the new internal combustion diesel : engines that many small planes are switching too. This would be very : high quality, ultra filtered fuel. it would also be a lot more : expensive than conventional diesel.
: Elliot Richmond : Freelance Science Writer and Editor
I came in late on this thread so I don't know if this has already been said or not ....
A few times when I ran low on furnace oil for my home heating system, I went to the local gas bar and bought about 10 gal of diesel and dumped it in the tank. No difference in the furnace performance. It cost a lot more because of the taxes though.
On the second or third of these trips a construction machinery operator happened to be there and I told him what I was doing. His immediate comment was "Oh, you are burning winter diesel."
He went on to explain that the 'summer diesel' was 'heavier' molecule distillation but it thickened too much to flow properly in the winter, so
- in the winter the diesel equipment used the same fuel as home oil furnaces. I live in Nova Scotia, Canada, and for winter temperatures just think of Maine anywhere within 40 miles or so of the coast. (Inland Maine is often a lot colder than in most of Nova Scotia, or so I am told.)
When diesel cars first arrived in this area, about 40 years ago, I know of several people who had their home furnace oil consumption monitored by the government - and were hauled into court for tax evasion and fined heavily when they were found to be buying furnace oil all summer.
For what it is worth.
Ben F.