Andreas,
Fuel consumption is just one issue in a somewhat more
complicated
situation.
Volatility is a major consideration. M4 Sherman tanks developed
a
reputation for bursting in to flame after being pierced by a relatively
small ( .50 cal ) round, hence the nickname " Purple Heart Boxes".
Early diesel engines were large, relatively low powered, and
tended to
be unreliable. The first diesel fuel injection systems were about as
large as the engines themselves. They were expensive to produce and
repair. In WW II the proven, reliable, best understood engines were
gasoline powered, and manufacturing of the time was set up for the gas
engine. Trucks, jeeps, tanks, and some aircraft of the time burned a
common fuel. As techology got better, diesel fuel injection systems and
the engines became smaller, more reliable and less expensive to produce.
After WW II diesel fuel and the engines gradually took over as the fuel
of choice in both industry and the military. You can also burn diesel in
turbine engines which power a majority of today's aircraft.
In refining, diesel fuel is easier and less expensive to produce
( if
you don't extract the sulfur also ). High octane gasoline requires a
high temperature driven process to reduce the tendency to predetonate (
ping ) under load. Simply put, you boil crude oil at a certain
temperature ( about 300 degrees F) and condense the distilate. You can
also generally produce more diesel fuel than gasoline from heavy crude
oil.
You can store diesel for long periods of time without fuel
degradaion,
although you need to treat it with a biocide in order to keep slime from
growing in it. It is also safer to transport and handle due to the lack
of highly flammable vapors, that come off gasoline. If you store
gasoline for a long
period of time the light ends that give you the vapors to get the
gasoline engine started, evaporate. Makes it very difficult to get a
gasoline started and running, especially when its a bit cold.
Randy Orpe
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