Shell V-Power is the brand name given to Shell's enhanced high specification fuels for road motor vehicles including Shell V-Power Nitro+ and Shell V-Power Diesel. Introduced in Italy in 2001, Shell relaunched the fuel in March 2008, under the name Nitrogen-Enriched Shell V-Power, with nitrogen-containing detergents.[1]
Initially used for higher octane Super Unleaded petrol/gasoline (formerly known as Optimax in some regions), it is now additionally used for high specification diesel fuel.
V-Power petrol
Shell petrol station in Hong Kong displaying the "V-Power" brand, pictured in 2009
Petrol or gasoline is assessed, categorised and sold by an octane rating. Generally, in most areas of the world, the Research Octane Number (RON) is used, but in North America, the Anti-Knock Index (AKI) is used. Conventional 'standard' "Super Unleaded" petrol in Europe, South Asia and Australia has an octane rating of 95RON, and in North America "Premium Unleaded" is AKI/RdON/PON 91–93 (RON 96–98). However, higher octane "Super Plus Unleaded" – often formulated with higher quality additives, is usually set at around 98RON in mainland Europe; but this can vary by market. Most[quantify] oil and petroleum companies[who?] now[when?] market their own Super Plus Unleaded petrols under a unique name[example needed] – and the current name for Shell Super Unleaded fuel is "V-Power". Like most[quantify] Super Plus Unleaded petrols[further explanation needed], V-Power also contains higher concentrations of detergents and other additives to help clean the engine and smooth its operation.[2]
In the United Kingdom and Denmark (where Super Plus Unleaded must be a minimum of 97RON), V-Power has a rating of 99RON (whereas V-Power's predecessor Shell Optimax was rated at 98RON).[3] There are two other 99RON fuels available in the UK, namely Tesco Momentum99[4] and more recently Esso Synergy Supreme+ 99.[5]
In the Netherlands, V-Power used to have a 95RON rating, although officials from Shell stated it effectively had a 97 RON rating. Due to the limited categories of 92RON, 95RON, 98RON and 100RON,[6] it was officially rated at 95. These days, the RON rating of the V-power petrol in the Netherlands is rated at 98.[7]
In Germany, all Shell stations offer V-Power Racing 100, rated at 100RON.[8] In Greece, all Shell stations offer V-Power rated at 97 RON. Most Shell stations also offer V-Power Racing (100 RON).[citation needed]
In Australia, from October 2006, Shell and Coles Express re-branded Optimax to V-Power (98RON). V-Power Racing, the ultra-high performance variant has a rating of 100RON although Shell decided to phase out V-Power Racing from 21 July to mid August 2008, instead recommending V-Power.[9] The previously obtainable higher grade V-Power Racing which contained 5% ethanol to boost V-Power's octane rating to 100RON has now been phased out by Shell due to a "changing market".
In the United States, in around 2004, all Shell "Premium" gas was rebranded as "V-Power". In 2015, Shell re-branded V-Power to the newly launched V-Power Nitro+.[10]
In Canada, from June 2005, Shell Canada re-branded Optimax Gold to V-Power. In 2015, Shell Canada re-branded V-Power to V-Power Nitro+.[11]
In Hong Kong, as there is no oil refinery plant located in Hong Kong, gasoline was imported from Singapore, which is 98 RON. However, V-Power sold in gas stations was rumoured to reach 167 RON (the highest native RON for consumer grade commercial petrol worldwide).[citation needed] Such a figure was not supported by any actual test, nor was it confirmed by Shell and was contradicted by a report of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong.[12]
In New Zealand, from 2007, Shell rebranded 95 Premium Unleaded as V-Power. It was still rated at 95RON. Shell sold its New Zealand retail operations in 2010, to a consortium which later became Z Energy, and upon re-branding Shell V-Power was replaced with ZX Premium Unleaded.
In Sweden, Shell V-Power was previously 99 RON, but is now been re-branded under the new owner St1 from June 2011, to "Shell V-Power E5" making it 98 RON with a mix of 5% ethanol.[13]
In Argentina, from 2009, Shell rebranded 95 Super fuel as V-Power and also the Diesel premium for V-Power diesel.[citation needed] In the Philippines, Pilipinas Shell launches the new Shell V-Power (replacing Shell Velocity) in 2006. On June 1, 2012, Shell Philippines launches the premium fuel grade, Shell V-Power Nitro+ Gasoline (formerly Shell Super Premium) and Shell V-Power Nitro+ Racing (formerly Shell V-Power). In Indonesia, from April 2013, Shell rebranded 95 Super Extra as V-Power with additional additives. While it is still rated at 95 RON.
In Malaysia, it is RON97 but in Singapore, where Shell offers RON98, the octane is higher for V-Power Racing. In Philippines, on June 8, 2017, V-Power Nitro+ was replaced with V-Power with Dynaflex technology.[14] In Russia, all Shell stations offer V-Power rated 95 RON, some stations also offer V-Power Racing (98 RON).
V-Power Diesel
An Audi R10TDI LMP race car, fueled on Shell V-Power Diesel
V-Power Diesel is Shell's version of an enhanced diesel fuel, similar to BP's 'Ultimate Diesel'. Like BP Ultimate Diesel, Shell V-Power Diesel is designed for modern compression-ignition diesel engines, to facilitate enhanced engine performance along with increased engine protection, for more consistent operation and engine longevity.[15]
One characteristic of V-Power diesel is that it is a lot clearer and odourless than normal diesel, mainly due to the synthetic gas to liquid (GTL) component.[citation needed]
The fuel is slightly less dense than regular diesel so, per volume, the unit energy is actually lower than regular diesel. This is offset, as the fuel tends to ignite more readily (and thus has a higher cetane rating) than regular diesel, and a side benefit of this is that it tends to produce less soot during combustion.[16]
Shell also markets a different "premium" diesel in Canada labeled V-Power, which they state "Is specially formulated for year-round Canadian weather conditions, with a cetane improver, a de-icer and a corrosion inhibitor.".[17] This Canadian V-Power diesel is dispensed from a dedicated pump that injects a measured amount of NEMO 2061 additive into the diesel supply shared with the other diesel pumps at the service station.,[18] which would typically be reflected by an increase in cetane rating of 1-2 points,[19] but it is worth noting that unlike European V-Power diesel, it contains no GTL components beyond those that may already exist in the shared diesel supply.
Effective June 1, 2012, Pilipinas Shell launches the new premium diesel fuel grade, Shell V-Power Nitro+ Diesel (formerly Shell V-Power Diesel). On June 8, 2017, Shell V-Power Nitro+ Diesel was renamed back as Shell V-Power Diesel.
Part of the campaign, especially targeted to sell "V-Power Nitro+" brand of the fuels (higher priced than usual and similar to blend used on the track) is organizing Formula One events in cities without a track. For example, on the streets of Warsaw, Poland, where Scuderia Ferrari driver Felipe Massa drove the race car used in 2013 Formula One Championship.[20]
The compression ratio is the ratio between the volume of the cylinder and combustion chamber in an internal combustion engine at their maximum and minimum values.
Gasoline or petrol is a transparent, slight yellowish petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. On average, U.S. refineries produce, from a barrel of crude oil, about 19 to 20 gallons of gasoline; 11 to 13 gallons of distillate fuel ; and 3 to 4 gallons of jet fuel. The product ratio depends on the processing in an oil refinery and the crude oil assay.
Texaco, Inc. is an American oil brand owned and operated by Chevron Corporation. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owned the Havoline motor oil brand. Texaco was an independent company until its refining operations merged into Chevron, at which time most of its station franchises were divested to Shell plc through its American division.
A filling station is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold in the 2010s were gasoline and diesel fuel.
Diesel fuel, also called diesel oil or historically heavy oil, is any liquid fuel specifically designed for use in a diesel engine, a type of internal combustion engine in which fuel ignition takes place without a spark as a result of compression of the inlet air and then injection of fuel. Therefore, diesel fuel needs good compression ignition characteristics.
Tetraethyllead (commonly styled tetraethyl lead), abbreviated TEL, is an organolead compound with the formula Pb(C2H5)4. It is a fuel additive, first being mixed with gasoline beginning in the 1920s as a patented octane rating booster that allowed engine compression to be raised substantially. This in turn increased vehicle performance and fuel economy. TEL was first synthesised by German chemist Carl Jacob Löwig in 1853. American chemical engineer Thomas Midgley Jr., who was working for General Motors, was the first to discover its effectiveness as an antiknock agent in 1921, after spending several years attempting to find an additive that was both highly effective and inexpensive.
An octane rating, or octane number, is a standard measure of a fuel's ability to withstand compression in an internal combustion engine without detonating. The higher the octane number, the more compression the fuel can withstand before detonating. Octane rating does not relate directly to the power output or the energy content of the fuel per unit mass or volume, but simply indicates gasoline's capability against compression.
Avgas is an aviation fuel used in aircraft with spark-ignited internal combustion engines. Avgas is distinguished from conventional gasoline (petrol) used in motor vehicles, which is termed mogas in an aviation context. Unlike motor gasoline, which has been formulated since the 1970s to allow the use of platinum-content catalytic converters for pollution reduction, the most commonly used grades of avgas still contain tetraethyllead (TEL), a toxic substance used to prevent engine knocking. There are ongoing experiments aimed at eventually reducing or eliminating the use of TEL in aviation gasoline.
A fuel tax is an excise tax imposed on the sale of fuel. In most countries the fuel tax is imposed on fuels which are intended for transportation. Fuels used to power agricultural vehicles, and/or home heating oil which is similar to diesel are taxed at a different, usually lower rate. The fuel tax receipts are often dedicated or hypothecated to transportation projects so that the fuel tax is considered by many a user fee. In other countries, the fuel tax is a source of general revenue. Sometimes, the fuel tax is used as an ecotax, to promote ecological sustainability. Fuel taxes are often considered by government agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service as regressive taxes.
Liquid fuels are combustible or energy-generating molecules that can be harnessed to create mechanical energy, usually producing kinetic energy; they also must take the shape of their container. It is the fumes of liquid fuels that are flammable instead of the fluid. Most liquid fuels in widespread use are derived from fossil fuels; however, there are several types, such as hydrogen fuel, ethanol, and biodiesel, which are also categorized as a liquid fuel. Many liquid fuels play a primary role in transportation and the economy.
Cetane number is an indicator of the combustion speed of diesel fuel and compression needed for ignition. It plays a similar role for diesel as octane rating does for gasoline. The CN is an important factor in determining the quality of diesel fuel, but not the only one; other measurements of diesel fuel's quality include energy content, density, lubricity, cold-flow properties and sulphur content.
Methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT or MCMT) is an organomanganese compound with the formula (C5H4CH3)Mn(CO)3. Initially marketed as a supplement for use in leaded gasoline, MMT was later used in unleaded gasoline to increase the octane rating. Following the implementation of the Clean Air Act (United States) (CAA) in 1970, MMT continued to be used alongside tetraethyl lead (TEL) in the US as leaded gasoline was phased out (prior to TEL finally being banned from US gasoline in 1995), and was also used in unleaded gasoline until 1977. Ethyl Corporation obtained a waiver from the U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in 1995, which allows the use of MMT in US unleaded gasoline (not including reformulated gasoline) at a treat rate equivalent to 8.3 mg Mn/L (manganese per liter).
Several common ethanol fuel mixtures are in use around the world. The use of pure hydrous or anhydrous ethanol in internal combustion engines (ICEs) is only possible if the engines are designed or modified for that purpose, and used only in automobiles, light-duty trucks and motorcycles. Anhydrous ethanol can be blended with gasoline (petrol) for use in gasoline engines, but with high ethanol content only after engine modifications to meter increased fuel volume since pure ethanol contains only 2/3 of the BTUs of an equivalent volume of pure gasoline. High percentage ethanol mixtures are used in some racing engine applications as the very high octane rating of ethanol is compatible with very high compression ratios.
Various alcohols are used as fuel for internal combustion engines. The first four aliphatic alcohols are of interest as fuels because they can be synthesized chemically or biologically, and they have characteristics which allow them to be used in internal combustion engines. The general chemical formula for alcohol fuel is CnH2n+1OH.
The usage and pricing of gasoline results from factors such as crude oil prices, processing and distribution costs, local demand, the strength of local currencies, local taxation, and the availability of local sources of gasoline (supply). Since fuels are traded worldwide, the trade prices are similar. The price paid by consumers largely reflects national pricing policy. Most countries impose taxes on gasoline (petrol), which causes air pollution and climate change; whereas a few, such as Venezuela, subsidize the cost. Some country's taxes do not cover all the negative externalities, that is they do not make the polluter pay the full cost. Western countries have among the highest usage rates per person. The largest consumer is the United States.
An antiknock agent is a gasoline additive used to reduce engine knocking and increase the fuel's octane rating by raising the temperature and pressure at which auto-ignition occurs. The mixture known as gasoline or petrol, when used in high compression internal combustion engines, has a tendency to knock and/or to ignite early before the correctly timed spark occurs.
Shell Rotella is a line of heavy-duty engine lubrication products produced by Shell plc. The line includes engine oils, gear oils and coolants. The oil carries both the American Petroleum Institute (API) diesel "C" rating as well as the API gasoline engine "S" rating. Ratings differ based on the oil. Rotella oils, like the T3 15W-40, meet both the API CJ-4 and SM specifications, and may be used in both gasoline and diesel engines. However, it is formulated specifically for vehicles without catalytic converters, containing phosphorus levels beyond the 600–800 ppm range. Therefore, Rotella is not recommended for gasoline vehicles with catalytic converters due to the higher risk of damaging these emission controls. Newer formulations of Rotella T6 however are API SM rated as safe for pre-2011 gasoline vehicles.
A gasoline pump or fuel dispenser is a machine at a filling station that is used to pump gasoline (petrol), diesel, or other types of liquid fuel into vehicles. Gasoline pumps are also known as bowsers or petrol bowsers, petrol pumps, or gas pumps.
N-Methylaniline (NMA) is an aniline derivative. It is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5NH(CH3). The substance is a colorless viscous liquid, Samples turn brown when exposed to air. The chemical is insoluble in water. It is used as a latent and coupling solvent and is also used as an intermediate for dyes, agrochemicals and other organic products manufacturing. NMA is toxic and exposure can cause damage to the central nervous system and can also cause liver and kidney failure.
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