Top Tier Fuel - What exactly is it?

[tacojoel]

A little chemistry. Nitrogen is an inert gas. It does nothing to enhance combustion because it is inert. But it does increase the volume of the finished product. And since you brought up shell let me tell you a little story.

Shell, for years, hyped their gasoline as Shell with Platformate. Platforming is a process that uses a platinum based catalyst to alter the molecular structure of the gasoline thereby increasing the octane. Sounds great. Everyone else uses the same exact process. The call it reforming and the gasoline from the process is called reformate. Same exact stuff using the same exact catalyst from, you guessed it, the same exact manufacturers.

Explain why independent testing has confirmed that shell Vpower with nitrogen burns cleaner leaving less carbon deposits. I've read those tests in the past that explained it.

 

[Don Drake]

Check the pump island before fill

There should be a sticker stuck indicating top-tier

Yep, and just who do you think supplies those stickers? You got it, the refiner that want's you to buy their very special blend that is exactly like everyone else's very special blend.

Refiners have been doing this sort of stuff for as long as gasoline has been made. Texaco in their early years advertisied the used only "Texas Crude". Well yea, when the were only in Texas. But once they moved to other states they used the (like everyone else) the closest and cheapest crude they could buy. But they did keep the Texas crude only ads for years after. Penzoil did the same thing about their raw material supply only claimed it was from Pennsylvania.

 

[Rock62]

Explain why independent testing has confirmed that shell Vpower with nitrogen burns cleaner leaving less carbon deposits. I've read those tests in the past that explained it.

Ummm......nitrogen doesn't burn.....

You're probably seeing the results of Shell's additive package.

An clean burn produces only Heat, H2O and CO2. At least that is what I recall from Chemistry and Thermodynamics. Although, most times the exhaust gases contain a whole load of other stuff.

 

[tacojoel]

Whatever shell has in their V power nitro + premium, it does burn cleaner than other fuels that were tested against it. I don't think it's the same with their other grades.