Shell eyes gasoline game-changer
Shell’s advanced new fuel could be a game changer for consumers
NEW YORK, N.Y. — Shell picked the Big Apple and Times Square to reveal what the company says is the next big thing. Shell V-Power NiTRO+ is a new premium formula that gives the consumer triple protection; it cleans away gunk and carbon buildup as it battles corrosion and minimizes engine wear. Shell says it gives drivers the highest level of protection available today.
Elen Phillips, vice-president of Shell Americas sales and marketing, said “it’s not just a revolutionary milestone for Shell, it’s a breakthrough in fuels technology.”
As it stands, all gasolines contain detergents to keep the inner workings free from gunk and carbon build up. It’s mandated by law. Shell’s V-Power NiTRO+ contains seven times the mandated level. This not only keeps the inner workings of the engine clean, the new formulation can reverse the effects of a pre-existing buildup. And that is becoming increasingly more important.
At one time, the fuel injector enjoyed a relatively easy life, sitting in the intake manifold. Today, the use of direct injection puts the business end of the injector in the combustion chamber, where it is subjected to the combustion process and temperatures that can soar to around 1,000 degrees Celsius. This means the injector’s holes, which are about three times the size of a human hair, are susceptible to carbon formation. Even the smallest accumulation in this area can kill fuel economy.
The second plus is all about limiting wear. It happens slowly over an extended period, but it has the potential to cause higher oil consumption and a loss of power. If the oil and filter are not changed regularly, theme tal fragments circulate throughout the engine and contribute to further wear. The new formulation helps to reduce friction in critical areas. Simply, less friction means less wear.
The third aspect is corrosion. With time, metal components begin to oxidize (rust) because of the presence of moisture (picked up at a poorly maintained gas station or the condensation that occurs naturally). Slowing the rate of rusting in components such the fuel pump, lines and injectors extends the life expectancy of all. The onerous part is that the rust particles can contribute to a blocked filter, which hurts performance and can lead to the engine stalling because it’s starving for fuel. Shell V-Power NiTRO+ helps to curtail engine damage caused by corrosion by forming a protective film on metal surfaces. The triple protection afforded by NiTRO+ led BMW to adopt the new formulation as the recommended fuel for its high-performance M products. In recognition of the new partnership, Shell is giving away 100 new BMW 320i sedans.
The genesis of the V-Power NiTRO+ formulation and its advanced additive package can be traced to Shell’s technical partnership with Ferrari. The new gas shares many of the characteristics of the fuel Ferrari uses in its Formula One cars. With each F1 team restricted to four engines over the course of the season, managing the wear and corrosion aspects of every engine plays a big part in keeping each one on the track for longer.
A trackside lab monitors the quality of the fuel and checks the engines for early signs of wear. Over the course of a race weekend, Shell’s technicians often draw more than 35 fuel and oil samples. The need to monitor the fuel is to ensure the gasoline is up to standard and legal, because F1 has the most stringent fuel regulations going.
It sounds so simple. After all, gas is gas, right? Well, not quite. In racing, a drop of water about the size of a raindrop in an Olympic-sized swimming pool would be enough to render a legal fuel illegal. If the sample an F1 official draws is not legal, the team is disqualified.
The oil analysis compares the newest sample with older samples collected from a particular engine.
If there is an increase in the metallic content in the oil, it tells Ferrari the engine is beginning to wear and, in many cases, which part is the culprit.