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Western Caribbean cruise weather can be fickle for anyone planning a vacation there because of intense rain in the fall. The western Caribbean is made up of a small number of islands such as Jamaica, Roatan off Honduras and the Cayman Islands. It also includes the Mexican island of Cozumel plus the Central American countries that face the Caribbean Sea, especially Honduras, Panama, Belize and Costa Rica. Most western Caribbean cruises include some combination of the above destinations.

Average Temperatures
Most destinations have average high temperatures each month ranging from the mid-80s Fahrenheit in the winter to the high 80s and even low 90s in the summer. Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Cozumel have average high temperatures above 90 during the summer months and are the warmest of the western destinations. Belize and Costa Rica are not as warm in part because of the cooler rain forests and mountainous areas.

Average low temperatures for the region range from the mid 60s to the low 70s in the winter to the mid 70s and sometimes higher in the summer. Keep in mind that low air temperatures also mean low sea water temperatures for people who like swimming and sunbathing. The Cayman Islands have the coolest lows of any destination in the region.

Average Rainfall
The annual Caribbean hurricane season goes from June 1 to Nov. 30. The months with the most storms and hurricanes – usually two to four per month – are August, September and October. Most destinations see the highest rainfall in September and October. Total rain can go as high as eight to 10 inches in a single month for places such as Cozumel, a popular cruise port of call. Costa Rica can receive much more, but much of it falls inland rather than on the coast. Note that inland excursions such as the country's popular zip lining have a high chance of rain.

Best Months to Go
The safest months for western Caribbean cruise weather are in the spring and summer for their combination of warm temperatures and relatively low amounts of rain. The riskiest months are December through February because of cool temperatures and September and October because of heavy rain. However, the risky months also tend to have lower prices for cruises.

Weather Forecasts
Even when forecasts call for rain, the rainfall may be brief and intense rather than long and steady. The forecast may call for rain when choosing a last-minute cruise, but the weather may still be good overall.

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Source by Scott Bateman

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A goodwill letter – or as it is sometimes called, a "goodwill adjustment letter" – is one good, simple solution you can use to make an official, heartfelt request of your creditor to remove a negative listing from your credit report to fix bad credit.

This type of letter differs from a letter to dispute late payments or to dispute billing mistakes. Further, a goodwill letter has a completely different purpose from a credit dispute letter.

A goodwill letter allows you to accept the blame for late payments on credit cards, while appealing to the creditor for financial mercy.

When sending a goodwill letter your goal is to touch on major points like:

• Letting them know you are sorry for the late payment, and stay away from confrontational, threatening language. You missed the payment. They did not.
• Telling them how much you appreciate their past business, and how you look forward to remaining a long-term customer in the future.
• Briefly explaining specifics of what happened to cause the late payment: mention your job loss, personal illness, moving to new state and no bank account, you usually pay with online but internet access was down that day due to icy weather, local tornado or flooding cut off roads to post office. Do not make it up. Just state the facts.
• Referencing positive steps you've now undertaken to prevent such a late payment from happening again in the future. They'll want to know that this is a one-time request. They do not want this to be a regular occurrence.
• Highlighting the fact that you are now current on all your bills, and point out that you caught up on late payment immediately even if it was a true financial hardship to do so.
• Pleading for help tactfully. Suggest that your late payment NOT be reported to the credit reporting agencies as a gesture of goodwill on their part, owing to the fat that you have been a good customer over the years. Ask them to put yourself in your shoes.
• Being direct with your request for them forgiving the late fees by having them wiped from your credit report. Negative credit will do little to improve credit scores. Remove late payments and your credit score will climb.

Keep in mind that businesses are in business to keep their customers satisfied. If they can help you, they should. If you have been a good customer, and you are only asking for a one-time goodwill adjustment, most business managers will react favorably because it will be in their own self-interest to help you keep your credit rating in good standing.

In summary, a goodwill adjustment letter could be your very best way to remove a negative listing from your credit report and forge a strong bond with your creditor in the future.

No need to re-invent the wheel! You can use our You sample letter- goodwill at Credit-Letters.com color : as a template to the write your own request The goodwill adjustment today.

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Source by Steve Johnson

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Are you placing an order for new workwear, either for yourself or your employees? If so, these 10 clothing items may be great additions to your list.

1. Corporate shirts – For office-based staff, looking smart and professional is always important, which is why ordering corporate clothing, like long- and short-sleeved shirts could be useful.

2. Polo and T shirts – In many circumstances, the focus of your workwear will be staying on brand. Ordering polos and Ts that are in your corporate colours could be helpful, while cheap T shirt printing means you can also include your logos.

3. Fleeces – During colder months, staying warm at work is crucial to performing to the highest level and one of the best warm-wearing workwear items is the fleece.

4. Bodywarmers – For outdoor workers, another great item that stops you from getting too cold is the aptly-named bodywarmer.

5. Hardwearing workwear – For jobs where physical labour is required and clothing could potentially get damaged or worn quite easily, hardwearing items like jackets and trousers.

6. Thermals – Your base layer of clothing is often your last line of defence against the cold weather, which is why thermals are perfect for staying warm regardless of the weather.

7. Coveralls – Where employees are likely to get dirty or need to protect their clothing, coveralls and boiler suits are a fantastic option.

8. High visibility workwear – For staff that need to be seen, like when working by the roadside, high visibility workwear can help keep them safe.

9. Waterproof clothing – If your team works near water or is outdoors during wet weather, waterproof jackets and footwear will be crucial for staying warm and dry,

10. Headwear – Finally, whether it's about staying warm or protecting your head from potential hazards, headwear can be an important addition to your order.

Placing you're the if a workwear order, it may be important 's to include or embroidered logo clothing , color : as well color : as hardwearing, warm and waterproof items.

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Source by Robert Berry-Smith

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A (SMATV) Satellite Master Antenna Television or (CATV) Community Access Television can go a long way in a Free to Guest atmosphere. These systems are usually referenced when a Hotel, Hospital or large multiple dwelling complex needs television service from a satellite provider like DIRECTV and DISH Network or Cable Company like Time Warner and Charter Communications. Also known as a Headend, these systems are ideal for large businesses and properties because the equipment works within the buildings own infrastructure.

Today, these systems can be found in Hotels, Hospitals, Casinos, Prisons and Nursing Homes or virtually anywhere there's a multiple dwelling unit. The Video Signal is commonly sent out over a distribution network to each monitor or television set. Service is generally accessible with the room's television remote control.

There are typically two forms of service being distributed to every room.

Free to Guest service may include:

Up to 100 Channels

Cable or Satellite programming

Local Stations

Digital Standard or High Definition

Cable and Satellite Services are generally Free to Guest as additional charges are not passed along directly to the consumer. Second, Interactive Television is commonly used as an interface media that is stacked together with the cable or satellite channels for an unforgettable in-room entertainment.

Interactive Services may include:

Hotel or Hospital Welcome Screen

Hotel or Hospital Services – Bill Summary, Check Out, Room Service, Laundry, etc.

Information Channel that displays news, weather and local information

Video On Demand

Internet, Messaging and Email

Video Games & Fun Activities

Applications like Twitter, Facebook and other social networks

Internet Television or rental services like Netflix and Hulu

Option to shop for Hotel Amenities, products and services

Common SMATV and CATV Signal Distribution Configurations

L-Band – requires a set-top box for every room, no modulation necessary

Pro: Idiom – distributes High Definition over coaxial cable with digital encryption to Flat Panel Monitors

IPTV – internet protocol television delivered over the internet

FTA – free to air from local towers

Today, most hotels and hospitals are just wired with coaxial cables. A Headend Television System can be distributed over coaxial cables via L-Band or Audio Video Modulation must considered for the system. Modulation will needed for SMATV, CATV, and Pro-Idiom Technologies.

Programming options include Standard and / or High Definition channels including: Local Stations, News, Kids, Entertainment, Lifestyle, Latino, Learning, Movies, Music, and Sports. Monthly charges are generally based upon drop count. When you choose a programming lineup, it is the type of channels you want to display that determines the price of the package. For example, say you wanted local stations, movies, and sports. The package price is $ 5 per drop. If you drop movies, the package would be $ 2 less per drop monthly, even though it's the same amount of drops your saving money each month. Take the final package price and multiply it by the number of drops (beds or rooms) and your figure will equal the price per month, less tax.

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Source by Steven J Keipert

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Wow. What kind of title is that – mixing danger and intrigue with cruise vacations? Well I guess that someone needs to answer the question so …

Where Should I Begin?

Well let's start with some information regarding the location of the Bermuda Triangle. As one might guess it has something to due with the island of Bermuda. Actually there are various theories on the location of the Bermuda Triangle.

For our purposes we will take the generally accepted location of the area between Bermuda, Puerto Rico and Miami. Draw a line on a map from Bermuda to Puerto Rico to Miami and back to Bermuda and you have what many people accept as the Bermuda Triangle.

You have no doubt heard about all the mysterious disappearances in the area of ​​the "Devil's Triangle" as it is sometimes called. Ships and planes vanishing with no trace. Navigational instruments going crazy … It's a wonder that anyone ever passes through the area at all!

Yet every year countless ships sail the waters in the Triangle. Planes fly over on their trans-Atlantic flights from the south-eastern US to Europe, Asia and Africa.

What About Cruises?

So what about cruises? Do any cruises actually travel through the Triangle?

Believe it or not, virtually every cruise ship that travel from the east coast of the United States into the Caribbean sails in or through the Bermuda Triangle. (Some cruises out of Miami might miss most of the area if they are travelling to the western Caribbean. But they originate at or near one apex of the triangle.)

Have there been any reported disasters on board cruise ships travelling these waters? Have there been any disturbances? Have there been any concerns?

I have not been able to come across one reported incident on board cruise ships sailing the waters between Miami, Bermuda and Puerto Rico that could not be accounted for. Some weather related incidents have happened but those were related to storms in the area.

Storm Dangers in the Bermuda Triangle

As I mentioned above there have been incidents related to the weather. Any cruise in any waters of the Caribbean are subject to foul weather especially during hurricane season when the reported incident happened.

So no matter where you sail, when you sail might cause more danger than the actual location itself. Cruise ships today have the capability to identify dangerous waters and the Captains have the authority to avoid stormy weather. There are back-up plans for cruises in the events of these seasonal storms.

So How Dangerous Is It?

How dangerous is it to sail through the Bermuda Triangle? Let me ask you these questions:

How many people have you heard of in the news that are killed in car accidents? Walking down the street? Riding their bicycles?

Now how many non-natural deaths have you heard of on cruise ships sailing the waters of the Bermuda Triangle?

Any death on a cruise ship is almost international news. The traffic deaths that you hear about are only the local ones.

It is more dangerous for you to walk down a busy street than it is to cruise through the Bermuda Triangle.

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Source by Brian Schmidt

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There's much talk on the Internet these days about a cold mouse hand. It's a chronic condition, there's little medical knowledge about it, and there are products available to help relieve the cold hand pain. For many years, I sat at a computer formatting images in Photoshop. I owned and operated an ecommerce site and was too busy to actually do something to address the real problem. There were deadlines to meet, work to be completed, and frankly, suffering with the pain of a cold hand was not my top priority.

It was not until after I sold my e commerce site I focused on creating an energy-efficient solution to the cold mouse hand condition. Gathering fabrics, testing the quality, and producing a product became a new job. Within a few months, the Mouse Hand Warmer was patented, trademarked and proto-typed. The Mouse Hand Warmer ™ turned out to be a warm, fleece pocket-style blanket to slip your mousing hand inside to keep it covered and warm.

Although there's no sound medical advice about why the mouse hand gets cold, it's common sense to understand exposed body parts tend to get chilled. After hours of exposure, using a computer mouse in the same position, it's not uncommon for the mousing hand to get cold. This condition becomes chronic for the computer geek who sits for hours using a computer mouse.

Cold mousing hand can be attributed to a number of medical factors like Poor Circulation, Arthritis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Raynauds, DeQuervains, Tendonitis or Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

Cold mousing hand can be experienced in a variety of settings like Air Conditioned Rooms, Under a Ceiling Fan, Drafty Cubicles, Winter Weather or Cold Offices at home or in a building.

There are a number of products on the market to help relieve the pain caused by a cold mouse hand. The most practical and cost efficient item is the Mouse Hand Warmer. It can be used only when needed and requires no electricity. In today's energy crisis thats a good thing. Anything that is earth friendly can only be helpful and good.

Your computer mouse is a personal device. We all have a favorite shape and style of computer mouse. We purchase a mouse based on the way it feels in our hand and the way it functions for the type of work we perform. Personally, I use a large Microsoft ergonomic shaped computer mouse. After all the years working with a computer, it's the best fit for my hand.

Another personal computing device is a mouse pad. The mousepads available today come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. My favorite mouse pad is a hard gaming style mousepad constructed of metal with a slick surface. It measures about 12 x 10 inches and works nicely with my large ergonomic computer mouse.

When designing the Mouse Hand Warmer, I decided to create something that worked with any mouse or mousepad because I did not want to give up using my favorite computer accessories. The Mouse Warmer blanket measures about 12 x 12 inches in size and has a non slip surface. Its a large pocket to slip your favorite computer accessories and tools inside. There's plenty of room inside for movement with your favorite mouse pad and mouse. Sometimes when I'm traveling, I bring just the Mouse Hand Warmer because it can also be used stand-alone as a mousepad. The inside bottom surface is smooth, and the computer mouse functions on top of it without the use of an additional mouse pad. The Mouse Hand Warmer is perfect for any work environment.

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Source by Anna Miller

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Latin was the language spoken in ancient Rome. During the ascendancy of the Roman Empire during the 3rd and the 4th centuries, Romans conquered most of Europe including France to which they gave the name Gaul. It is the same word which is found in the name of Charles de Gaul (Charles of France). As the Latin became the official language of Europe, it also became the language of Religion, Science and Philosophy. It became essential for a Frenchman to master Latin if he wanted to proper in society. As the years passed by, Latin words were assimilated into French and contributed a lot towards the evolution of French language. Thousands of Latin words were incorporated with the result that today when we compare the words of the two languages, we are astonished to observe the extent of Latin influence on French language. Following is a very short list that compares the words of two languages ​​and makes clear the point mentioned above.

absentia (absence, Latin) = absence (French).
athleta (athelete, Latin) = athlete (French)
cera (wax, Latin) = cire (French)
corpus (body, Latin) = corps (French)
deus (god, Latin) = dieu (French)
fides (faith, Latin) = foi (French)
liber (book, Latin) = livre (French)
nova (new, Latin) = neuve (French)
mare (sea, Latin) = mer (French)
spiritus (spirit, Latin) = esprit (French)
terra (land, Latin) = terre (French)

The short list given above is neither exhaustive nor complete but it gives an idea to the reader about the influence which Latin has on French. Hundreds of similar words can be searched and compared and it can be an interesting hobby as well as an enrichment to the vocabulary.

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Source by Waqar Awan

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A robotic total station is one of the most advanced electronic instruments being used in modern surveying. But what are the advantages and potential disadvantages of these surveying instruments? Read on to find out.

THE PROS

The biggest advantage to the robotic over the optical station is that it has a motor in it that allows it to be operated remotely. This allows the surveyor to be away from the instrument, which CAN allow you to cut the survey crew by one person. This is a SIGNIFICANT savings to the surveyor.

Most modern optical total stations include the theodolite, distance meter, AND data collection all in the same instrument. The robotic just adds the robotic servo motors. Robots work all day and do not complain. They do not need water breaks or bathroom breaks. They do not lay out drunk or call in sick when you have an important job to do. They only require a charged battery. Robots also are capable of turning more precise angles.

All these advantages lead to a lesser cost of operation as fewer persons are required to do the job.

THE CONS

With the introduction of robotic total stations, many surveyors do not find the need for an assistant, choosing to survey as a "one-man" crew. As such, this does mean that someone may be unemployed. Of course, you could keep that person and train them for another job or use them to increase production.

Since electronic total stations have been around, there has been a tendency by surveyors to treat these instruments as "black boxes," which means that you trust whatever numbers pop out of it without question. Even though today's surveying instruments are extremely helpful, they are still just tools. Remember the saying "garbage in – garbage out."

With the total station itself, one problem might be that electrical malfunctions could happen, especially in extreme weather conditions. A constant power supply is essential for the machine to keep working. Interruption of power or signals could happen once it loses its power and this could generate wrong data and could greatly affect the whole project.

All electronic surveying equipment requires routine maintenance and care. While these instruments are somewhat rugged, it is possible that rough handling and rough conditions can cause expensive problems. But, with proper care, this could be alleviated.

The most notable disadvantage for robotic total stations is the price. These machines typically run about double what an optical total station does. While this DOES require a substantial investment, with the offsetting of the labor cost, the payback on this type equipment should be relatively quick. My experience is that you could pay back the cost within a year's time or less.

To sum it all up, a robotic total station is a great piece of machinery to have and will definitely help surveyors in cutting their workload and not to mention their production costs. But, as we mentioned above, there are other things to consider as you contemplate the purchase of one of these advanced pieces of surveying equipment.

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Source by Cynthia V Rofuli

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BELL PERFORMANCE FUEL ISSUES SERIES: MOST COMMON DIESEL FUEL PROBLEMS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Diesel fuel, the fuel of choice for most of this country's transportation and boating industries, is more prone than gasoline to problems with incomplete combustion, deposits and poor emissions. Deposits on injectors, valve and in combustion chambers can all have negative effects on vehicle / & boat performance. Diesel fuel of the ultra-low sulfur variety has far less natural lubricity than before, and all # 2 diesel fuels have the potential for cold weather gelling problems. The tendency to store diesel fuel leads to potential for oxidative breakdown, build up of harmful water in the storage tank, and microbial infestation of the fuel supply, which necessitates use of a biocide to eliminate the infection.

INTRODUCTION

Diesel fuel powers most of this country's over-the-road transportation, rail and large marine fleets (as well as many pleasure boats). In Europe, diesel cars are more common than here in the States. To be sure, diesel does offer advantages over gasoline as a vehicle fuel. Diesel engines tend to be more efficient, relying on compression ignition than spark ignition. They last longer as well, which is part of the reason they are universally preferred for large industrial applications.

As a diesel fuel user, whether truck or boat, you may aware of certain problems that come with the territory. The common issues fuel users experience with diesel are:

COMBUSTION CHAMBER DEPOSITS

Diesel fuel does not burn as cleanly as gasoline does. This is due in part to diesel being composed of larger, heavier hydrocarbon chain molecules. Larger molecules contain more energy than shorter molecules (because they contain more carbon bonds to break and release heat energy) but they also have a greater chance of not combusting completely. When they do not combust completely, they can form deposits in the combustion chamber. When deposits build up in the combustion chamber, it changes the volume of the chamber and subsequently increases the minimum cetane rating of the fuel needed by the engine to maintain perfect top-dead-center combustion and maximum fuel burn at the proper time. The same effect also happens in gasoline engines, where combustion chamber deposits increase the minimum octane rating by several points early in the engine's life.

Combustion chamber deposits can also act as both insulators and fuel sponges. Excessive deposits will change the rate at which heat can escape the cylinder, trapping the heat inside and raising temperatures. When this happens, nitrogen oxide emissions (NOx) increase, which are terrible for air quality.

Excessive chamber deposits disrupt ideal combustion and performance by absorbing fuel and by disrupting proper air flow within the cylinder. Typically these deposits can build up in the piston bowl area. This changes the air flow within the chamber away from the ideal flow designed when the engine was engineered, and this leads the engine away from idea combustion. Absorbing fuel happens because chamber deposits are porous with a network of cracks and crevices that can act as sponges.

This being said, combustion chambers deposits tend to have a greater effect on engine performance and power than they do on mileage. Vehicular studies do not show combustion chamber deposits to significantly lower fuel economy; injector and valve deposits have a much greater effect on fuel economy.

INJECTOR DEPOSITS

All diesel engines use some form of fuel injection. Most small diesel engines used to use a system called indirect injection (ID1) while larger engines use direct injection (DI). Today, most modern passenger car diesels have switched to DI for fuel economy reasons. IDI tends to be smoother and quieter, while DI is more fuel efficient. The fuel injector sprays the diesel fuel into hot, compressed air, and the mixture auto-ignites. Efficient metering, atomization and fuel-air mixing are key requirements for good combustion and especially important for low levels of exhaust emissions.

Spray Patterns of Clogged vs Clear Injectors

Modern diesel injectors are designed to exacting standards and form an integral part of the process for optimizing fuel combustion. Their flow characteristics are set to allow a small pilot injection of fuel to initiate combustion, and then inject progressively more fuel into the burning mixture. Such an approach provides a low rate of pressure rise and smoother combustion.

Mechanism of Formation of Injector Deposits in Diesel Engines

Both gasoline and diesel fuels consist of components that boil over a wide temperature range (the diesel range is higher than the gasoline range). When the engine is switched off, fuel remaining in or near the pintle tips mixes together with any remnants of un-burnt engine oil and is subjected to high heat soak temperatures. Such high temperatures lead to the formation of free radical species, and then to a combination of auto-oxidation, chemical rearrangement and degradation of the remaining fuel – and deposits form within the injector.

Diesel fuel does not have the same injector deposit control specifications that gasoline does. Therefore it may be useful for the consumer to use an aftermarket fuel treatment to remove these deposits and prevent their formation.

Effect of Deposits on Diesel Injectors

Clean fuel injectors are critical for efficient diesel engine operation. A well dispersed spray pattern maximizes fuel-air mixing, while good atomization ensures rapid, efficient combustion. All diesel fuels, but especially those containing products from refinery conversion processes, have a tendency form a small amount of coke in the annulus of the injector. This coke is believed to be caused by the thermal decomposition of unstable compounds in the fuel. It is such a common problem that injectors are designed to tolerate a certain level of coke. However, many of today's diesel fuels give excessive levels of injector coking, disrupting the fuel spray pattern and degrading atomization.

Higher emissions, noisier engines and a decrease in fuel economy are the result, as shown by controlled vehicle studies. These studies show up to a 15% decrease in city economy and 5% decrease in highway (according to EPA test protocols). For the FTP driving protocol, the results are a 2-11% reduction in fuel economy over the FTP driving protocol, depending on the level of plugging (8-30%).

Another definitive study used fouled injectors collected from two different types of vehicles in the field to show the changes in performance based on sets of injectors with varied average levels of fouling and ranges of fouling. Under the worst conditions of 30% average flow restriction, with a corresponding range of 30% between the best and worst injectors, the author showed: a 700% increase in hydrocarbon (HC) emissions

In high-fouling injectors, research shows the engine compensates and can cause some cylinders to receive too much fuel and some to receive too little (rich and lean). Once cleaned, a 10.5% improvement results in 40-100 kph acceleration times and a 15.8% improvement in 80-100 kph times. This is confirmed in other parallel vehicle studies, where clogged injectors show a reduction in engine power up to 22% and a 1.3 – 2.8 second penalty in acceleration tests.

INTAKE AND PORT VALVE DEPOSITS

Example showing the effect of detergent additives on inlet valve deposits compared to unadditized fuel.

Poor fuel combustion and stratified diesel fuel which has broken down in storage (because of water buildup, age or microbial contamination) can lead to the deposit formations building up on the valves in the engine. Problems with power loss, decreased fuel economy, startability, driveability demerits, decreased power (increased acceleration times) and increased emissions can all result from this.

Valve deposits can also be a result from a mixture of environmental contaminants and also from mechanical issues in older engines, where engine blow-by (from a worn PCV valve), cylinder blowback (from insufficient ring seal and wear), exhaust gas recirculation ( in large transportation truck engines) and lubricating oil, all of those can combine to build up on the valve stems and underside of the valve, forming deposits.

Typically the biggest effect from these deposits comes when they get large enough to physically block the manifold passage and restrict air and fuel flow into the cylinder. This used to be quite common when carburetors were widespread, and would result in poor acceleration, power, fuel economy and raised emissions. But even low levels of deposit accumulation can affect mileage and emissions, since the deposit can act as a sponge, absorbing fuel into the pores of the deposit, then releasing the fuel through evaporation or desorbtion (release of absorbed fuel). This disrupts the flow of fuel at the proper timing interval into the cylinder and reduces droplet evaporation efficiency, thus creating an imbalance in the fuel / air mixture into the cylinder. And this means the engine is not functioning or combusting fuel optimally.

So the typical issues in modern, port fuel-injected engines that have valve deposits are poor driveability (particularly upon cold start-up and during warm-up conditions) and poor emissions performance. Vehicular studies using standard driving procedures like the CRC show a linear correlation between the level of valve deposits and "driveability demerits", which are an index related to how well or poorly the vehicles performance on "driveability". It can be clearly show that valve deposit buildup affects the vehicle's driving performance and it gets worse the more deposits that build up.

LUBRICITY

The term "lubricity" means the lubricating power of the fuel as it flows through the engine. Most consumers only think of engine oil (their typical 10W30 blend) when considering engine lubrication. But diesel engine technologies have long relied on the lubricity of the diesel fuel to keep some types of engine parts from wearing out too quickly. Fuel pumps and injectors both rely on the lubricating compounds naturally found in diesel fuel after distillation at the refinery.

In recent times, the federal government has used amendments to the Clean Air Act to force reductions in the maximum level of sulfur to be found in on-road diesel fuel. Reducing sulfur in the fuel is good for the environment because it means less sulfur leaving the vehicle as SO2 or SO3 emissions (which can lead to acid rain). But the chemical processes used to strip the sulfur from the fuel – hydro-treating – drastically reduce the low-sulfur fuel's ability to lubricate the engine parts that used to depend on such lubrication (because it chemically destroys the complex organic molecules that perform the function ). And with that comes injectors and fuel pumps that wear out faster, leading to higher maintenance costs.

This issue is most pronounced in the long-haul trucking industry where vehicles log many hundreds of thousands of miles per year.

COLD WEATHER PERFORMANCE

Cold weather performance is a big issue for diesel truckers who live and work in cold northern climates. Diesel fuel, being a mixture of carbon-based molecules, contain complex "paraffin wax" molecules as part of its composition. These waxes serve to contribute to the energy value of the fuel. But when the fuel gets cold, these waxes will come out of solution, making the fuel cloudy. Once out of solution, they stick together to form larger and larger crystals of wax. This effect increases the colder the weather. Eventually enough wax floats around in the fuel that the fuel gels up and the wax plugs the fuel filter, shutting off fuel flow and sidelining the vehicle.

This is why diesel operators in cold weather will use a "cold flow improver" product. These kind of products keep the fuel from gelling by keeping the wax crystals in suspension from sticking together. They stay small enough that they can pass through the fuel filter without a problem, where they get burned off in the combustion chamber with the rest of the fuel. If you live up in cold northern weather, it would be wise to consider this kind of treatment if you have not already.

Cold weather can also make larger diesel engines hard to start. Diesel engines rely on compression to heat the air in the cylinder (compressed gas, all other things being equal, gets hotter than the same amount of gas in a larger volume of space). Gasoline engines do not have the same cold starting issues because they have the aid of a spark plug to force the fuel to combust. But in a diesel engine there is no spark, and the engine must turn over many times in order for enough heat to build up and permeate the walls of the cylinder such that auto-ignition of the fuel will happen. This is why large trucks are hard to start in the winter.

Diesel fuels with higher cetane ratings are easier to start in cold weather because more of the different-size molecule combust at the proper time. Some drivers may have a cetane-raising fuel treatment in order to gain these effects without the extra expense of higher-cetane diesel fuel.

DIESEL FUEL STABILIZATION AND BREAK DOWN OVER TIME

Any petroleum product – gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, natural gas – will react with things in the environment they are exposed to, like water, metals and light. Light really just acts as a catalyst to accelerate oxidation reactions – where oxygen reacts with the fuel molecules and causes them to react with other molecules – fuel or not – leading to the formation of polymers that react with other polymers in chain reactions. Over time, the fuel starts to separate and break apart, with these "heavy end" molecules agglomerating together and sinking to the bottom of the mixture (because they are the heavier molecules).

Fuel which has oxidized and stratified like this loses some or most of its ability to combust at an optimal level. And this means poor fuel combustion in the engine, incomplete combustion, formation of deposits, more unburned or partially burned fuel leaving the combustion chamber (poor emissions), and less-than-optimal fuel economy (because stratified fuel does not give the maximum energy value upon combustion that fresh fuel does). All in all, this is not the best situation for the vehicle or boat operator that is stuck with this kind of fuel problem.

What most commonly causes or contributes to fuel instability and breakdown? As mentioned before, exposure to water or air can start or speed up fuel oxidation. Both water and air are excellent oxygen donators, and oxygen is the primary culprit in oxidation. Exposure to certain kind of metals (like copper) as the fuel passes through a fuel storage and delivery system – this can also start and speed up oxidation, although these kind of metals merely act like catalysts and oxygen would still need to come from another source (not usually an issue in the typical fuel storage system or tank). Exposure to light, like exposure to metals, is a catalytic contributor, because sunlight (and also heat contributes energy needed to jumpstart the oxidation chain reactions. This is why diesel fuel poured into a glass jar and left exposed to sunlight will still darken over time – the oxidation reactions cause the color change. Lastly, if the tank has a microbial contamination (more on that later), these acids given off by the microbial biological processes attack fuel and hasten its breakdown.

The whole issue of stabilization and storage is a bigger issue for diesel than for gasoline because it is much more common to store diesel fuel for longer periods of time. Fuel suppliers and industrial customers who store fuel and need to keep it fresh will use an oxidation inhibitor – a fuel stabilizer – to interfere with these harmful reactions and keep the fuel fresh. Consumers who store fuel (such as the boat owner who leaves fuel in his tank over the boat's winterization period) are advised to do the same.

WATER BUILD-UP

Water build-up in diesel fuel tanks is a universal problem across the nation. Almost any stored diesel fuel left for any amount of time will end up with water in the bottom of the tank; it's an even bigger issue for boats and marine storage tanks. Water sinks to the bottom of the tank because water is heavier than diesel fuel is. What's more, you do not even have to have a storage tank for this to happen – water even builds up in the fuel tanks of long haul trucks. The culprit in all of these situations is the venting of the tank to the outside air. Outside air packed with water vapor travels in and out of the tank. In storage tanks, the water from the air condenses and rolls down the side of the tank when the air cools down in the evening. In diesel vehicles, the temperature change comes from hot diesel fuel returning to the tank after being used to cool the injectors. Injectors get hot due to their tremendous pressures. The engine uses diesel fuel circulated from the tank to dissipate some of this heat. The now-hot fuel is then circulated back to the fuel tank. This temperature difference causes water condensation in this environment, even when the fuel is not technically being "stored" for a long time.

So what's the problem with water build-up? Why does it matter? It matters, for the following reasons:

• As noted below, water allowed to accumulate in a tank increases the chance of a microbial infestation – bacteria and fungi which can play havoc with the fuel system.
• Water in a vehicle or boat fuel tank can be sucked up and circulated into the hot injector. When it reaches the hot tip, the water expands in volume by 40x, blowing the injector apart and sidelining the vehicle. Not a good thing when you are stranded and face a repair job.
• Water in fuel accelerates the oxidation and break down of the fuel.
• Water contributes to tank corrosion

All of these are good enough reasons to control the build-up of water in the tank; this is typically done by using some kind of concentrated fuel treatment.

MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION

Storage of diesel fuel for long periods of time also makes them more susceptible to contamination by microorganisms like bacteria and fungus. This happens when the stored fuel becomes contaminated with water; this happens in storage tanks that are vented to the outside. Humid air flows in and out of the storage tank, and when the air cools at night, the temperature change causes the moisture in the air to condense into the tank. Since water is heavier than diesel, the water collects at the bottom of the tank. This provides the necessary environment for microbes to grow and flourish in fuel – they lived at the interface with the water and fuel, and draw their necessary elements and nutrients from both the fuel and water phases. Pretty soon you've got a microbial infestation that produces slimy "mats" which float on top of the fuel. The microbes multiply, excreting acids from their biological processes which both corrode the fuel tank and accelerate the breakdown of the diesel fuel, leaving you with a tank of nasty, poor quality fuel.

As you can guess, microbial contamination's are most common in situations where the fuel is stored for long periods of time, and also more common in marine situations where the fuel tank is around water. How do you know if you've got an infested tank? You'll probably notice rough running and poor performance with your vehicle or boat. Fuel filters will clog more often and (if you have a storage tank you can see the fuel in), you should be able to see slime floating on top of the fuel (along with foul sulfurous odors). All of these are strong indicators that the diesel fuel tank has a microbial problem.

There are a number of diesel fuel additive products that will claim to eliminate microbial infestations from fuel simply by controlling water. This is where the devil is in the details. Once a tank has an active infestation, simply removing the water alone will not disinfect the tank. You could put fresh fuel in the tank, and over time the microbes would come back in full force. To kill an active infestation, you need to use a Biocide product, which acts such like a pesticide or disinfectant to actively kill and destroy the bacteria and fungi. However, this is not to say that products which control water build-up are useless in this context. Controlling the water buildup is a preventative measure; by keeping water from building up in the tank, you make it much less likely that you will have an infestation. So using an additive which controls water is a good idea when used as part of a preventative maintenance regiment for the fuel. But removing water along will not kill an infestation if it does take root in your fuel.

CONCLUSION

Rudolph Diesel's conception of an engine which combusted fuel based on compression (instead of a spark ignition) is the dominant engine used in heavy industry, long-haul transportation and boating. Consumers who own diesel cars love the outstanding fuel economy. A little care Using good and a housekeeping (and a good diesel fuel additive ) in taking care of your diesel fuel will not leave you disappointed with the results.

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Source by Erik Bjornstad

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Walking in the Mountains has become one of today's most popular outdoor pursuits. Gone is the earlier image of a pastime for strangely dressed eccentric old people dressed in woolly hats, hobnail boots, corduroy trousers and tweed jackets. Modern outdoor clothing is actually a multi million pound business that often has more to do with a fashion statement then practical use.

Cutting through the preverbal crap and pushing fashion statements to one side, lets take an actual look at what is needed for an enjoyable day on the hills. The following Ten Items are essential, not just for comfort but for actual survival and safety.

(1) Warm clothing consisting of: – Base layer: – Under shirt or T-shirt, under clothes and Socks. (Thin liner socks and thicker walking socks ) Mid layer: – Fleece or woollen top. Trousers or shorts in the summer (Do not wear jeans, they hold water and will freeze on you in Winter. Cotton also holds moisture so avoid. Man made ​​fabrics such as polyester do not hold moisture and dry much quicker.) Outer Layer: – Waterproof Jacket (Breathable is best for comfort.) Waterproof trousers, Hat, Gloves. Sun hat in the summer.

(2) Footwear: – 2 Season boots for Summer, they are light weight, waterproof, slightly flexible and have good ankle support. 3 to 4 Season boots for Winter, they are tough, rigid soles that can take crampons, waterproof with strong ankle support. Avoid footwear without ankle support. Trainers in winter or on wet grass can be lethal.

(3) Rucksack: – 25 to 35 litre rucksack is ideal as a day sack. Choose one that has a breathable back support, hip band and adjustable shoulder straps. The more money you pay the more features the pack will have. For example, wand pockets, camel pack compartment for water container and external waterproof cover. Dont carry unnecessary stuff in the bag, otherwise you may start to regret bringing along the unwanted weight in your bag

(4) Map and Compass: – In the UK, Explorer maps are ideal, they give excellent detail and are clear to follow. Try to pick a detailed map of about two and a half inches to the mile, these show fences and walls that can help as guide lines to follow. Unless the map is laminated, keep it in a waterproof case. Maps will fall apart when wet. There are various compasses on the market, however try to get one that has the needle suspended in fluid, such as a Silva Compass. The essential factor is learn how to use a Compass and read a map before venturing onto the hills. Dont rely on just a GPS device. Always take a map and compass.

(5) Safety equipment: – Whistle , Torch with spare battery, (LED last longer) First aid kit, Bivvy bag and a spare set of laces. (These can be used either for your boots or to tie a broken strap) Rope if you are tackling any rock climbs or crossing streams and rivers. Ice axe in Winter.

(6) Enough food and drink for the day: – Water or fruit drinks (hot or cold) Avoid Tea or Coffee they help to dehydrate you. DO NOT TAKE ALCOHOL. Alcohol not only dehydrates you it will help to bring on the effects of hypothermia very quickly. Easily digestible foods will get energy into your system much quicker. Bananas and dried fruit are a better source of blood sugar then chocolate.

(7) Plan your Route: – Plan your walk and have an alternative route to use if the weather is poor. Do not take on more then you can cope with. Start with simple walks and build up your skills over a period of time. Build in escape routes into your walk should conditions deteriorate. Tell someone where you are going and what time you expect to return. Leave a note in the glove compartment of your car. (If the car is still in the car park after several days and comes to the attention of the emergency services then at least a route note in the car will give them something to work with.)

(8) Check the weather: – Do not leave it to chance. Always check the weather outlook a few days before you go. Avoid extreme weather conditions such as high winds and lightning. At the first sound of thunder, GET DOWN. You can survive getting wet, but it is unlikely that you will survive a lightning strike. If you are caught out crouch down on your mat or rucksack at the lowest point you can find, do not hold on to anything metal and wait for the storm to pass.

(9) Comfort: – Use a liner sock under your thick sock. This helps to cut down blisters which if left can make your day miserable. Do not try going out in new boots, break them in first. Take a pack of tissues for those essential, personal moments.

(10) Be Prepared: – Have a good nights sleep the night before. Avoid going on the beer the night before. You will be very dehydrated and will tire very quickly. Have a good breakfast before starting. If you are not to worried about having the latest outdoor designs or syles in clothing.

Take a look in the discount stores or the various factory outlet stores who can often provide you with first class equipment at rock bottom prices. Do not skimp on the essential equipment,: – ie. Boots, safety equipment, maps, compasses , waterproofs. They may just save your life. Most of all enjoy the experience. Its not about endurance or taking your body to the limit. Its about finding petranquillity, becoming one with nature, enjoying the company of your companions and perhaps having a good night in the pub afterward to boast about your days activity, or sitting around the camp fire to the early hours reliving those great moments on the hills .

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Source by Harte david