THE OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20301-8000
13 October 1988
PRODUCTION AND
LOGISTICS
(L/EP)
Defense Energy Program Policy Memorandum (DEPPM) 88-5
MEMORANDUM FOR DEFENSE ENERGY POLICY COUNCIL
SUBJECT:
Gasohol Acquisition, Handling, and Use
References:
(a) DEPPM 81-9, "Acquisition of Gasohol for Use in
Department of Defense Motor Vehicles,"
July 6, 1981 (hereby canceled)
(b) Executive Order 12261, "Gasohol in Federal
Motor Vehicles" January 5, 1981
(c) Military Specification MIL-G-53066, "Gasohol,
Automotive, Leaded or Unleaded," as amended,
December 1, 1983
(d) Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES)
"Automotive Services Manual," EOP-31-1 (1987),
Chapter 19, "Gasohol"
(e) DoD Directive 7420.13, "Stock Fund Operations,"
January 27, 1983
PURPOSE : This DEPPM reissues reference (a), which is canceled,
and updates guidelines for and reflects lessons learned in the
procurement and handling of gasohol for use in DoD-owned and
leased administrative motor vehicles.
BACKGROUND:
Reference (b) requires the acquisition of
domestically produced nonpetroleum derived ethyl alcohol or
alcohol gasoline blends containing at least 10 percent
domestically produced nonpetroleum derived ethyl alcohol for use
in motor vehicles owned or leased by DoD.
DISCUSSION:
Gasohol is completely interchangeable with unleaded
gasoline for use in all DoD-owned or leased administrative
automotive vehicles with spark ignition engines under all
climatic conditions in the United States. The Defense Fuel
Supply Center (DFSC), Defense Logistics Agency, regularly
procures three grades of unleaded gasohol under the Posts, Camps,
and Stations (PC&S) program using reference (c). In fiscal year
1987, DFSC contracted for 770,000 gallons of gasohol,
representing approximately six percent of DoD’S bulk motor
gasoline purchases.
In accordance with references (b) and (c), unleaded
POLICY:
gasohol is considered an equal substitute for unleaded gasoline.
Unless specifically exempted as defined below, all unleaded
gasoline requirements, submitted by operational activities to
DFSC under the PC&S program, shall be solicited as "either
unleaded gasoline or unleaded gasohol." The following reasons
are valid justification for exemptions to this practice:
(1) Support is required for:
(a) multifueled engines currently powering the
2 1/2-ton and 5-ton military truck fleet,
(b) vehicles used in experimental programs to test
fuels other than gasohol,
(c) a partial fleet of exempt vehicles and the supply
system is not able to keep two grades of product segregated
consistent with sound vehicle management practices, or
(d) activities where the fuel will be stored for 60
days without replenishment.
(2) The only available storage tanks for the fuel:
(a) contain water bottoms from which the water cannot
be drawn off to preclude alcohol/gasoline phase separation, or
(b) are coated with sealant resin systems that
are incompatible with alcohols.
Justifications for exception other than those stated above must
be submitted with unleaded gasoline requirements and may be
approved on a case-by-case basis. The primary criteria for
judging such requests will be: (a) adverse mission impact and (b)
net cost increase to the Government.
Additional guidelines for
the storage and use of gasohol can be found in references (c) and
(d), and the enclosure to this DEPPM. The absence of a request
for exception at the time requirements are submitted to DFSC
shall imply unconditional acceptance of an operational activity’s
ability to store and use gasohol.
Due to the nature of the PC&S program, operational activities
that submit requirements to DFSC shall receive no more than a
30 to 60-day notice before the scheduled gasohol delivery period.
The final award may change or be delayed for various legal or
contractual reasons at any time prior to the beginning of the
delivery period.
All operational activities must be aware of
these possibilities and be prepared to respond accordingly, i.e.,
by preparing fuel handling facilities to accomodate gasohol in
lieu of gasoline.
Gasohol will be obtained, when available, in all procurements,
including: (a) PC&S purchase programs and (b) service station and
credit card purchases while traveling on official business.
Furthermore, gasohol will be purchased where it is offered at a
price equal to or lower than unleaded gasoline, and the standard
stock fund price for gasohol will be determined in accordance
with reference (e).
When supplies of gasohol are not available, operational
activities are authorized to purchase a minimum of 197-proof
anhydrous, nonpetroleum derived ethyl alcohol for on-site
blending of gasohol, providing: (a) the combined costs are
comparable to unleaded gasoline costs, (b) appropriate blending
and storage facilities are available, and (c) necessary safety
On-site blending should be considered only
measures are taken.
when no other option exists, since improper blending methods may
A recommended
not produce the desired alcohol-gasoline mixture.
procedure for optional on-site blending is enclosed.
The procedures found in reference (d) are recommended for the
handling of gasohol, including: tank cleaning, fuel dispensing,
and water content testing. That document is available from:
Army and Air Force Exchange Service, P.O. BOX 660202, Dallas,
Texas 75266-0202 (ATTN: AAFES-MK-0/0).
The U.S. Army Belvoir Research, Development,
RESPONSIBILITIES:
and Engineering Center (BRDEC), Fort Belvoir, Virginia, shall
continue to test and evaluate alcohol fuels for use in both
administrative and tactical spark ignition-powered vehicles.
Unleaded gasoline and other alcohols and alcohol derivatives,
e.g., methyl alcohol, tertiary butyl alcohol, and methyl tertiary
butyl ether, should be included in this program. Based on the
results of these tests, BRDEC shall develop appropriate military
specifications which DoD Components will use to procure these
alcohol fuels for Defense use.
DoD Components shall conform with the policies prescribed herein
when acquiring, handling, and using gasohol.
Enclosure
DEPPM 88-5 (Enclosure)
Procedure for On-Site Blending of Gasohol
On-site blending of gasohol should only be undertaken when
gasohol cannot be procured directly as a finished product.
Personnel involved in the blending of gasohol and handling of
ethyl alcohol should take the same precautions used in handling
gasoline, including proper grounding of vehicles, avoidance of
In addition, special precautions should be
open flames, etc.
taken by personnel to avoid inhalation of excessive quantities of
ethyl alcohol vapors.
In particular, personnel taking
tranquilizers or drugs used in the treatment of alcoholism should
avoid exposure to ethyl alcohol.
Gasohol is extremely sensitive to water.
No more than 1.5% by
volume can be tolerated before phase separation occurs.
As the
ambient temperature decreases, this water tolerance value will
also decrease. The water tolerance is also influenced by fuel
composition (i.e., gasolines of higher aromatic composition tend
to absorb larger amounts of trace water ).
It is essential,
therefore, that proper cleaning and housekeeping procedures be
followed.
To ensure proper blending, gasoline and ethyl alcohol
should be at approximately the same temperature before and during
blending.
Care should be taken to ensure compatibility of gasohol with tank
materials and other fuel handling equipment. In general, metal
tanks and standard fuel hose present no problem. Certain types
of laminated tanks have been shown to undergo degradation due to
long term exposure to gasohol. Local inquiries should be made as
to materials and expected service time to determine the
suitability of any laminated fuel tank. A service of three
months or less is usually satisfactory.
Blending in Underground Tanks (Service Stations)
Underground tanks are the least desirable for blending gasohol.
Generally, they are difficult to clean and cannot be completely
drained of water bottoms.
If at all possible, alternate sites
(i.e., above ground tanks or tank trucks) should be used. Any
tank having no water bottoms drain-off capability should be
avoided as ground water leakage continues to be a problem with
gasohol service.
Remove previous product from tank. Tanks used previously for
leaded gasoline should be flushed thoroughly with unleaded
gasoline. Pump out tank completely and clean as best as possible.
After cleaning, fill tank to one-third with unleaded gasoline,
add the required amount of ethyl alcohol, and complete filling
the remaining tank volume with gasoline to achieve the required
90 percent by volume gasoline and 10 percent by volume ethyl
alcohol mixture.
Allow the mixture to stand at least one hour.
Pump out the linefill containing the previous product and obtain
approximately a one-quart sample (i.e., one liter).
Samples should be sent to an appropriate laboratory for
determination of ethyl alcohol content.
If the reported ethyl
alcohol level is less than 9 percent volume or greater than 11
If inadequate
percent volume, resample after another hour.
blending is suspected, use a fuel transfer pump to thoroughly
agitate the mixture.
If, after agitation, the ethyl alcohol does
not fall within the specified range (i.e., g-11 percent volume)
add additional ethyl alcohol or gasoline as appropriate to
achieve the proper ratio of gasoline to ethyl alcohol.
Blending in Above Ground Tanks (Bottom or Top Loaded)
Above ground tanks usually have bottom discharges so that they
can be completely drained and cleaned. The blending procedure is
the same as for underground tanks.
Blending in Tank Trucks
Tank truck blending is considered the most desirable of all
blending options as the motion of the vehicle supplies the needed
agitation.
Clean out the tank truck compartments completely,
including the linefill in the manifold and hose assembly. Fill
each tank truck compartment with the ethyl alcohol calculated to
yield a 10 percent volume mix. Then, add the required amount of
gasoline.
Sample the blend from each compartment, if they are
not connected, after the truck arrives at the delivery site. If
more agitation is needed, have the driver drive around some more
or use the truck discharge pump (if so equipped) to recirculate
the fuel within each compartment.
Blending in Tank Cars
Blending in railroad tank cars has the same procedure and
advantage as tank trucks; but there is usually no discharge pump
to promote mixing.
the likelihood of successfully coping with the risk factor and,
in some cases, the type of public authority most appropriate for
dealing with the risk element.
h. Remedial action plans will be developed to correct
Agencies shall establish cost/benefit
unacceptable risks.
criteria for the analysis of these actions, where such do not
already exist.
g. Remedial actions requiring significant expenditures will
be reflected in Service/Agency Program Objectives Memoranda
(POMs) according to the Defense Guidance.