Biodiesel: Fundamentals

Biodiesel: Fundamentals
By Peter Van den Berg
Any vegetable oil like Soya oil as also oils used for frying can go to make biodiesel. In diesel engines, one can either use biodiesel fully replacing diesel or combination of diesel and biodiesel in any proportion. The fuel tank can be filled with just diesel, just biodiesel or diesel-biodiesel at any ratio.

Why Biodiesel?

Demand for fuels like diesel or petroleum is so overwhelming that most of the countries have to import them. On the other hand, biodiesel can easily be manufactured indigenously. Thus precious dollars which would otherwise have gone to a foreign country can be saved and dependence on them for fuels reduced. While biodiesel manufacturing would create job within the country, reduction of import would strengthen the balance of trade. Isn’t that great? Apart from these economic considerations, the other weighing factor is that the oil is not going to last forever. Oil is non-renewable and also a pollutant. Biodiesel is ever renewable and without any toxic effects. As it is made from vegetable oil, it is no pollutant of air. We all know how rampant use of carbon fossil fuels is contributing to global warming and climatic change. The air is foul with carbon emissions. With biodiesel which is almost free from carbon, emissions warming the globe are almost gone and we can take a deep breath in a cleaner air. The wear and tear of automobile engines is far less when diesel is replaced by biodiesel. Even a small addition of biodiesel to the diesel increases the lubrication which means longer engine life. Less noise and less smoke- that’s what clinches the deal for biodiesel. Anyone who has abhorred the belching smoke

and the engine noise of a diesel run automobile would heartily welcome the soothing biodiesel.

Minuses

Biodiesel is also not without its disadvantages. In spite of steadily rising availability, biodiesel is still to be available readily across the country. The consumption for biodiesel is increasing by leaps and bounds (gone up 5 times in 5 years between 2001 and 2006) and the indigenous production can hardly keep pace with this growth in consumption. Using biodiesel in fuel tanks hitherto using diesel clogs the fuel filter by peeling off the accumulated diesel on the tank wall. This may be a problem for the fuel injectors. Biodiesel is more gelling than diesel and at a temperature below 32 degrees Fahrenheit may get a little sticky. The problem can be overcome by keeping the proportion of biodiesel to 20% and mixing the fuel with 80% diesel. This combination is most widely used having a gel point of 15 degrees Fahrenheit. In extreme cold climates, additives like kerosene in the diesel-biodiesel mixture can further bring down the gel point. While biodiesel poses no problems for new cars, rubbers used in fuel lines of old cars may get eroded with use of biodiesel. The NOx emissions from biodiesel cause smog but reductions of greenhouse gases far outweigh this small disadvantage.

This article is written by Peter Vandenberg for Biodiesel Expansion. www.biodiesel-expansion.com is a website dedicated to alternative fuels.

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Introduction to biodiesel

What is biodiesel

Biodiesel is a domestically produced, renewable fuel that can be manufactured from new and used vegetable oils, animal fats, and recycled restaurant grease. Biodiesel’s physical properties are similar to those of petroleum diesel, but the fuel significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions and toxic air pollutants. It is a biodegradable and cleaner-burning alternative to petroleum diesel.
Biodiesel can be blended and used in many different
concentrations. They include B100 (pure biodiesel), B20 (20% biodiesel, 80% petroleum diesel), B5 (5% biodiesel, 95% petroleum diesel), and B2 (2% biodiesel, 98% petroleum
diesel). The most common biodiesel blend is B20, which qualifies for fleet compliance under the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 1992.


To make biodiesel, the base oil is put through a process called "esterificiation." This refining method uses an industrial alcohol (ethanol or methanol) and a catalyst (substance that enables a chemical reaction) to convert the oil into a fatty-acid methyl-ester fuel (biodiesel).

OK what does that mean? It means straight vegetable oil is not the same as biodiesel and is generally not considered an acceptable fuel for large-scale or long-term use. The base oil has to be processed first.

One caution before we go to far.
Studies of B20 and lower blends have not shown long-
term effects for in-specification biodiesel. In general, B100 can soften and degrade certain types of elastomers and natural rubber compounds over time. Using higher-level blends (above B20) can impact fuel system components (primarily fuel hoses and fuel pump seals) that contain elastomer compounds incompatible with biodiesel. The effect is lessened as the biodiesel blend level is decreased.

What does that mean? basically it means that using pure biodiesel b1o0 can eat the rubber parts of your car.b20 2o percent biodiesel
80 percent regular diesel is considered safe for most vehicles it really
depends on the year of your car and the elastomer compounds used.

As long as the vehicle was manufactured after 1993, biodiesel can be used in diesel engines and fuel injection equipment with little impact on operating performance. If your vehicle is older than that, beware. The engine could be assembled with incompatible elastomers, which can break down with repetitive high-blend biodiesel usage.
Regardless of your vehicle’s age, it’s a good idea to check original engine manufacturer (OEM) recommendations before using biodiesel. Most OEMs approve blends up to B5 in their vehicles. Some approve blends up to B20 if the fuel meets certain specifications and standards. One even approves B100 in certain types of farm equipment.


one more caution
Biodesiel acts like a cleaner and can cause a lot of junk to come out of your tank and clog your fuel filter.

The release of deposits in higher biodiesel blends may initially
clog filters, so you should be proactive in checking for and replacing clogged fuel filters. Once the build-up is eliminated, return to your regular replacement schedule. This issue is less prevalent with B20 and lower blends. There is no evidence that lower-blend levels plug filters.

I am not trying to discourage anyone from using biodiesel. I use it myself. If you know the facts you will be ahead of the game.