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Monday, 12 May 2008 19:01 |
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What kind of difference can the use biodiesel make when it comes
to changing the world for the better? Perhaps the biggest impact
of the use of biodiesel fuel instead of just plain diesel is on
the human health and the environment.
One of the biggest differences that biodiesel make is with
regards to smog. Using biodiesel actually reduces smog. Both
unburned hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides in diesel fuel account
for most of the particulates in air pollution. When you use
biodiesel product or homemade biodiesel there is a substantial
reduction of unburned hydrocarbons and if you are using a blend
that is right for your machine. Tests that have been conducted
according to EPA regulations have shown that the hydrocarbon
exhaust emissions that biodiesel are half that of that measured
for diesel fuel.
Can biodiesel make more energy? Unlike the burning of fossil
fuels, the burning biodiesel fuels actually gives back more
energy to the environment that it takes. Lifecycle studies of
biodiesel production show that for every unit of fossil energy
it takes to manufacture fossil fuel, 3.2 units of energy are
gained. This kind of lifecycle study examines the impact during
all phases of biodiesel production including its transportation,
production and distribution to the biodiesel fuel customer.
Can biodiesel make a difference when it comes to reducing the
effects of global warming? The answer is yes. The overall
lifecycle emissions of carbon dioxide (a major greenhouse gas)
from biodiesel are 78% lower than the overall carbon dioxide
emissions from petroleum diesel fuel!
Can biodiesel make a difference when it comes to reducing acid
rain? Once again the answer is very positive. The overall
lifecycle emissions of sulfur oxides (major components of acid
rain) from biodiesel are 8% lower than overall sulfur oxides
emissions from regular diesel fuel. It"s a start.
Can biodiesel make a difference when it comes to waste water?
The overall lifecycle production of waste water from biodiesel
production is 79.0% lower than overall production of wastewater
from diesel fuel. To put it another way, petroleum diesel makes
roughly five times as much wastewater flow than biodiesel can
make.
Can biodiesel make a difference when it comes to lung cancer and
asthma? Scientific research confirms that biodiesel exhaust is
less harmful to humans then diesel fuel exhaust because lacks
aromatic compounds. The purer the biodiesel fuel is the less
likely it is to create the cancer causing compounds polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons. Most of the poisonous compounds common to
diesel exhaust are reduced by 75 to 85 percent by using
biodiesel fuel. Biodiesel is also easier on the lung because it
reduces the emission of the types of particulate matter that
cause asthma and other lung disorders by about 47 percent.
Additionally biodiesel make less soot. Studies have shown that
biodiesel reduces the total amount of particulate matter soot in
bus tailpipe exhaust by 83.6%. Soot is the heavy black smoke
portion of the petroleum diesel fuel exhaust that consists of
100% carbon. It has been suggested that diesel soot produces
cancer.
How can you use biodiesel to make a difference? Burning just a
2% biodiesel blend in on-road vehicle that usually takes diesel
fuel will curtail all kinds of harmful emissions. Annually this
one action has the potential to reduce poisonous carbon monoxide
emissions by more than 35 million pounds, reduce ozone forming
hydrocarbon emissions by almost 4 million pounds, reduce
hazardous diesel particulate emissions by almost 3 million
pounds and reduce acid rain-causing sulfur dioxide emissions by
more than 3 million pounds. That"s a big difference!
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Monday, 12 May 2008 14:00 |
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If you run a diesel engine are familiar with biodiesel fuel
blends you might already know from experience already be aware
that they perform almost identically to conventional diesel
fuel. The national biodiesel board claims that there is only
1.73% difference in economy, torque and horsepower between B20
blend biodiesel and Diesel No. 2 fuel
Somehow biodiesel fuel got a bad rap as a low performance fuel
when actually the opposite is true. In fact biodiesel fuel
blends are typically added to a diesel engine to improve its
performance. The fact is that biodiesel fuel blends perform very
similar to low sulfur diesel fuel in terms of power, torque,
haulage and fuel consumption without and major modification to
diesel engines!
Biodiesel fuel lubricates your diesel engine far better than
"straight" petroleum diesel fuel. According to the national
biodiesel board, lubricity tests that compare of biodiesel fuel
and petroleum diesel indicate that there is a marked improvement
in performance after biodiesel is added to conventional diesel
fuel.
Even biodiesel levels as low as one percent can provide up to a
65 percent increase in lubricity in petroleum distillate diesel
fuels.
However like most diesel fuels, biodiesel is not perfect.
Perhaps its biggest drawback is that it is not compatible with
all engine components. Although many manufacturers have or are
in the process of creating a diesel car or diesel engine more
compatible with low sulfur diesel fuels such as biodiesel not
all diesel engines can handle it.
Biodiesel"s mistaken reputation as a bad diesel fuel probably
originated with individuals who were trying to run certain older
diesel engines on pure biodiesel. Keep in mind that all
biodiesel fuel is not created equal and that it is usually a big
mistake to pour pure biodiesel into any engine. Pure biodiesel
is 100% vegetable oil. The best biodiesel that is compatible
with most diesel engines is one that is a combination of both
diesel fuel and vegetable oil. The confusion comes from the idea
that the term biodiesel fuel also covers "blends" with diesel.
Pure vegetable oil is pure biodiesel and that is rarely used in
any diesel car, truck or engine.
The main problem with putting pure biodiesel fuel into certain
models and older machines is that pure biodiesel will soften and
degrade certain types of elastomers and natural rubber compounds
over time. Undiluted biodiesel can destroy certain types of
gasket, hose, and seal compounds like natural rubber.
Unfortunately these materials are what most fuel hoses and fuel
pump seals are made of and of course if you pour pure biodiesel
into a diesel engine or diesel car you are going to get poor
performance.
Most manufacturers recommend that natural or butyl rubbers not
be allowed to come in contact with pure biodiesel fuel One way
around this is to replace your hoses and fuel caps with a
material that is compatible with biodiesel or stick to using a
blend of biodiesel which will not cause as much wear and tear on
your hoses and sealants. Once you have done this, you will be
achieving high performance with biodiesel fuel every time.
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Monday, 12 May 2008 09:01 |
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Biodiesel fuel is not compatible with every diesel engine. This
is why it is so important for you to check your Owner"s Engine
Manual to find out what types of fuels you can use.
The biggest drawback of biodiesel is that it is not compatible
with all engine components. However many manufacturers such as
Ford and Volkswagen have or are in the process of creating a
diesel car or diesel engine more compatible with low sulfur
diesel fuels.
The main problem arises when you try to put biodiesel fuel into
the diesel engine of older machines. Even blended biodiesel will
soften and degrade certain types of elastomers and natural
rubber compounds in you diesel engine over time. Undiluted
biodiesel can destroy certain types of gasket, hose, and seal
compounds like natural rubber, Buna-N, and nitrile, which can
create fuel system leaks. Unfortunately these materials are what
most fuel hoses and fuel pump seals are made of.
Most manufacturers recommend that natural or butyl rubbers not
be allowed to come in contact with pure biodiesel. One way
around this is to replace your hoses and fuel caps with a
material that is compatible with biodiesel. Another suggestion
is to use the diesel fuel blend that is recommended not to cause
stress and wear on your hoses and sealants.
In general it is thought that that blends of B20 (20% biodiesel
and 80% diesel fuel) or lower cause the least stress for diesel
engines. Once again, it cannot be stressed enough that you must
consult with the manufacturer of your vehicle or machine and
read your owner"s manual before playing around with biodiesel.
As a rule of thumb, never ever pour pure (B100) biodiesel into a
diesel engine of any kind! Always use a blend because
experimentation with biodiesel fuel could prove to be expensive.
The single greatest factor that can affect biodiesel"s
performance in our engine is a cold temperature. Cold weather
can cloud biodiesel and turn into gel. Users of a 20 percent
biodiesel blend with #2 diesel will usually notice problems when
the temperature reaches approximately 2 to 10° Fahrenheit. Below
that you could experience gelling in your fuel pumps and hoses.
Given the above information you can also see why you would never
use 100% pure biodiesel in a diesel engine in cold temperatures.
It stands to reason that neat biodiesel will gel even faster
than blended biodiesel. Solutions for winter operability with
neat biodiesel include blending biodiesel with No. 1 petroleum
diesel fuel. Storing the vehicle in a heated garage so that the
biodiesel blend in the diesel engine does not have a chance to
gel is also recommended.
Both blended and neat fuels in a diesel engine will respond to
the use of cold flow improvement additives such as regular
anti-freeze and kerosene. However make sure that your
manufacturer approves any additives you add to your biodiesel.
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