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FAQ & A
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Our disclaimer: All information
contained here in is to be used for educational information only. We have to the
best of our ability given true & factual information. We shall be held harmless
if any of this information is incorrect & causes damage of any kind. You should
always independently verify information you obtain on the web before undertaking
any activity which may cause harm in any way.
What is
& isn't BioDiesel?
Basic how
to make BioDiesel Outline
How long does it take to make?
Is it is expensive
to make BioDiesel?
Is it Complicated to
build a BioDiesel reactor?
What kind of
things
will I need to make BioDiesel with?
Will I need to modify my
Diesel Engine?
Will BioDiesel use Void my Warranty?
Is it SAFE to use BioDiesel in my
Diesel Engine?
Will BioDiesel affect my
Mileage or Power?
What does the term B100 mean?
Can I run
BioDiesel in a
Gasoline Engine?
Isn't BioDiesel simply vegetable oil
thinned-out with a solvent?
Does BioDiesel require
any vehicle conversion?
Must you use heat to make BioDiesel?
Should home made BioDiesel be
"washed" & "Dried" before it can be used?
How clean must Vegetable
Oil be for making BioDiesel?
Can my
Waste Vegetable Oil contain any water?
Why must the Vegetable
Oil & everything be Dry?
Can I
switch back & forth between BioDiesel & Petroleum Diesel?
Isn't homemade BioDiesel
inconsistent?
Do I have to pay road tax on
BioDiesel fuel?
What is BioDiesel
Anyway?
BioDiesel is an environmentally friendly fuel that is legally recognized by
the EPA as an oxygenated
clean burning highway engine
fuel. The chemical name is "Methyl ester". It is made in a very simple
chemical conversion process with a big name called Transesterification.
BioDiesel can be made from
either Animal fats or Vegetable Oil. A catalyst mixture of Lye & Alcohol
are used to convert the oil into BioDiesel. The chemical process creates a compound called methyl
ester which
has nearly the same properties as regular diesel fuel such as cetane value,
& viscosity and it burns much like #2 diesel but much cleaner.
To make BioDiesel, the vegetable oil can be either New or Waste French Fry Oil, it
really doesn't matter except to your wallet. Most homeowners find that waste vegetable oil is
FREE form restaurants for the taking so WVO is the oil of choice for home BioDiesel makers.
Once Transesterified
the oil has undergone a chemical change & been chemically linked
on a molecular level to
the alcohol freeing up the glycerin which is drained off & discarded or made
into soap. Following transesterification, some free alcohol remains in
the raw BioDiesel
because the chemical process relies on excess alcohol, however
Washing removes the free unbound Alcohol. Properly washed BioDiesel does not
contain any unbound residual Alcohol. As an added bonus, BioDiesel provides
better lubrication for all fuel system components than #2 diesel fuel. BioDiesel is safer to store than #2 diesel fuel because Biodiesel has a
higher flash point than regular diesel. It is classified as non-flammable by
the National Fire Protection Agency.
Don't be confused, BioDiesel is NOT vegetable oil that has been thinned with
a solvent, nor is it SVO (straight vegetable oil). Either of those are unsafe
to use in your diesel engine and could easily damage your expensive Injection
Pump. SVO can potentially cause
damage to your engine by coking it up inside. SVO is not EPA legally recognized as a highway engine
fuel, it is dirty to combust & using it requires hundreds of dollars worth of
unnecessary vehicle conversion. SVO must be heated to near 180F before
burning it, this high temperature cooks your expensive Injection Pump
resulting in premature failures. BioDiesel on the other hand is SAFE to use in
any Diesel engine and you can burn it in your home Furnace when mixed with
Heating oil it becomes what is known as BioHeat which can lower your heating
bills significantly.
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Basic how to
make BioDiesel Outline
The below is only an outline & should not be used
to make BioDiesel
Actually, step #1 should read...
Buy our Book!
-
Heat vegetable oil in your processor tank while mixing and drying.
-
In a separate container mix the appropriate amount of Lye & Alcohol together.
-
Add the Lye/Alcohol mixture to the hot oil in the reactor tank while mixing
for an hour.
-
Turn everything off & allow the waste glycerin to settle to
the bottom.
-
Drain out the waste Glycerin.
-
The amber liquid remaining is Raw BioDiesel Ester, some people use it
now but we do not recommend this because it still contains unbound alcohol.
We suggest making safe ASTM fuel per steps 7 thru 11.
-
Mist and Bubble
Wash the Raw BioDiesel with small amount of regular tap water to remove impurities.
-
Repeat
as required 2 to 4 more times or until wash water is almost clear.
-
Polish the BioDiesel using either Heat and or Air Drying.
-
Pump through a filter into a storage container or into your vehicle.
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How long does it take to make
BioDiesel?
Since you cannot
change the laws of chemistry, All home owner processors take the
same amount of time to process oil into BioDiesel. The only thing that
separates these processors are Cost, Features and Safety. Our processor
design offers
the most features and highest safety for very little money. ALL home brew BioDiesel is made the same way
chemically.
The time
required to produce BioDiesel fuel.... it's kind of like washing clothes. You don't actually do the
washing... the machine does it, but it takes time to sort out the clothes &
put them into the washing machine & the dryer. Actual hands on time for
making BioDiesel is a lot like that. It requires about 1to 2 hours prep time
pumping and heating the vegetable oil
while you mixing the
alcohol & the lye together. Add 15 minutes to put the mix into the
processor & an hour to
watch it mix.
If you desire
ASTM grade BioDiesel as we suggest, you'll
need a
few minutes to pump the BioDiesel into your wash tank & a few
minutes here & there over the next several hours to empty out the wash
water occasionally. Then about an hour to dry it in our drying tank. So, as you can see it
isn't hands off, but it isn't all hands on time either. Hands on time
varies depending on your source oil but about 3
to 6 hours of your time should make 40 gallons or more of ASTM grade BioDiesel. If desired
you can make multiple batches simultaneously to get more BioDiesel output for about the same time investment.
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Is it is expensive
to make BioDiesel?
No,
it is actually fairly cheap to produce. BioDiesel currently costs about
$1 per gallon to make. Our
processor costs between $150 to $250 to make depending on the cost of
hardware in your area and if you can weld or not. So after considering your fuel cost
savings you
can readily see you will save serious money in short order.
Everything needed
to make BioDiesel can be paid for in the first few batches
you make.
ALL home brew
BioDiesel is made the same way chemically. Since you cannot change the
laws of chemistry, all decent homeowner processors take the same amount
of time to process oil into BioDiesel. The only thing that separates
these processors are Cost, Features and Safety and ours offers the most
Features & Safety for very little of your money.
When building or buying a BioDiesel processor, you can go expensive or
cheap the choice is yours but the results are all pretty much the same. Others charge
thousands for a factory made plastic processor that we believe is
unsafe! Buy our Pretty Good BioDiesel Book for
about $20 and get all the
details & plans needed to construct your own Feature packed, state of the
art Safe BioDiesel processor. If you can weld, our "All in One" Low Fume 55 gallon drum
BioDiesel Processor design costs about $150 to build, or $250 if you
need to have it welded up. The rest is simple bolt up pipe assembly that just
about anybody
can do.
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Is it
Complicated to
build a BioDiesel reactor?
A Reactor
vessel or Processor as it sometimes called is not a complex thing to
build at all. Basically it is a tank with a number of valves, some pipe,
a pump and perhaps a heater. If you can turn a pipe wrench, you can build
a processor. Worst
case, you may have to get somebody (local high school, welding shop or friend) to weld a
few fittings onto a 55 gallon steel drum for you. Basic
tools required are a couple of pipe wrenches, a screwdriver, some pipe
sealant, a drill some idea how a processor works & a set of plans which
happens to be where our book comes in...
click here.
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What kind of
things
will I need to make BioDiesel?
The process reactor can be built
out of a
55 gallon steel drum or a hot water heater. In our opinion, water
heaters are a Bad
choice, to understand why read our Dare to compare HERE. You
need a small fluid pump for mixing & transferring fluids. A quantity of ball valves, some black
steel pipe & pipe fittings from your local hardware
store, braded vinyl hose,
some pipe sealant, some insulation, a steel tank such as a new or salvaged 55 gallon open top drum
with lid & clamp, some alcohol, lye & a source of free waste vegetable
oil.
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Will I need to modify my
Diesel Engine?
NO, Since BioDiesel
closely approximates regular Diesel fuel in burning characteristics such
as Cetane rating & Viscosity it does not require any vehicle conversion.
It is has a much higher lubricating property's and is very slightly more viscous
which may help by sealing the injector piston seals better.
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Will BioDiesel Void my Warranty?
NO, All diesel engine companies
warrant the product they make "engines". They warrant the engines
they make
for “materials and workmanship.” If there is a problem with an engine
part or with engine operation due to an error in manufacturing or
assembly within the prescribed warranty period, the problem will be
covered by the engine company.
Engine companies do not manufacture fuel or fuel components & do not
warrant any fuel, whether that fuel is BioDiesel or Fossil Diesel. For
details read
Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act
Click on the following link to discover what your OEM engine manufacturers
official position statement about biodiesel usage is. This links to a
number of OEM position statements regarding the use of BioDiesel in
engines manufactured by automotive, industrial & agricultural vehicle &
equipment manufacturers. We currently have the official OEM position statements
from Case, Caterpillar, Dodge, Cummins, Detroit Diesel, Ford,
PowerStroke, GM, DuraMax, International, John Deere, Kubota, Mack,
Mercedes Benz, New Holland, Nissan, StanaDyne, Volvo, and VW diesel,
click the link below to access them.
Official Vehicle Manufacturers Fuel
Warranty Statements
Check the owners manual, most major engine companies have
formal statements regarding the use of BioDiesel. Many state that blends up to B20
are ok. Some engine companies have already specified that the BioDiesel
must meet ASTM D-6751 as a condition. It is anticipated that the entire
industry will incorporate the ASTM D-6751 BioDiesel standard into their
owner's manuals over a short period of time since the EPA is
thinking about forcing fuel
makers into making B20 available at the pump. B20 is 20% BioDiesel in #2 diesel fuel.
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Is it SAFE to
use BioDiesel in my
Diesel Engine?
YES, Burning BioDiesel that meets the ASTM D-6751 specification in your
vehicle is safe. There have been well over 45
million miles of real-world driving with B20 blends in a wide variety of
engines, climates, and applications. Every year here in the USA millions
more miles are being driven on BioDiesel.
Our belief is if you are careful &
follow the common sense guidelines spelled out in
our book, you can make BioDiesel which
can meet or come very close to the ASTM D-6751 specification. It is
imperative that any fuel you burn (home made or commercially
made) is well cleaned, dried & polished such as the ASTM specification
requires. Following these guidelines prevents water or contaminates that can damage your injection pump & fuel
injectors. That is why we recommend following the ASTM D-6751 standard.
We use BioDiesel during the
warm weather months & a
1991 Dodge Cummins model B is our test vehicle which has burned B100 one
summer & a blend of B30 - B50 the next year without any ill effects or
fuel related problems.
We
have not been burning B100 in the winter months because long distance
driving & potential gelling
problems that could occur once the temperatures dip into the very low 40's.
Now we state that BioDiesel can
be used in any diesel engine, we will caution that since BioDiesel has
excellent solvent characteristics that can soften old style rubber fuel
lines. Early model diesel vehicles (mostly pre 1991) reportedly had
Rubber Fuel Lines & o-rings which may get attacked & eventually soften
because of this. Later model diesel vehicles from around 1993 and upward
have synthetic Viton lined fuel lines & o-rings which are not affected.
If yours is an early model such as ours, you may eventually need to
replace your rubber fuel lines & o-rings with the newer Viton type. We
have not seen this problem on our vehicle yet but we have Viton fuel
hose on hand & ready to be installed in case it does become a problem.
Later we removed our rubber lines & inspected them, turns out they were
OEM original & actually had Viton linings! Did you know now that ULSD
S-15 has been
introduced here in the USA you may have to get Viton fuel components anyway
because it can cause problems with older o-rings & fuel lines as
well so
may have to change them out anyway. You may as well make and burn your own cheap BioDiesel fuel.
Read what Chevron has to say about ULSD
here.
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Will
BioDiesel affect my
Mileage or Power?
BioDiesel
has better lubricating properties and as a result your diesel engine will
last longer. BioDiesel actually runs cleaner and smoother
and quieter than #2 diesel in your engine. It does lower your fuel mileage about 8% to 10% and has a similar
effect on heavy load pulling power otherwise you likely will
not notice it. Since home made BioDiesel costs considerably less than diesel
fuel, the relatively small 10% or less loss in mileage is more than acceptable.
We were impressed with
the results that we got when burning our home brew B100. As expected we
dropped a bit less than 10% in mileage when running B100. This was acceptable
since the cost at the time was only $0.70 per gallon to make. We stop burning
straight B100 about
mid October each year due to colder night time temperatures below 40F which
could give us
fuel gelling problems.
Below are our actual MPG averages using various fuel sources
over a 6 month 10,000 mile period. Note: your mileage may differ from ours due
to driving habits.
|
MPG Avg. |
17.7 |
17.6 |
17 |
16.9 |
16.4 |
16.3 |
|
Fuel Brand |
Fred Meyer |
Shell |
Chevron |
Safeway |
our B100 |
Phillips 76 |
Note: The B100
was our
home made 100% pure BioDiesel & except for seasonal differences, the driving
conditions were all identical mostly highway miles driven. Shown in
order of best to worst MPG with our BioDiesel giving just 7.3% lower MPG
than the best MPG from Fred Meyer #2 diesel. Not bad considering
the Fred Meyer fuel at that time was near $2.50 per gallon compared with just $0.70 per
gallon for our B100, we can easily live with that!
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What does the term B100 mean?
B100 is an industry standardized name
meaning
100% BioDiesel. The letter B designator stands for BioDiesel. If the name were
B20 then it would contain 20% BioDiesel mixed with 80% standard diesel fuel.
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Can I run
BioDiesel in a
Gasoline Engine?
NO!
You cannot burn it in a gasoline engine, it is a Diesel Fuel substitute
& can only be ran in a compression based Diesel Engine. BioDiesel
cannot be spark ignited. Go buy a diesel & burn BioDiesel.
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Isn't BioDiesel simply vegetable oil
thinned-out with a solvent?
NO, Absolutely not, BioDiesel
is made in a chemical conversion process where vegetable oil, alcohol are
chemically bonded together using lye as a catalyst. This chemical conversion process
is called "Transesterification."
The product has been chemically changed into a
methyl ester, the characteristics change entirely & now very
closely resemble #2 diesel fuel in viscosity, Cetane & characteristics.
Once properly washed & dried BioDiesel does not contain any free alcohol.
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Does BioDiesel require
vehicle conversion?
No
conversion at all is required to burn BioDiesel in your diesel
vehicle. Early vehicles made
before the mid 1990's may have natural rubber fuel lines. If they do
you may need replace them with modern Viton lined synthetic
fuel lines to prevent
deterioration of the old rubber parts. If you have questions,
consult with your mechanic. You may need to do this anyway because
of the S-15 new diesel fuel.
Read Chevrons
Statement regarding ULSD
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Must you use heat
to make BioDiesel?
As long as the oil is in a liquid
state, you can make BioDiesel. Heating it to the proper temperature will make the
chemical reaction complete in about an hour. While it can be made at lower
temperatures, all liquids should be no less than 70F. Be warned
though that as the temperature shifts away from optimal, the time
required to fully convert the oil into BioDiesel grows exponentially & at 70F
the time required becomes fairly lengthy.
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Should
home made BioDiesel be
"washed" & "Dried" before use?
YES, to meets the
ASTM D-6751 specification it must be washed, Dried & Filtered to
remove impurities. We firmly believe that BioDiesel which has had all the glycerin,
soaps and methanol
removed in this manor can be used with confidence in any diesel engine
or home heating furnace. Washing
BioDiesel removes residual soaps, glycerin & alcohol.
Drying it removes any absorbed water. Filtering removes particulates
down to the micron level. Not only is Washing & Drying very cheap & easy to do,
we highly recommended it. Removal of Glycerin & Methanol by other
methods involves settling time & waiting for time long periods for
the methanol to evaporate. Note that some Bosch Injector Pumps can be damaged
if exposed to alcohol which is another reason we strongly recommend washing & drying
your fuel as the ASTM standards suggest.
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How clean must Vegetable Oil be for making BioDiesel?
If your WVO
source is relatively clean, no straining is required. Straining it through a
window screen is more than sufficient although we don't bother with
that ourselves, we just let the oil sit in the drum for a week or so
before we pump it out. Any food particles settle to the bottom of
the drum, we never pump off the bottom of our drums. Smaller food particles do not contain
much moisture, will not clog up plumbing & settle out in the
glycerin waste anyway.
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Can my
Waste Vegetable Oil contain any water?
NO! Fortunately it
is easy to dry waste vegetable oil provided it contains only small
quantities of absorbed water. Drying can be done through a combination of
evaporation, pumping, heating, & settling time. More details
about this in our book. Just
remember, Water, Oil & lye make Soap not BioDiesel.
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Why
must the Vegetable Oil & everything be Dry?
Remember the movies
showing Granny making
home made Lye Soap? Well, making Lye Soap & making BioDiesel are
closely related. They both use Lye & Vegetable Oil. The difference
is in the liquid added. Making Lye Soap you use Water while making BioDiesel
you use
Alcohol. Water, oil & lye make Soap & it doesn't matter if your
trying to make BioDiesel or not.... It will make Soap! Since you are
trying to limit the production of Soap & wish to make BioDiesel instead,
the presence of water must be kept to an absolute minimum!
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Can I switch back & forth between BioDiesel & Petroleum Diesel?
YES, you can
switch back & forth between BioDiesel & #2 diesel, you can even blend them in any
ratio they are remarkably compatible.
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Isn't homemade BioDiesel
inconsistent?
This is a rumor likely spread by
those that have a vested interest in selling you expensive diesel fuel. Following the simple instructions that are
contained in our book "Pretty Good BioDiesel" without deviating
from our instructions, the quality
of the BioDiesel will be very consistent. Our
instructions closely follow the Biodiesel Standard ASTM D 6751 and make
consistently high quality fuel.
We have heard this question many times & all we can say in
answer to this accusation regarding the consistency of home made BioDiesel is that some people take
shortcuts. That certainly can have a negative impact on the quality of
BioDiesel made. Failure to follow the sound BioDiesel guidelines set forth
by the Biodiesel Standard ASTM D 6751 may very well result in inconsistent
and
low grade BioDiesel.
People are people & some do use shortcuts.
Some people don't wash
or dry their BioDiesel, some stop short of complete processing or use less
chemicals in a misguided effort to cut costs & some even fail to filter it. We
know that if you follow the simple guidelines set forth by the Biodiesel
Standard (ASTM D 6751) as described in our book then the quality of
biodiesel you produce will remain high.
BioDiesel is made using
sound Chemistry. Some snake oil
peddlers or shysters out
there would lead you to believe that BioDiesel can be made by dumping in
some sort of their proprietary snake oil into your WVO but this does not make
BioDiesel. You cannot simply thin down
vegetable oil with some sort of solvent or treat vegetable oil with some sort of
magic powder then filter it as some would have you believe and simply heating up vegetable oil &
using it straight as SVO is
an illegal fuel. Doing those things can damage your engine
The history of biolipid transesterification....
one of the first uses of transesterified vegetable oil (biodiesel) was
powering heavy duty diesel vehicles in South Africa before World War II. The
name "BioDiesel" has been given to transesterified vegetable oil to describe
its use as a diesel fuel. It was patented in the US in the 1940s by Colgate
(and other scientists), all though biolipid transesterification might have
been discovered much earlier. So as you can see, BioDiesel is an actual
chemical conversion following sound science where the base vegetable oil is
converted into a methyl ester that
simulates #2 petroleum diesel fuel and you certainly can control the quality
yourself be it good or bad. We hope you follow our suggestion, download our
book Pretty Good BioDiesel Book HERE and
follow the sound BioDiesel making guidelines that it contains.
Do I have to pay road tax on
BioDiesel fuel?
Good question, we do not
give legal advise so this is only our opinion...
This question is one we can not answer because it all depends on the laws in
your country & state. Check with your local authorities or do an internet
search to see if you can locate any forms or information for the area you
live. In the US, if you make BioDiesel for highway use, you should file a road
tax form to claim the fuel you used and pay the tax on it. This may also be
applicable for the state in which you reside as well. Generally speaking it is
our understanding, if you reside within the US and make BioDiesel for off road
or farm use you do not need to file or pay road taxes on the fuel you make.
However we are not a law firm and this could vary according to the state or
country in which you live so do your own research.
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Buy our
Pretty Good BioDiesel Book HERE
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