BioDiesel - a Renewable Fuel
BioDiesel Made from Vegetable Oils and Animal Fats
BioDiesel as a Transportation Fuel
BioDiesel and the Environment
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BioDiesel made from vegetable oil is a renewable fuel that is a direct replacement
for regular
diesel fuel which is distilled out of petroleum oil. BioDiesel a non-toxic
environmentally friendly Carbon Neutral fuel. The most common kind of BioDiesel in the USA is made
from soybean oil. Home made BioDiesel is usually made from recycled waste restaurant
oils & grease. Most commercial U.S. producers make BioDiesel from new soybean oil.
BioDiesel is often blended with petroleum diesel at 2 percent
(B2), 5 percent (B5), or 20 percent (B20). It can also be used as pure or neat BioDiesel
(B100). BioDiesel can be used in any regular diesel vehicle without making
changes to the engines. It can be safely transported, stored and used just like
regular diesel
fuel.
Since recent price increases at the pump, BioDiesel has
really started to catch on. Biofuel isn't a
new idea. Way back in 1900 well before petroleum based fuel became popular,
Rudolf Diesel, the inventor of the diesel engine, ran his new Diesel engine
on peanut oil as fuel for his experimental engine at the Paris World Fair.
It seems we may be going back to running Diesel engines on vegetable oil just
like the inventor did 100 years ago!
Get our Pretty Good BioDiesel
Book Here
 Most
trucks, buses, and tractors in the United States burn #2 diesel fuel. Diesel
fuel is a
nonrenewable fuel made from fossil petroleum. Every time we use BioDiesel it means that we use a
little bit less fossil petroleum. Being Carbon Neutral, BioDiesel makes less air pollution than petroleum
diesel. Any vehicle that can operate on diesel fuel can switch to BioDiesel
without any changes.
Because it is so clean burning, economical and easy to use, BioDiesel is the fastest
growing fuel for fleet vehicles. Many school districts
are switching to BioDiesel blends for their school bus fleet. BioDiesel is also
being used in the cities to operate fleets of snowplows, garbage trucks, mail trucks, and military
vehicles. Until recently the use of BioDiesel was limited to fleets of vehicles
that had their own fueling stations. More public fueling stations
that offer BioDiesel are popping up every day around the country. Take a look
and you might be able to locate it near you. Since it is so easy to make, a lot
of people are now making their own BioDiesel.
B100 and BioDiesel blends are sensitive to cold weather and may require
special anti-freeze, just like petroleum-based diesel fuel does. BioDiesel acts
like a detergent additive, loosening and dissolving sediments in storage tanks.
Because BioDiesel is a solvent, B100 may cause older type rubber components to
fail in vehicles. Since newer model vehicles are made with fuel resistant rubber
parts, this problem does not occur with them.
BioDiesel is a renewable resource, nontoxic, carbon
neutral and is biodegradable. Compared to regular diesel fuel,
BioDiesel is much cleaner burning, produces fewer air pollutants, and
smells a lot better. Particulates, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and air toxics are
also lower. Sometimes BioDiesel even smells like french
fries!
Regular #2 diesel fuel contains sulfur. Sulfur can cause damage to the
environment when it is burned in fuels. New environmental laws now require S15
diesel fuel. On October 2006 the
amount of sulfur in S500 U.S. diesel fuel was dramatically reduced from 500
to 15 parts per million & called S15. When sulfur is removed from regular diesel fuel, the fuel doesn't
lubricate as
well and can affect the fuel system o-rings causing leaks. Adding a small amount of BioDiesel
to the diesel fuel can help fix the problem. BioDiesel has no
sulfur, so it can reduce sulfur levels in the nation's diesel fuel supply while
making engines run more smoothly.
Last Revised: May 2005
Sources: Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Review 2003,
September 2004.
The National Energy Education Development Project, Alternative Fuels: What
Car Will You Drive?, 2004.
U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Alternative
Fuels Data Center, October 2004.
Source:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/biodiesel.html
Scientists believe carbon dioxide is one of the main
greenhouse gases contributing to global warming. Neat BioDiesel B100 reduces
carbon dioxide emissions by more than 75% over petroleum diesel. Using a blend
of BioDiesel B20 reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 15%. BioDiesel is Carbon
Neutral.
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