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The BIG Biodiesel FAQ Following is a list of the most frequently asked questions about biodiesel, our book, and the Diesel engine. If you have a question regarding biodiesel, chances are there is an answer in this FAQ or in the book, From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank, which gives more in-depth answers to many of these questions. 1. Where can I buy your book? Order online at http://www.veggievan.org/oform.html with any major credit card 2. Can biodiesel be used in any regular diesel vehicle, or must a vehicle be modified first? Biodiesel can be used in any Diesel engine. That includes many trucks, generators, boats, trains, busses, and cars. The engine must be a DIESEL. Other than that requirement, you can just pour biodiesel straight into the fuel tank. No engine modications are necessary. Biodiesel even mixes with diesel fuel at any ratio so there is never a need to drain your fuel system. 3. Why can't biodiesel be put into a car that runs on unleaded or leaded fuel? Vehicles that run on gasoline have spark-ignition engines. These engines use spark plugs to ignite the fuel. They are designed to use very thin, explosive fuel. Diesel engines are compression-ignition engines. Instead of a spark plug, they use super-compressed air to ignite the fuel. They are generally heavier, sturdier engines that are designed to run on thick, viscous fuels like vegetable oil-derived biodiesel. For alternative fuels for gas engines, look at ethanol, wood gas, natural gas, or methane. The Biomass Energy Foundation has info at http://www.webpan.com/BEF 4. Why not just use the grease directly in a Diesel engine instead of processing it into biodiesel? In a pinch, you can do this and some Diesel engines will run on straight grease. However, we do NOT recommend trying this in your mother's beloved Mercedes. Most Diesel engines are not designed to run on straight vegetable oil. In tests done at the University of Iowa and in Europe, the insides of many diesel engines "coke" up and simply stop working when running on straight vegetable oil. We use biodiesel because it is thinner and more combustible than straight vegetable oil. There are some simple modifications you can make to the engine's fuel system in order to run the engine on straight vegetable oil (new or used). Complete directions for making these modifications will be given in the second edition of From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank, available in June 1999. 5. What kind of emissions does biodiesel give off? From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank devotes quite a few pages to this topic. There are no sulphur dioxide emissions from biodiesel, since biodiesel does not contain sulfur. Soot emissions from biodiesel are 40-60% less, while carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions are cut by between 20% and 60%. Vehicles running on biodiesel still emit the same amount of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) as they did while running on diesel fuel. The difference is that the CO2 from burning biodiesel will be captured in the next batch of crops grown to make biodiesel. Then it will be emitted and captured again and again ad infinitum. The key here is that no new carbon dioxide is added to the Earth's atmosphere. We're not digging up fossilized Carbon and dumping it into the sky. Instead, we're just cycling Carbon and Oxygen through the ecosystem.. This is why biodiesel is called a renewable fuel. 6. How can you reduce NOx emissions? Many people lose interest in biodiesel because the fuel itself does not decrease Nitrous Oxide Emissions. These emissions come from burning nitrogen gas. When nitrogen is burned, or oxidized, it combines with Oxygen to form new molecules called Nitrous Oxides. The earth's atmosphere is 80% Nitrogen. So the truth is that ANY internal combustion engine running on ANY fuel including ethanol, methanol, compressed natural gas (CNG), liquified natural gas (LNG), hydrogen, and propane produces about the same amount of NOx emissions as when it ran on gasoline. There are two ways to reduce Nox emissions: 1. Reduce the combustion temperature or 2. Install a catalytic converter. Reducing combustion temperature can be done by retarding engine timing or introducing water injection. 7. Can any kind of veggie oil be used to make biodiesel? Do different oils give more "distance" or other properties? ANY type of vegetable oil or animal fat can be used to make biodiesel. BTU's per gallon of biodiesel made from vegetable and animal oils are similar to diesel fuel. Hence, distance per gallon is the same as diesel. 8. Can I run my tractor on biodiesel? Does your tractor have a Diesel engine? If so, the answer is YES! 9. Can I run biodiesel in my engine without voiding the warranty? If so, can the percentage of biodiesel be 100%? Most European Diesel engines manufactured for the European market now come with biodiesel-warranted engines. Volkswagen, Mercedes, Volvo and others are all warranted to run at 100% biodiesel. However, if you have a Diesel made for the US market, you should check with the engine manufacturer as to their warranty coverage. Some Diesels in the US are now warranted for use with biodiesel that meets their fuel specifications. The difference between the European-sold cars is that they all have a few hoses and seals made of teflon in place of the cheap rubber used on the same hoses in the US-sold engines. You can usually order the teflon set of parts for your car for under $100. Although this might ease your peace of mind, it won't change your warranty. Most warranties state that any fuel-related problem caused by fuel that does not meet specs is not covered, however all vehicle-related probelms are covered regardless of the type of fuel used. 10. What is the consistency of biodiesel like? Biodiesel is like a very light oil. It flows like water and is very lubricating. 11. How are speed and power affected by biodiesel? In tests done in US universities and those in Europe, engines running on biodiesel have minor, if any differences in torque, horse power, range, and top speed. Our experience has shown that engines running on biodiesel generally idle smoother and accelerate more smoothly. 12. What miles per gallon does the Veggie Van get? How is fuel efficiency affected by the biodiesel? The Veggie Van gets an average of 25 miles per gallon. This number is the same for diesel and biodiesel. 13. What are your maintenance costs using biodiesel compared to using diesel fuel? Our maintenance costs are unaffected by using biodiesel. 14. Can biodiesel be produced from the animal fat produced from the rendering process? Yes. NOPEC, the biodiesel producer in Lakeland, FL once produced 500 gallons of beef-fat-biodiesel. 15. Do you think I could burn biodiesel in my furnace instead of home heating oil? Yes. Most home furnaces run on "red fuel," or home heating oil. This is chemically the same thing as diesel #2, but it is not taxed for road use. Since "red fuel" is chemically the same as diesel fuel #2, and diesel # 2 is chemically similar to biodiesel, it follows that there should be no problem running your furnace on biodiesel. Biodiesel can also be used in some stoves and lanterns. 16. Where can I obtain Biodiesel commercially? There are a number of suppliers around the world. The manufacturing plant in this country is NOPEC, 1-888-BY-NOPEC, http://www.nopec.com. In Hawaii, contact Pacific Biodiesel at http://www.biodiesel.com. In Europe, there are biodiesel pumps at many service stations. In Australia, you will have to make your own. In Japan, there is a new facility. If you don't live in one of these places, you're going to have to do some research. You can also contact the National Biodiesel Board in the United States to get a new list of suppliers, http://www.nbb.org 17. Are there any limitations or concerns about making or using biodiesel during cold weather? i.e. congealing or viscosity changes, storage problems. Like diesel fuel, biodiesel can gel in cold weather. We have driven on biodiesel in the snow in New Mexico with no problems. However, if you live in a very cold-winter climate, there are simple preventative measures you can take: 1. Install a block heater to keep your engine warm at night. 2. Install a tank heater to keep your fuel warm during driving. (This is just a stainless steel hose that goes in your fuel tank and channels warm engine coolant. Any good diesel shop can install one.) 3. Use a diesel-fuel winterizing agent in your biodiesel (follow directions for mixing). 4. Keep your vehicle inside if possible. 18. Are there copyrights or patents on the biodiesel fuel that would stop me from turning it into a profitable business? Yes and No. Biodiesel fuel itself is a widely used, non-toxic chemically-synthesized liquid. There are no patents on methyl esters, ethyl esters, etc. This would be like patenting H2O. However, there are patents on different proprietary processes that some of the industrial manufacturers of the fuel have developed. If you are planning to drop millions into this little project, you will want to find a good patent attorney. If you are planning to make some for sale in your small town, then patents are probably not your main concern. You can legally make biodiesel for fun and profit. Most of the time, biodiesel must be classified as a fuel additive. There are other restrictions that vary from place to place. Check with your local department of highways and transportation. 19. If the demand were there, could enough veggie oil be produced to make biodiesel a significantly viable option to the mass of autos? Yes. An in depth answer to this question can be found in our book. Basically, we can make biodiesel from other sources such as one fast-growning, naturally occuring strain of algae. But even in Germany, there is enough biodiesel produced to offer the fuel at over 800 service stations across the country. 20. How does one go about making biodiesel? Can I do it at home? Biodiesel is so easy to make that you can make it in a blender. You can also make it in a bucket, a metal drum, a plastic tank, etc. And yes, virtually anyone can make it at home. For more information, refer to Chapter 5 of From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank. 21. What safety precautions should one use when making biodiesel? You will observe the same safety precautions that are standard practice in any chemistry laboratory. Eye protection, gloves, long sleeve shirts, shoes, a designated eye wash nearby, etc. More on this can be found in Chapter 5 of From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank. 22. Does one need special permits to make biodiesel? This depends on how much biodiesel you intend to make. A test tube full would not turn the heads of most county inspectors. But a 500-gallon batch in your back yard might warrant a good review of local policy regarding the temporary storage and use of used vegetable oil, methanol, and lye. If you want to sell biodiesel, you do need permits and you will need to charge sales tax. For more information on selling biodiesel, Randall vonWedel has offered to give advice to anyone wishing to sell biodiesel, you can contact him at http://www.cytoculture.com 23. What are the byproducts of making biodiesel and are there any issues with the disposal of these products? The byproduct of the biodiesel process is glycerin soap. For disposal, use this to clean your biodiesel processor or give in jars as a Christmas gift. More on this can be found in From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank. 24. What type of alcohol are you using to produce your biodiesel, where you get the alcohol, and what is the cost per gallon? We use methanol alcohol. Methanol costs us between $1.50 and $2.00 a gallon in the United States. It is an alcohol used for racing cars. We buy it at race tracks and transport it in plastic, red, 5-gallon fuel containers. We do not store methanol nor do we recommend storing it. (They keep plenty for us in 55 gallon drums at the race track.) More information on methanol can be found in From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank. 25. Have you tried using ethanol instead of methanol? Yes. Ethanol did not work as well. Since our reactions are not done in a controlled laboratory setting, there are many variables which can affect the finished product. These include temperature, humidity, amount of water in the oil, pH of the oil etc. In our experience ethanol is more susceptible to environmental variables than is methanol. However, researchers at the University of Iowa have been making biodiesel from ethanol successfully for many years. 26. Where did you store your methanol when you used the mobile Green Grease Machine for the Veggie Van? In two red, 5-gallon fuel containers which we stored in a well-ventilated trailer, not in our van. But we did not travel with methanol. Instead, we bought it as needed and used it on the spot. 27. Where do you get lye and how much does it cost? We use Red Devil Lye. It costs about $2.00 for a 12oz.(340 g) can. We buy it at supermarkets or hardware stores. 28. Most restaurants have contracts with grease recyclers. How do you get the oil from them? We ask politely. They give it to us for free. Seriously, this has never been a problem for us. There are a few guidelines to follow: 1. Show up at a slow time of day. 2. Talk to the manager. 3. Explain what you intend to do with the oil. 4. Work it out on their terms. (If they want you to come back on Thursday at 8 AM - then do so.) Perhaps you can arrange to purchase the oil for a minimal cost if that is what the local restaurants in your area are accustomed to. The situation with used cooking oil is different in every region. Keep asking around at both chains and Mom and Pop restaurants. 29. Do you have to pay for the waste restaurant oil? No. We have never paid for used oil. In some places, however, the restaurants may want money for it. 30. I am worried about the used oil I have gathered going "bad." How long can I store it? Chances are, it was pretty "bad" when you got it. It's not going to get much "better" until you make it into biodiesel, which is a more resistant chemical compound. Seriously, if you live in a warm climate such as the South US, California, or the Sahara Desert you should use the oil as soon as possible. It will grow black algae which are difficult to clean. Presumably, the oil is fresh from the fryer or has not been sitting in the oil dumpster for too long so you have a good month before the algae arrive. If you live in a colder climate, the oil can store for a longer period of time, however it is always best to process the oil into biodiesel and then store it. If you must store used cooking oil then store it in black drums in the shade and try to keep it cool. Always make sure that no water can get into your stored oil (or biodiesel). 31. How much time does it take to make biodiesel? The reaction takes one hour. Then the biodiesel must sit for 8 hrs. We have gotten preparation down to 30 minutes and cleanup down to 30 minutes. So it takes about 2 hours of our time. 32. How much does a gallon of your home-made fuel cost you? About 50 cents! 33. Are you ever asked to pay road taxes on your bio fuel? No. However, we encourage you to inquire to the local tax authorities about taxes on home-made fuel. 34. Why is it that you are able to make biodiesel for well under a dollar, but then you write that commercial operations make biodiesel from used oil selling for $1.30 and up? Is the difference all markup? Did you exclude costs that a manufacturer would have to include (eg. labor and machinery?) No, yes. Let me explain...We did not factor in our labor, time etc. We did not factor in our costs for machinery. Our time is valuable, but maybe you will have to be paid a sum which includes medical, vacation, insurance, worker's compensation, etc. We paid almost nothing for our equipment, but maybe you want a multi-million dollar facility with natural gas furnaces, a three-story distillation tower, and high-speed centrifuges. We make our fuel at the point-of-use, but maybe you need it shipped to Tierra Del Fuego. These things add to the end-price of the fuel considerably. Add road, state, and federal taxes to that and a gallon of biodiesel often costs $3.50 or more! The sad part about this is that the manufacturer who does have the nice facility and who does pay workers a decent wage is just breaking even. It's not markup. It's the difference between a large-scale industrial plant operating in hostile economic and political waters and a community-based grassroots operation. (In Europe, bioidesel is exempt from most of the taxes and is therefore often cheaper than diesel fuel!) 35. Why would you make biodiesel instead of just using filtered, unprocessed oil mixed with kerosene, the mixture your VW Jetta ran on? "Gretta the Greasy Jetta" has run on a home-made brew of 20% kerosene/80% filtered grease. This is a great thing to know how to do in an emergency when there is no fuel available. It's a very cool science project. And in some instances, this is an acceptable fuel substitute. This is not a chemically stable fuel. (It is two un-reacted liquids splashed together). It is not an EPA-Clean Air Fuel. And it's simply not been tested the way biodiesel has. 36. How would I go about constructing a miniature version of "The Green Grease Machine"? There are descriptions on this website of how we built the Green Grease Machine and tips for building a processor are given in the current edition of From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank. Many of the links on World of Biodiesel Page give good examples. These sources should give you a pretty good idea of how to design a big container that mixes. A biodiesel processing station needs to be a large, high-speed mixer. Your objective is to get molecules to collide with one another and react. You have one hour to do this. The second edition of From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank, available in June 1999, will have detailed instructions, diagrams, and photos on this subject. 37. I'm interested in buying a "green grease machine" pre-built and ready to use. Do you know of anyone making them for sale? No, not yet. If anyone hears of one for sale please let us know! 38. Are there any adverse effects to the engine from using biodiesel? No. Not to the engine itself. In fact, studies at the University of Missouri and others show that biodiesel is more lubricating to the engine and therefore can help to prolong engine life. Biodiesel contains trace amounts of methanol alcohol and will, over time, degrade any rubber parts that it comes in contact with. That means that the fuel hose that carries fuel from the fuel door to the fuel tank and the fuel hose that carries fuel from the tank to engine will need to be replaced earlier than usual. Any rubber diaphragms, seals, or parts in the fuel pump are also susceptible to higher wear. The good news is that after 25,000 actual road miles using biodiesel, we have not had to replace any rubber fuel-related parts and according to some of the mechanics who have looked at our van's engine, "It runs smoother than other LeSharos". 39. What do they do with this used cooking oil now?
40. Can I blend the vegetable oil with gasoline instead of methanol? We do not recommend this. |