Biodiesel... until the car fueled by water is reality... :)

by bebu 33 Replies latest jw friends

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  bebu

  My husband and I are planning to make biodiesel for our diesel car. Looks like it will be a hobby for him-- he enjoys chemistry. We will make a fumeless processor, and put the whole setup in our basement. We already have a supply for waste vegetable oil.

  Some details to work out still, though... collecting 20-30 gallons of oil a week can be messy, I'm sure... It'd be nice if diesel vans and trucks were available in the US, just like they are in the rest of the known galaxy!

  So... does anyone else here use or make biodiesel? Any advice?

  http://www.higherpieproductions.com/2005/06/going-biodiesel.html

  bebu
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  Jim_TX

  Bebu,

  Bio-diesel is a topic that _I_ know well.

  Back in 2000, I was making it, and running it in my little VW Rabbit pickup. I wasn't making all that much though... only about 10 to 12 gallons per week, but it is a nice fuel, and bio-degradeable.

  You need to consider what to do with the glycerin that will be the by-product in the process... about 15 to 20% of what you make will be glycerin. It makes awesome soap!

  Be sure to check out the www.veggievan.org site.

  Good Luck with your endeavours.

  Regards,

  Jim TX
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  anewme

  How fun to try this! My husband and I bought an old diesel Maxima and drove it around until the price of diesel exceeded the price of regular gas here. We were so enamoured with the idea of running vegetable oil in it when the poor engine gave out on a road trip to L.A.!! We smoked black smoke all the way home 400miles!
  
  We had to give up on the venture for that car. We have another diesel, a huge chevy suburban. Who knows?
  We are also interested in solar living and windmill energy. We bought a great book from the Real Goods Co. called Solar Living Source Book; The Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Technologies and Sustainable Living
  
  All of us must try to conserve the natural resources.
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  Perry

  That is so cool bebu! Thanks!
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  Eyebrow2

  as soon as I can find an old diesel mercedes i can afford I will start of with just wvo, and then maybe try biodiesel later...my husband is the chemistry nut in this house.

  Let us know how you make out.
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  Jim_TX

  "...will start of with just wvo, and then maybe try biodiesel later..."

  Eyebrow - actually, using just the WVO (Waste Vegetable Oil) is also cool... there are just more things that you have to do to get it to work.

  Like... a seperate fuel tank - for the oil. Plus a second set of fuel lines to the engine. Then a valve to switch over from/to the regular diesel.

  Why? you ask? Well, it's because you cannot start the diesel engine on WVO. It needs to be heated to about 170-F before it can be used as fuel. So - you need to start the engine on diesel, run the car a bit - then switch over to the WVO tank. Same when you start the engine. Switch over to diesel - run for a bit to clear the lines - then shut down.

  I looked at this technique prior to deciding that I would just make the bio-diesel. It's much simpler (in my opinion), and I don't need any modifications to the car. If I am out, and run low on bio-diesel - I can pull inmto the nearest station - and pay for the more expensive diesel - which will go into the same tank.

  Whichever way one goes, however, one needs to be sure to filter the WVO prior to use.

  Oh. Instead of looking for a Mercedes... you might consider a VW. They make several diesel engined cars, and have been doing so for years. They are also bio-diesel 'compliant' in that they have tubing and gaskets that will not deteriorate with using bio-diesel. (There can be alcohol residues in the bio-diesel which can deteriorate rubber in regular fuel lines.) Plus - the VWs get excellent mileage... usually in the 40+ mpg range.

  Regards,

  Jim TX
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  tetrapod.sapien

  i w00t the biodiesel too.

  holy Jim! you should write a book...you're like a pro!
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  Jim_TX

  "holy Jim! ; you should write a book...you're like a pro! "

  There's already a book out there, called... "From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank" by Josh Tickell that covers most - and more - of this. *wide grin*

  Regards,

  Jim TX
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  chrissy

  thats admirable stuff you got cooking up in your basement, bebu.

  please be careful to not blow your house up.

  i'd be interested to hear how it all works out.
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  Jim_TX

  Chrissy,

  hahahahaha - another 'myth'. Bio-diesel is not 'explosive'... well, no more so than vegetable oil. I'd wager that if you're a cook, you have a bottle of vegetable oil in your kitchen. WATCH OUT!! It might 'explode'!! (not!) *wide grin*

  The only thing that may be a hazard is the mixing of the methanol and lye, to get the meth-oxide. But - this lasts for a small fraction of the mixing process. Only the fumes are harmful... or a splash of the liquid (meth-oxide), and if one is careful, they won't get any on them.

  When I was making the bio-diesel fuel, I liked the feeling I got when I poured the fuel into my vehicle. I also liked the odor from the tailpipe - which took on the odor of whatever was fried in the oil. It was a very light odor, not like the heavy diesel fume odor one gets from regular diesel. My brother-in-law said that he 'felt like barbecue' when he smelled the odor. *wide grin*

  Regards,

  Jim TX