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Beating the High Price of Gasoline with Biodiesel

Thursday, May 7th, 2009
Joseph Then asked:


With the price of traditional fuel rising faster everyday, people everywhere are looking for alternatives. Electric cars were once touted as the way to save the environment and beat the cost of gasoline, but they are so expensive that very few people can afford to save money by purchasing one.

Alternative fuels have long been discussed as a way to cut fuel prices and help the environment, but with the specialized engines they require, and their inability to pass the regulation tests required by the EPA, they have been a disappointment. The more solutions that are offered to the problem of high fuel costs and dangerous emissions, the further it seems we are from a solution…until now.

There is a fuel alternative that is all that it has promised to be and more. Biodiesel is not only cost effective it is environmentally friendly, as well. Biodiesel is completely biodegradable and made from renewable resources. That means that when you use biodiesel to power the engine of your car you aren’t robbing the earth of the riches meant for your grandchildren to enjoy.

Unlike the previous vegetable oil based fuels that can only be used in modified, specially made combustion- ignition engines, biodiesel can be used in its basic form to power the everyday diesel engines on the market today. That means that a simple to make batch of biodiesel could be used to power the family car on its daily errands.

Biodiesel is registered with the EPA as a legal motor fuel meaning that it can be sold and distributed just like the gasoline you pump into your car at the gas station. Unlike traditional gasoline, biodiesel isn’t as widely available for the average consumer. It can be purchased directly from distributors and manufactures and it is sold a few select stations around the country. If you are interested in trying biodiesel in your car, your best chance of finding it is to make it yourself.

The process is surprisingly easy and the ingredients are readily available. By simply mixing lye, alcohol, and vegetable oil in the right amounts, you can great biodiesel. This economical alternative fuel is made through the simple chemical process of transesterification. During this process, the glycerin is removed from fat or vegetable oil. The process naturally leaves behind byproducts, including methyl esters, which is the chemical name for biodiesel, and glycerin, commonly used in soap production. Biodiesel is completely free of sulfur and aromatics, something that can’t be said about traditional fuels.

Batches of biodiesel can be mixed up in small or large sizes and if done effectively will end up costing about seventy cents a gallon.



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Algae Biodiesel the Fuel of the Future

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009
Ron Subs asked:


Most American consumers have been hit hard by soaring gas prices, and many people from individuals to research firms are searching for an alternative fuel source that is renewable, economical, and environmentally friendly.

Biodiesel made from crops such as corn and soybeans is one such alternative that most people are aware of, but another option, algae biodiesel, is one of the newest and most promising fuel sources to date. One thing is for sure, if a solution to the ever increasing gas prices is not found soon millions of people will be unable to afford their daily commute.

Many people have put their hopes in biodiesel made from crops as the solution to oil dependency. However, there are problems with biodiesel made from crops namely the displacement of food and the amount of crops it takes to produce a gallon of oil. Using food crops such as soybeans and corn to produce oil takes away from the amount crops that could have been used for food.

Using food crops to make biodiesel is also not very economical, it takes an acre of soybeans to produce about 50 gallons of biodiesel and an acre of corn to produce only about 20 gallons of biodiesel. Compared to the 5,000 or more gallons of biodieseal produced from one acre of algae, food crops are underperforming.

The fuel consumption for cars, trucks, and other transportation in the US accounts for almost 70% of total oil consumption. While this is a huge chunk of our oil needs, it would take only about 15,000 square miles of algae farms to produce enough biodiesel to meet our transportation needs.

That would be one algae farm that measured 120 miles by 125 miles or 50 algae farms that were only 300 square miles each. With the space requirements feasible, algae bio diesel just may be the fuel of the future as it is economical, renewable, and will not displace food crops.

Making biodiesel from algae is a complicated process, but it is not harder than making it from other sources such as crops or waste oil and it is even possible for consumers to make their own algae biodiesel at home. In fact, making biodiesel from algae is actually easier than from other sources such as waste oil because it does not require the level of filtering or titrating. It is possible that once consumers learn how to make algae bio diesel for themselves that they can in fact become responsible for their own energy needs and stop depending on large energy companies.

This fact has the potential to lower energy prices simply because the big energy companies would not be the only place to get gasoline and heating oil. It is becoming more and more common for individuals to make their own fuel form waste oil but as it become harder to get waste oil form commercial sources many more people will begin to turn to algae as the fuel source of choice.

Although algae biodiesel has been touted as the fuel of the future by many, one thing is for sure, if we do not find alternatives to cut our dependence on gasoline and crude oil, we will continue to struggle as gas prices rise.



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How to Make Biodiesel: the Three Choices of Using Biofuel

Friday, May 1st, 2009
Markella M. asked:


Biodiesel becomes more and more popular every year. It’s popularity probably derives from the fact that biodiesel is so cheap and relatively easy to be made. You can make it in your own backyard or kitchen. It is far better than the original petro-diesel, it’s cleaner and better for the environment and your health. Let’s talk about the three options you have when running a diesel engine on biofuel.

All three options can be used with vegetable oils, animal fat or both (it doesn’t matter if you use fresh or used oils):

- You can use the oil as it is

- You can mix the oil with another chemical supplement like kerosene, or gasoline or petroleum etc.

- You can convert the oil to biodiesel

Using the oil as it is can be clean and effective. Not to mention cheap also. But you have to make modifications to the diesel engine so that it is optimized for vegetable oil. You can find pre-modified diesel engines where you can use petro diesel, biodiesel and pure vegetable oil in any combination. There are engines with separate fuel tanks and a switch, you fill one tank with vegetable oil and the other tank with original petroleum diesel. Then you just turn on the engine using the tank with the original petroleum diesel and after a while you switch to the tank with the vegetable oil.

Mixing the oil with other supplements is your second option. Because vegetable oil is thick you mix it with a different type of fuel to make it thinner so that it flows easily into the combustion chamber of your diesel engine. Remember that using petroleum or kerosene to mix the vegetable oil, is not a clean option though. You can make various mixes (for example 20% vegetable oil and 80% of another diesel fuel). Some claim that if you use such a mix you have to preheat the engine, others just start the engine and go without preheating.

Your final option (and by far the best, in my opinion) is to convert the vegetable oil into biodiesel. Because biodiesel works in any diesel engine without the need to make any conversion or modifications to the fuel system or the engine itself. Just fill and go. Biodiesel is a much safer, clean, ready to use fuel that’s well tested. This option unlike the other two is backed by thousands of short-term and long-term research and tests by scientists around the world.



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Why You Should Have Your Own Biodiesel Kit

Friday, May 1st, 2009
Matt Oconnor asked:


If you are looking for a way to save on your fuel costs, it’s time for you to take a look at the different fuel alternatives available for you. Petroleum prices have been steadily growing with oil getting more expensive in the world market. Before you find yourself worrying about the rising prices, it’s very welcome news that there are some alternatives that you can consider to alleviate your fuels expenses.

One of the more promising fuel alternatives available today is biodiesel. Biodiesel is processed fuel that derives from biological sources such as vegetable oils and animal fats. Biodiesel as a processed fuel differentiates it from the use of straight vegetable oil or waste vegetable oil as alternative fuels.

Another advantage of biodiesel is that it can be readily used in current diesel engines as a fuel unlike straight vegetable oil fuel which may require the same diesel engines to be modified.

Biodiesel is also seen as an environmentally friendly alternative. It’s both biodegradable and non-toxic. It has low sulfur content and produces fewer particle emissions than your conventional petroleum based diesel fuel.

What’s more, the process of making biodiesel fuel has been extensively developed to a point that it is now possible to produce this alternative fuel right in your own home. There are now biodiesel kits made available to allow you as well as other consumers to make your own biodiesel to use.

If you’re really concerned with trying to bring down your expenses on fuel, investing on a biodiesel kit might be a wise decision. A biodiesel kit is simply a system that you can use to convert waste or straight vegetable oil into an alternative fuel that you can effectively use in your diesel-engined cars.

Most biodiesel kits are portable enough that you can set it up anywhere in your home. But most people prefer to set it up on vacant outdoor space such as a tool shed or just under an overhang.

So why should you buy a biodiesel kit? There are a number of reasons. One is to save money. With a diesel kit, you may be able to make your own alternative fuel which will be able to help you save about two dollars per gallon.

You will be able to produce and make use of cleaner and better quality diesel which can be a benefit to the environment. With biodiesel, you can also make your car engine run better on a cleaner alternative fuel which in turn can also help your car engine run longer. Not only will you be saving on fuel costs, you’re also helping the environment instead on contributing to its demise.

There are more reasons in store that will help you decide in getting your own biodiesel kit. You might be able to produce more biodiesel than you can use and sell it instead to make money.

By producing your own fuel with your own biodiesel kit, you no longer have to rely on oil companies for fuel. You never have to worry about the rising costs of conventional fuel. You can even produce biodiesel as fuel to produce electricity for your home or office. With all of these reasons, you can now look at a biodiesel kit as a worthwhile investment.



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