Biodiesel

Ok, and what do you do with the oil from the engine???

 

His answer was:

@WaterOx

So, you use recycled Dino-juice to lube your engine. Great! It uses ~85% (according to the web site) less energy to produce than using crude oil.

Kinda like how using scrap metal uses ~85% less energy than using the raw ore.

Also, kinda like how a hybrid uses significantly less petroleum than a standard gasoline or diesel vehicle.

Looks like we're all on the same wavelength here. It's all just a matter of degree...we're all moving in the same direction.

 

Don't take it personally. We get a number of TDI wienies that come in here an spray about how great diesels are and how stupid and useless the Prius is, and how can anybody be so stupid to buy into all of this useless hybrid tripe. It makes some of us a little hyper sensitive, and sometimes we overreact to an honest post. Keep posting: we now understand that you are for real.

Tom

 

I keep asking you because you haven't answered what I asked.

You told me what kind of oil you use, but unless you've only put that oil in and never plan on changing it (or don't have to) you haven't told me what you do with the old oil/filter when you change it.

Hope this is clearer.

 

Waste veggie oil, or anyother sort of non-transesterified vegetable oil, is not biodiesel. I really dislike it when people perpetuate this misunderstanding, it makes others think that vehicles need to be converted to run on biodiesel.

Anyone looking to run veggie oil in a high pressure direct injected diesel (Powerstroke, TDI, and others) needs to be very careful with their procedures and research to ensure things are done properly.

 

Biodiesel, by definition, is made from transesterified biological based oil. Vegetable oil may be biologically based and combustible in a diesel engine, but is not biodiesel.

 

Waterox,

How do you test for acid content before using in your car. I am concerned that the acid level could be bad for the pump and injectors.

Dbcassidy

 

Like any other niche market, and like Tom I remember pellet stoves when they first came out, it's only "free" if a minuscule proportion of the population are aware of it and use it

If suddenly you had hordes of folks looking to run a diesel powered car or pickup on used cooking oil, restaurants would need security cameras over their deep fryers, and the cost would skyrocket

Again using pellet stoves as an example: when they first came out, to heat your home was practically free. Not anymore, the pellet fuel has climbed in price to where there is little to no advantage over using natural gas

 

You still haven't answered my question.

 

This is the basic argument against biodiesel or veggie mobiles that I often use. It is great for a few to run such systems but it cannot be scaled to work for the entire nation. I still believe that a diversity of fuels/power sources is the way to go so I wouldn't knock anyone using vegetable oil or biodiesel but I do feel it is important to put them in their place when they get all uppity and act like this is something everyone should be doing.

 

The wikis on this subject explain acids in waste vegetable oil, if you are not put off by the organic chemistry. Waste VO can have acids, and you find out how much by titration. If you trans esterify to make biodiesel (in the strict sense of the term) you are adding excess base so all acid gets neutralized.

A wide range of organics can be used as fuel in compression ignition engines. Many require at least some degree of treatment before use, if you want the engine to have a long service life.

 

Thank you,

Dbcassidy