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Alternative Fuel Technology Info Ethanol
Alternative Fuel Technology Info Ethanol
| Biodiesel |
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| Wednesday, 19 March 2008 | |||
Like most other alternatives to gasoline, the roots of bio-diesel can be traced back to the 1800’s. Bio-fuel was made from bio-mass feedstock in a process which is very similar to the one used today. Yet the bio-fuel of those times was merely a foundation for what we now know as ‘bio-diesel’. Rudolph Diesel used peanut oil to demonstrate his compression ignition engine in 1898.[1] Therefore peanut oil was actually the original ‘bio-diesel’. In fact, up until the 1920’s, vegetable oils were used to run all diesel engines. The changeover to a petroleum based diesel fuel is what antiquated vegetable oils as the primary use in diesel engines. Men like Rudolph Diesel and even Henry Ford, who designed his Model T in 1908 to run on ethanol, had there vision of renewable resources crushed by economical factors within the industry. Petroleum was simply a cheaper source of fuel.[2]
The production of bio-diesel is basically the production of alkyl esters. There are different ways to produce ester from oils and fats. The majority of alkyl esters are produced with what is called a base catalyzed reaction. During this process there is base catalyzed transesterification of oil with alcohol. This basically means a fat or oil reacts with an alcohol, usually methanol, in the presence of a catalyst to produce glycerine and methyl esters, or ‘bio-diesel’. The catalyst is usually sodium or potassium hydroxide. Bio-diesel is often blended with other fuels. B20 is a popular bio-diesel blend used today, which is 20 percent bio-diesel, and 80 percent petro-diesel. Bio-diesel can be used in diesel engines with no major modifications. It is simple to us due to the fact that no new infrastructure is required. It is also non-toxic and free of sulfur and aromatics. It meets clean diesel standards set by the EPA and California Air Resources Board. The main advantage to the use of bio-diesel is the fact that it reduces unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. Harmful exhaust emissions are virtually eliminated when compared to regular diesel fuels. It reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 78 percent due to its closed carbon cycle. The co2 released into the air is recycled by plants.
Bio-diesel has a huge advantage over alternative fuels such as hydrogen due to its energy balance. According to the DOE/USDA lifecycle analysis, for every unit of energy it takes to make bio-diesel, 3.2 units of energy are gained. It has also been proven by fleet managers that bio-diesel is the most cost effective alternative fuel out there today. Some other interesting points about bio-diesel to keep in mind are:
Ø Bio-diesel has been shown to have a disadvantage in cold weather due to performance issues.
Ø Bio-diesel may wear on certain elastomers and rubber compounds over time. Check the compatibility of bio-diesel with your engine components before use.
Ø Lubricity improves when using bio-diesel.
Ø Bio-diesel offers similar power to diesel fuel so general performance should not be an issue.
Ø A federal tax incentive is expected to help lower the financial burden and economical factors which have always seemed to prevent the widespread use of bio-fuels.
Ø The U.S. navy has adopted Bio-diesel technology.
Ø “Bio-diesel is one of our nation’s most promising alternative fuel sources. And by developing bio-diesel, your making this country less dependent on foreign sources of oil,”-President George W. Bush. This quote shows the growing political support of bio-diesel.
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