Definition of Biodiesel Alternative Fuel
Understanding Biodiesel Biofuel & Biodiesel Fuel Blends
Biodiesel is a domestically produced, renewable fuel that can be manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant greases. Biodiesel is safe, biodegradable, and reduces serious air pollutants such as particulates, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and air toxics. Blends of 20% biodiesel with 80% petroleum diesel (B20) can generally be used in unmodified diesel engines; however, users should consult their OEM and engine warranty statement. Fuel blends of less than 20% biodiesel are also available. Biodiesel can also be used in its pure form (B100), but it may require certain engine modifications to avoid maintenance and performance problems and may not be suitable for wintertime use. Users should consult their engine warranty statement.
Definition Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)
How is Biodiesel Made?
Alternative Fuel Information: Biodiesel Production
Biodiesel fuel can be made from new or used vegetable oils and animal fats, which are nontoxic, biodegradable, renewable resources. Fats and oils are chemically reacted with an alcohol (methanol is the usual choice) to produce chemical compounds known as fatty acid methyl esters. Biodiesel is the name given to these esters when they're intended for use as fuel. Glycerol (used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, among other markets) is produced as a coproduct.
Biodiesel can be produced by a variety of esterification technologies. The oils and fats are filtered and preprocessed to remove water and contaminants. If free fatty acids are present, they can be removed or transformed into biodiesel using special pretreatment technologies (PDF 5 KB) Download Adobe Reader. The pretreated oils and fats are then mixed with an alcohol (usually methanol) and a catalyst (usually sodium hydroxide). The oil molecules (triglycerides) are broken apart and reformed into methylesters and glycerol, which are then separated from each other and purified.
Approximately 55% of the biodiesel industry can use any fat or oil feedstock, including recycled cooking grease. The other half of the industry is limited to vegetable oils, the least expensive of which is soy oil. The soy industry has been the driving force behind biodiesel commercialization because of excess production capacity, product surpluses, and declining prices. Similar issues apply to the recycled grease and animal fats industry, even though these feedstocks are less expensive than soy oils.
Based on the combined resources of both industries, there is enough feedstock to supply 1.9 billion gallons of biodiesel (under policies designed to encourage biodiesel use). This represents roughly 5% of on-road diesel used in the United States.
Article Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)
Biodiesel 101
The Basics of Biodiesel Alternative Fuel
What is Biodiesel Fuel?
Biodiesel is the general term given to processed fuel derived from natural resources, SVO (straight vegetable oil), WVO (waste vegetable oil) and animal fats which could be used as a direct substitute for diesel fuel with minimal engine modification using conversion kits.
Why use Biodiesel?
The primary driving force for the use of biodiesel is the high price of petrol products that include diesel fuel. As the prices of petrol diesel goes up, the price of homemade biodiesel becomes more competitive with some added environmental advantage.
Second, as an alternative fuel, it is renewable, which can be grown and produced from our own backyard and recycled from wastes. Since biodiesel is derived from recycled oil from restaurant or from fresh vegetable oil and animal fats, there’s no worrying for how long will the supply last. As long as there is land to grow the crops and plants which played as the major source of oil for biodiesel raw material. There are several crops (soybean, rapeseed, mustard, jathropa palm oil and algae) which could be used as source for biodiesel.
Third, it is biodegradable non-toxic, the and produces fewer emmisions as compared to petroleum based diesel. Biodiesel is made from nature thus its by product is pro-nature. Most biodiesel users commented that their emissions smells like fried fries.
How to use Biodiesel Alternative Fuel?
Biodiesel can be used as a direct substitute for petrol-diesel without any modification on the existing engines. But companies are manufacturing Biodiesel conversion kits which claims to improve the performance and at the same time protect the engine from damage.
The current practice for the use of biodiesel is as an additive. They are using B20 or 20% biodiesel mixed with 80% petrol diesel. The practice is based on the fact that biodiesel has lubricating properties which improves overall engine performance, improved milage and fewer hazardous and toxic emissions.
Charles Lacuna is a graduate in BS Computer Engineering and presently working as a Computer Instructor in the Philippines who enjoys reading about scientific breakthroughs. If you want to read about Alternative Fuels and Energy Conservation, feel free to visit
http://greenfuelpower.blogspot.com and http://exoticphilippines.blogspot.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Lacuna
http://EzineArticles.com/?Biodiesel-101&id=258880
