I haven't seen much on this board regarding this fuel. I don't understand why it doesn't get more press. Everything I've read tells me it's an excellent alternative fuel. what's everyone think?
Biodiesel
- Thread starter carrera79
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I think that it's a great way to augment fossil fuel supplies, and close the CO2 loop on at least part of our transport fuels.
I'd rather see oil crops being grown for fuel than seeing grain feedlotted to cattle.
(And biodiesel is now dead in the water in Australia. Our excises (45c/litre) were originally created with wording that they were for fossil fuels only. Biofuels were exempt. This allowed biodiesel to compete, as it does have higher production costs. Last month the government passed legislation amendments that applied the full excise on biofuels. AND it is now illegal to produce your own, unless you are licenced (annual fee applies), have the product tested in a laboratory, have annual inspections by the Tax Office. )
I'd rather see oil crops being grown for fuel than seeing grain feedlotted to cattle.
(And biodiesel is now dead in the water in Australia. Our excises (45c/litre) were originally created with wording that they were for fossil fuels only. Biofuels were exempt. This allowed biodiesel to compete, as it does have higher production costs. Last month the government passed legislation amendments that applied the full excise on biofuels. AND it is now illegal to produce your own, unless you are licenced (annual fee applies), have the product tested in a laboratory, have annual inspections by the Tax Office. )
Wow-you guys are almost as screwed up as us.
Shannow;
I'm not any kind of anti-meat nazi, but it's amazing how inefficient the sun to plant to animal to human transfer of energy is. We'd be better off in a lot of ways if we didn't have a taste for steak.
Tofu burgers aren't too bad, BTW
I'm not any kind of anti-meat nazi, but it's amazing how inefficient the sun to plant to animal to human transfer of energy is. We'd be better off in a lot of ways if we didn't have a taste for steak.
Tofu burgers aren't too bad, BTW
Matt,
I look at it differently.
Humans can't eat grass, but we can eat an animal that eats grass. Similarly for dairy products.
However, we CAN eat grain. So we shouldn't be feeding it to animals, except maybe as a suppliment.
Amazingly scientists recently discovered a way of making milk healthier for people, increasing it's trace elements..........feed the cows grass, not grain.
I look at it differently.
Humans can't eat grass, but we can eat an animal that eats grass. Similarly for dairy products.
However, we CAN eat grain. So we shouldn't be feeding it to animals, except maybe as a suppliment.
Amazingly scientists recently discovered a way of making milk healthier for people, increasing it's trace elements..........feed the cows grass, not grain.
Better than feeding cows rendered scrap from other cows anyway.
Can't believe they won't allow you to homebrew your own biodiesel. It's not like making meth...NO I really wouldn't know. Fairly safe process just don't spill caustic on yourself. The waste material is somewhat alkaline glycerine which can easily be neutralized and composted or refined and used for homebrewed cosmetics.
Check out: www.biodiesel.org
Thinking my next vehicle might be a Jetta TDI or diesel pickup. Anyone have an opinion on diesel trucks?
[ January 20, 2004, 09:54 PM: Message edited by: mormit ]
Unless you really need one heck of a pickup, I wouldn't bother. The diesels are only availible in 3/4 ton and 1 ton applications, and produce in the neighborhood of 500+ ft-lbs of torque for towing houses off of their foundations... They can be tweaked and exceptionally fast if tuned correctly. (See Car and Driver a few months ago where they got spanked by a custom F350 Superduty pickup
(granted they actually were faster, but the goal was to meet a set time)).
Very useful if you actually need the grunt. Vast overkill for the average every day driver (unless you tow for a living!)
The old GM diesels killed much interest in light duty diesel engines. Daimler is taking a tenative step offering a small diesel in the Liberty next year.
Personally, I'd kill for a V6 turo diesel F150. Something like the 4.5l baby powerstroke (which should meet emissions req's after 2006 phase in of Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel) with hp between the 4.6l V8 (239 hp, 290 ft lbs torque) and 5.4l V8 (300 hp, 350+ ft lbs torque), torque in the low to mid 300 ft. lbs and 20+mpg sound excellent to me...
Very useful if you actually need the grunt. Vast overkill for the average every day driver (unless you tow for a living!)
The old GM diesels killed much interest in light duty diesel engines. Daimler is taking a tenative step offering a small diesel in the Liberty next year.
Personally, I'd kill for a V6 turo diesel F150. Something like the 4.5l baby powerstroke (which should meet emissions req's after 2006 phase in of Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel) with hp between the 4.6l V8 (239 hp, 290 ft lbs torque) and 5.4l V8 (300 hp, 350+ ft lbs torque), torque in the low to mid 300 ft. lbs and 20+mpg sound excellent to me...
mormit,
we aren't stopped from making biodiesel, but if we wish to, we must register with the government, pay a couple hundred a year in licencing fees, have the product tested by a NATA accredited authority, be open to audit and inspection, AND pay 45 cents a litre for the biodiesel that we make.
There's nothing stopping home production in any of that.
As a soap maker for best part of a decade, Biodiesel is pretty easy and fun.
My most recent purchase is a Nissan Navara 1 tonne 4WD utility (4 door with canopy) as my family (and dog) transport. 110kw turbodiesel (common rail, with EGR). I bought it with a belief that the only sensible biofuel is biodiesel.
I've very happy. It outperforms my 3 litre V-6 4Runner (wanna buy it ?) on the road by a very handsome margin. It gets 11km/l, whereas the 4Runner gets just over 7 on regular, and just on 8 on premium.
we aren't stopped from making biodiesel, but if we wish to, we must register with the government, pay a couple hundred a year in licencing fees, have the product tested by a NATA accredited authority, be open to audit and inspection, AND pay 45 cents a litre for the biodiesel that we make.
There's nothing stopping home production in any of that.
As a soap maker for best part of a decade, Biodiesel is pretty easy and fun.
My most recent purchase is a Nissan Navara 1 tonne 4WD utility (4 door with canopy) as my family (and dog) transport. 110kw turbodiesel (common rail, with EGR). I bought it with a belief that the only sensible biofuel is biodiesel.
I've very happy. It outperforms my 3 litre V-6 4Runner (wanna buy it ?) on the road by a very handsome margin. It gets 11km/l, whereas the 4Runner gets just over 7 on regular, and just on 8 on premium.
It's mindblowing to me that our governments are spending so much money on renewable, low emission fuels, yet they are making it prohibitive to produce biodiesel. Am I putting too much stock into the possibly benefits of this stuff? Everyone on the street knows about hybrid technologies and fuel cells. Biodiesel is here now, and it's cheap compared to hybrid tech. Fuel cells are way off.
mormit, the tdi is a great engine and vw is bringing their better ones to the US soon. Also, when I sold vw's a company purchased six from our dealership to run on 100% biodiesel. No modifications that I heard of were necessary.
mormit, the tdi is a great engine and vw is bringing their better ones to the US soon. Also, when I sold vw's a company purchased six from our dealership to run on 100% biodiesel. No modifications that I heard of were necessary.
I've been batting around the notion of getting ahold of a diesel vehicle of some sort so that I can give biodiesel a try. I might try converting my truck since it needs an engine anyway and the 6.5/6.2 Chev engines aren't terribly expesive. Some people have god luck with those, some not. I dunno.
Anyway in Canada, we're allowed to brew the stuff ourselves. There are a couple of operations in Calgary and I think they use old deep fryer oil as their main supply for it, in fact, I don't think they even pay for the oil (might be wrong on that). From the little checking into it I've done, the list of benefits read kind of like the benefits to using propane in a gas engine; cleaner burn means less acidic compounds to eat engine internals, better emissions...those types of things. I kind of gave up checking into it as I can't afford a diesel to use it in right now anyway.
Greg
Anyway in Canada, we're allowed to brew the stuff ourselves. There are a couple of operations in Calgary and I think they use old deep fryer oil as their main supply for it, in fact, I don't think they even pay for the oil (might be wrong on that). From the little checking into it I've done, the list of benefits read kind of like the benefits to using propane in a gas engine; cleaner burn means less acidic compounds to eat engine internals, better emissions...those types of things. I kind of gave up checking into it as I can't afford a diesel to use it in right now anyway.
Greg
The only reason ADM and Cargill are willing to make things like ethynol to sell it at the market price is the subsidies.
And as long as these exist, there's no reason for them to even attempt to compete heads up with fuel from the ground...
My feeling is that all the government intervention in alternative fuels is an expensive boondoggle we would be better off without. Great place to cut government spending. All the automotive companies are looking at alternative fuels. Let ADM and Cargil put money into biodiesel, rather than lobbying for government subsidies. BP's Beyond Petroleum is more than an advertising campaign.
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