what is a biodiesel engine car?

2 Comments

1. radon360 says:

   February 6, 2010 at 3:42 pm

   In short, there is no real difference between a petroleum diesel vehicle and a biodiesel vehicle (emphasis on biodiesel, not unprocessed vegetable/animal oils and fats). You can burn biodiesel in a regular diesel car.**

   Biodiesel tends to be more solvent than petroluem diesel, so older systems that may have natural rubber components will need to have those replaced with synthetic rubber that won’t break down.

   Biodiesel can be winterized just like petroleum diesel.

   Biodiesel is a definite benefit over petroluem in the sense that it is renewable. It is also carbon neutral, meaning that the same amount of carbon dioxide emitted by burning it was absorbed by plants that went into producing it. It is less toxic than petroleum diesel. It reduces foreign dependence on oil while stimulating the domestic economy at the same time.

   The drawback is that it is still just a little more expensive than petroleum diesel and its manufacturing is still not yet widespread.

   **Note: Due to the manufacturing standards currently in place for biodiesel, many diesel manufacturers will not warranty their engine running any concentration greater than 5% biodiesel (B-5). So note that running a higher concentration of biodiesel, or straight biodiesel may void your engine warranty.

   Also, because biodiesel is a solvent, it will clean the fuel system. So, after the first couple of tankfuls, you will probably need to replace your fuel filter since the biodiesel will loosen up all of the gunk in your fuel tank and it will collect in the filter.
2. Sully says:

   February 6, 2010 at 3:42 pm

   From http://www.edmunds.com/advice/specialreports/articles/102946/article.html :

   Biodiesel is an alternative fuel that is biodegradable, burns cleanly and is made from a renewable resource. In the United States, biodiesel is made primarily from soybean oil and secondarily from a product called yellow grease, which is essentially used restaurant cooking oil. It can also be made from tallow, a hard fat that comes from cattle or sheep, which is frequently used to make soap and other products.

   One of the most challenging issues with biodiesel as a fuel source is the quality of the fuel itself. While fuel standards for biodiesel have now been created, they are not nearly as stringent as those the U.S. has for gasoline and even for petroleum diesel, which is not heavily regulated. The lack of consistent quality among all producers is an issue that has everyone — the biodiesel industry, automakers, engine suppliers and consumers — concerned.

   When Grozier made the decision to use B20 biodiesel in his Volkswagen, he researched the issues associated with the fuel and then went to talk with the owner of the Amoco station in Manchester, Mich., where he planned to buy his fuel. "I wanted to make sure he knew how to properly store it and to learn how he blends it," explained Grozier. It turns out that the station, owned by Wacker Oil, purchases B100, pure biodiesel, from a nearby producer, which creates it using soybean oil. The B100 is then blended at the station with Amoco Premier, a diesel fuel designed for better performance. As a result, "I feel confident I’m getting high-quality B20," said Grozier, who pays about 10 cents more per gallon of the fuel than he would if he purchased petroleum biodiesel at the same station. Fueling stations need to treat biodiesel a bit differently than other fuels. Because it is made with vegetable-based products, the temperature it is stored at is more critical than with petroleum diesel. If it sits in a warm storage tank for too long, it can grow mold and if it is stored at too cold of a temperature, it will thicken and could be difficult to dispense. These problems primarily occur if the biodiesel is not used quickly enough, so fuel stations can significantly reduce these issues by simply buying only enough biodiesel as their market demands.

   While these problems could also happen once the biodiesel has been pumped into a vehicle, it is more critical that owners watch for signs that fuel filters and systems are clogging, particularly when biodiesel is first used. Biodiesel acts as a lubricant, which means that it can loosen deposits that are stuck in fuel lines and in the fuel tank, which in turn could clog fuel filters, injectors or other parts of the fuel system. Experts indicate that this is a greater issue with older diesel vehicles (because the higher mileage generally means greater deposits) and with the newest technology for fuel injection, such as Mercedes-Benz’s new compressed direct injection diesel engines, where the pressure of the fuel being forced through the injectors is much greater than in the older-style diesel engines.

   Since these issues relate only to pure biodiesel, not blends, one could make the assumption that the so-called risks of using biodiesel would be significantly less and perhaps even insignificant with low biodiesel blends. This, however, is not entirely true, because the disadvantages also depend largely on the quality of the biodiesel produced. As a result, the World-Wide Fuel Charter, a list of fuel requirements endorsed by auto and engine manufacturers, only recommends the use of biodiesel blends of up to 5 percent (B5) in the United States. Some automakers, including Ford, General Motors and the Chrysler Group, also take this stance. Others, including Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz do not recommend the use of any biodiesel and note that owners who use biodiesel may not be covered by their warranty if the problem is deemed the result of using biodiesel. "Our current diesel models run very well with good-quality biodiesel, but the energy industry [in the U.S.] still needs to adopt a consistent standard for biodiesel fuel content and quality before we can promote its use in our diesel engines," said Geno Effler, spokesperson for Mercedes-Benz USA.

   The National Biodiesel Board has been working hard with regulators, auto and engine manufacturers and the biodiesel industry to create standards that will address the quality concerns. There is now a full national standard for biodiesel and, in June 2004, producer Peter Cremer North America became the first company to be fully compliant with the new standard. The company’s Cincinnati plant produced 5.5 million gallons of pure soy-based biodiesel for U.S. consumption in 2003 and has the capacity to produce over 25 million gallons, should market demand increase. "Producing more all depends on Washington and what happens with the Energy Bill," said Mack Findley, sales manager for Peter Cremer North America, referring to the bill which would give a tax credit that would effectively subsidize the cost of biodiesel.

   With all these cautionary statements by automakers, many are left wondering if biodiesel is safe to run in their vehicles. The overall conclusion is that a biodiesel blend up to B20 generally will not cause any harm to a diesel engine, so long as good quality fuel is being used. While no automaker recommends the use of biodiesel in quantities higher than B5 in the U.S., all have done research on the use of biodiesel blends up to B20 and feel confident in its performance so long as the fuel is of high quality. "Quality standards are the main concern for any U.S. (petroleum) diesel fuel; this is an even bigger concern for biodiesel. We do think there is potential for biodiesel blends once the quality standards are improved even further," said Tony Fouladpour, spokesperson for Volkswagen of America.

   Both General Motors and the Chrysler Group are monitoring the effects of biodiesel in real-world fleet use. The fleet Chrysler is monitoring has put over 150,000 miles on its vehicles over the last five years using B20. General Motors is monitoring two fleets with a total of 238 vehicles that have traveled a combined total of 5 million miles using B20. None of the fleets have experienced any engine problems with the fuel. "At this point, we feel confident that B5 can be used without any adverse effects. The results we’ve seen from B20 use are very encouraging, but the key is to make sure the fuel quality is high," said Loren Beard, senior manager of energy programs in Environmental Energy Planning at the Chrysler Group.

   Where opinions deviate greatly is with biodiesel blends that are higher than 20 percent or with pure biodiesel. Many feel that even B100 that has been produced by a reputable manufacturer should not be used in a vehicle engine and would likely result in engine damage. Others feel that it may be possible to use B100 without any adverse effects so long as the quality standards are high.

   There does, however, seem to be a consensus that purchasing used restaurant cooking oil locally and either making your own biodiesel at home or via an aftermarket system that is installed in your vehicle, is not a good idea. Despite the fact that there are a number of companies selling these aftermarket systems and that instructions on how to make your own biodiesel at home are prevalent on the Internet, experts all agreed that these homegrown systems are likely to cause more harm than good. "There is nothing wrong with making biodiesel from used oil if it is run through the proper refining process, but doing it in your garage scares the heck out of me," said Jack Blanchard, assistant chief engineer for diesel at General Motors.

   Dick Baker, corporate technical specialist for Ford’s Advanced Diesel Systems group, acknowledges that there are a number of individuals who are taking the make-it-yourself approach and seem to be having positive results. He said, "A diesel engine will burn lots of types of oils and is quite tolerant of these products in the short term. The long-term effects, however, are another story."

   The use of biodiesel has already increased more than 50 times over in the last five years and, thanks to several factors, it looks like it will continue to rise. It is already easier for individuals to purchase biodiesel at retail locations, with stations prevalent in the Midwest, Northeast, Southwest and Northwest. Some of the biodiesel pumps are located at conventional gas stations, while others are located at marinas and at agricultural locations. A list of retail locations can be found at the National Biodiesel Board’s Web site
   http://www.biodiesel.org

   Blue Sun Biodiesel is focusing on increasing the number of retail locations throughout the U.S. It has 15 retail locations currently in Colorado and New Mexico and has plans to open 50 retail locations by the end of 2004 in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. Currently, it sells only B20 at its pumps.

   One of the limiting factors to biodiesel use is its cost, which is about one cent per gallon more expensive than petroleum diesel for every percent added to the blend, meaning, for example, that B5 is on average five cents more per gallon than petroleum diesel. Biodiesel demand will continue to rise if the costs decline, which is a likely scenario thanks to it being included in several bills, notably the recent Energy Bill, that have bipartisan support. "The biggest factor in future production is whether biodiesel gets a federal tax incentive that is currently a part of three prominent bills in Washington. If it passes, and we believe it will, it will significantly close the cost difference between biodiesel blends and regular diesel," says the National Biodiesel Board’s Jobe. The new low-sulfur diesel fuel standards that go into effect in 2006 may also play a role in increased use of biodiesel. It may be used in low percentages in all diesel fuel or as a fuel additive to increase the lubricity of petroleum diesel. In one scenario, the nation could follow Minnesota’s decision to use B2 biodiesel in place of pure petroleum diesel. Gardner, a Kansas-based West Central Cooperative, which produces 12 to 15 million gallons of pure biodiesel annually, is partnering with another firm to use its manufacturing technology to create turnkey biodiesel plants. "We are expecting biodiesel to continue to grow in its importance to our business and the federal tax credits will only push it further," said Gary Haer, soy product sales manager.

   While no one knows exactly what the future holds for biodiesel, we are likely to see it evolve over the next 10 years. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Department of Energy’s premier laboratory for renewable energy research and development, estimates that biodiesel could one day replace 10 percent of the petroleum diesel we use today — an amount that the biodiesel advocates find encouraging. Said Jobe, "That may not seem like a lot, but 10 percent of the on-road diesel fuel this country uses would be 380 million gallons a year."