| Benefits of Biodiesel |
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I don't have the facility to prove it for myself but the available literature says biodiesel is a very green fuel.
[UPDATE! (August 2007) That statement (above) can now be updated. Since I made that statement in 2006, I have taken my Mercedes 300SDL and my Ford F-250 PowerStroke through the Washington State Emissions testing procedures. Diesel engines in this state are allowed to produce an emissions score of 20 and still pass the test. My Mercedes scored a 1.5 and my pickup scored a 2.0! I have now proven for myself that biodiesel truly IS a green fuel!] |
| According to US Department of Energy, "Neat biodiesel (100% biodiesel) reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more than 75% over petroleum diesel. Using a blend of 20% biodiesel reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 15%. Biodiesel also produces fewer particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide emissions (all air pollutants under the Clean Air Act). Since biodiesel can be used in conventional diesel engines, the renewable fuel can directly replace petroleum products; reducing the country's dependence on imported oil. Biodiesel offers safety benefits over petroleum diesel because it is much less combustible, with a flash point greater than 150°C, compared to 77°C for petroleum diesel. It is safe to handle, store, and transport."1 |
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| That evidence alone is worth switching over to biodiesel in my book! But that's not all! Engines burning biodiesel produce far less chemicals than conventional petro-diesel burning engines. Check this out! |
| According to Biodiesel America, "Biodiesel has the following emissions characteristics when compared with petroleum diesel fuel: |
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1. | Reduction of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) by 100% |
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2. | Reduction of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions by 100% |
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3. | Reduction of soot emissions by 40-60% |
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4. | Reduction of carbon monoxide (CO) emissions by 10-50% |
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5. | Reduction of hydrocarbon (HC) emissions by 10-50% |
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6. | Reduction of all polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and specifically the reduction of the following carcinogenic PAHs: |
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1. | Reduction of phenanthren by 97% |
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2. | Reduction of benzofloroanthen by 56% |
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3. | Reduction of benzapyren by 71% |
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4. | Reduction of aldehydes and aromatic compounds by 13% |
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5. | Reduction or increase in nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions by 5-10% depending on the age and type of engine."2 |
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| Your diesel engine gets cleaner and cleaner as you burn biodiesel! The solvent properties of biodiesel keep the whole system clean and clear of deposits. |
| I read about and was told about the quieting effect biodiesel has on diesel engines. I didn't really care about this aspect of using biodiesel but hey, if it makes my engines quieter, I think that's great. So I paid attention and listened for any significant noise reduction as I drove my diesel vehicles. I drive my pickup the most and I really noticed a significant decrease in the noise my engine was producing at about mile 700. It continues to get quieter and I'm sure additional quieting effects will stop at some point but it's pretty exciting to listen to the once clattering engine that now purrs so quietly instead! I also listened to my Mercedes and consciously paid attention to any noise reduction. Sure enough, at about mile 750 it also seemed distinctly quieter and I just had to smile. |
| Last but not least, the most popular thing for people to point out about biodiesel burning vehicles is the change in exhaust odor while running. The smell of my vehicles' exhausts have been described as "pancakes", "french fries", and "fajitas." Nobody has ever said it was a bad smell and most people have said it was a very pleasant smell and certainly better than the petro-diesel stink given off by typical diesel engines! I can tell you this: when I wheel my pickup by a group of diesel-heads, they ALL perk up as the exhaust aroma wafts past their noses and they wave me down every time! Biodiesel is indeed a favorite subject of mine and many others! |
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| I have read extensively about (and I know people who are) running straight vegetable oil (SVO) in their diesel vehicles. I am often asked why I don't simply filter the vegetable oil I collect, put it in my fuel tank, and go. The answer to that question has a couple of major influencing factors which caused me to choose biodiesel over SVO. |
| The first major influencing factor is the overwhelming literature stating in no uncertain terms that the use of SVO in a diesel engine is inviting catastrophic failure. Please see this article for a ton of information (and numerous sources of studies and reports) and draw your own conclusions: Using Unmodified Vegetable Oils as a Diesel Fuel Extender – A Literature Review |
| The second major influencing factor in my decision to use biodiesel over SVO is this: when you want to use SVO, you must install an SVO system in EACH OF YOUR VEHICLES! These systems are expensive and take space away from your vehicle. Add to that the necessary task of heating the oil while burning petro-diesel, switching over to SVO when it is warmed up, then purging the fuel lines before shutting down the vehicle -- on short trips, this is simply not practical. With biodiesel, yes you must have a processing system to convert SVO to biodiesel. But once you do that, you can pour the resultant fuel into ANY and ALL diesel burning vehicles. Instead of investing in multiple systems, you only need one system and your biodiesel product can then be used in vehicles, heaters, generators, tractors, anything that will burn diesel! |
| I find the biodiesel option far more versatile. Again, this is a matter of personal choice and you can draw your own conclusions. Journey to Forever has numerous additional sources of information about this subject if you want to read more. |
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| 1US Department of Energy, http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/altfuel/bio_benefits.html |
| 2Biodiesel America, http://www.biodieselamerica.org/node/1057s |
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