Biodiesel is a roadway and off roadway legal option to fossil/mineral diesel and red diesel. It has many of the qualities of normal mineral diesel, but is usually made from vegetable oils.
Running any diesel engine on veggie oil is not a brand-new concept. The initial diesel engine first demonstrated in 1895 by Rudolph Diesel was created to run on vegetable oil.Biodiesel has been readily available for several years as a mainstream fuel in the major vehicle manufacturing countries such as Germany, the USA and throughout Europe.
By producing biodiesel we are also recycling and that is good for the environment.
You might be shocked to learn that far from being an inferior, home produced fuel, biodiesel is much better for your vehicle engine and the environment than fossil based fuels such as petrol and regular forecourt diesel.
Fuel rates are rising steadily all the time and with greater and unpredictable costs at the pumps, many individuals are turning to either making biodiesel or purchasing it already made from a supplier.
With the former alternative, making biodiesel securely must be a concern. With the latter, discovering a biodiesel supplier near enough to become affordable can typically prove tough, and obviously this is a more expensive option.
The Savings
By making biodiesel in your home it ought to be possible to produce your alternative fuel from waste grease ready to go in you tank at a fraction of the cost of forecourt fuel. If you choose to utilize new oil the cost savings are not as incredible but you will still see a significant conserving on forecourt diesel pump rates.
Types of Vegetable Fuel
There are three alternatives to consider when using grease, however we would only advise choice three - home produced biodiesel.
Straight Grease
Vegetable oil is around 5 times more thick or thicker than regular diesel. A diesel motor would require to be modified to cope with this increased viscosity to guarantee the oil flows freely through the fuel system and into the combustion chamber.
This can be achieved either by preheating therefore thinning the oil before it enters the injectors, or by installing a double tank system where the car is worked on regular diesel till warm and after that switched to biodiesel.
Another issue can be that oil has different chemical homes and combustion characteristics from the fuel that the majority of diesel motors are developed to use. In newer cars with exact tuning systems this can cause issues. In addition to this there is the cost of the conversion and guarantee issues to think about.
Blending
Vegetable oil can be blended with other fuels or solvents to lower its viscosity.
When mixing grease with forecourt diesel this need to be limited to 20% oil to 80% diesel.
This approach is not a great environmental alternative as it still involves using a fossil based fuel.
Some individuals have try out solvents such as white spirit or paint thinner. This is not advised due to the fact that efficiency and the long-term effect on engine wear are both unknown amounts.