Are Biofuels the future for the automotive industry? Part one, Biodiesel.

Jan. 21, 2010 - PRLog -- There are many ways we can cut down on the amount of fuel our cars use these days. As simple a thing as changing your heavy steel wheels for alloy wheels, upgrading you tyres to energy efficient tyres and keeping your vehicle well maintained with regular servicing can dramatically decrease your annual fuel costs however, can we cut down even further and in doing so even help cut down on our carbon footprint? Well, the answer is yes! And it's not nearly as difficult as you would think.

With rapidly increasing fuel costs across the UK and throughout the world most of us really are starting to feel the pinch when it comes to filling our cars up these days. This coupled with increasing pressure from the government and environmental agencies to combat Co2 emissions, could biofuels be the future for the automotive industry?

Let's take a quick peek at the advantages, disadvantages and cost of some of the alternative fuels available to us today. And hopefully answer a few burning questions about the viability of alternative fuels on a practical level as we head into the most green focussed decade in nearly 3 century's of the modern auto mobile.

Biodiesel and Vegetable Oil, what's the difference?

The main difference between true biodiesel and vegetable oil is that nearly all Diesel Engines can be run on biodiesel without any conversion whatsoever, however, if you plan on using straight vegetable oil some minor modification is usually necessary (with the exception of most, if not all Mercedes and Volvo vehicles).
In addition to this, waste vegetable oil requires refining prior to use to remove emulsified water, sediment and any large fragments of waste products that could potentially clog your engine.

Compatibility

As most of us are probably aware, not all engines are compatible with bio fuel therefore prior to filling your tank haphazardly with any form of bio fuel, whether it be biodiesel or vegetable oil its first essential to check it is compatible. Putting the wrong type of fuel in an engine can cause serious problems and mistakes such as this are often incredibly difficult to rectify. At best, your car won't run and will require draining and flushing, at worst, the damage could be severe and permanent requiring you to fork out for a new one, so be sure to do your homework.

Biodiesel

Apart from the obvious cost and environmental advantages biodiesel has over mineral diesel a surprising plus would be that as biodiesel is naturally a significantly stronger solvent than mineral diesel it is capable of keeping your engine running cleaner and smoother by dissolving accumulated fuel deposits in the tank and pipes into new, clean fuel. Less accumulation of fuel deposits in your fuel system means a cleaner running and more efficient engine.

Initially, as the mineral diesel deposits are broken down those particles may accumulate in the fuel filter thus requiring an interim replacement however, this usually only lasts one service cycle and after that the pipes and tank are clean and fuel filters will only need replacing at standard service intervals and what you will have is a much cleaner car.
It is also worth noting that due to the solvent attributes of biodiesel, if you have an older vehicle with rubber piping and parts in the fuel system it will be necessary to replace that piping with modern, hard-wearing long life nylon pipes to prevent corrosion problems.

Vegetable Oil

Vegetable oil is thicker in consistency than both mineral and bio diesel particularly in cold temperatures therefore it is necessary to make some modification to the way fuel is handled in a diesel engine using this type of fuel to compensate for this and prevent difficulties starting your car. Here are the available options as of writing this article.

Dual Fuel System

Probably the most commonly implemented conversion type since the popularity of vegetable oil fuelled cars, this system simply uses 2 tanks of fuel, one for Vegetable Oil, and the other for diesel/biodiesel.

The premise being that you start the car on the tank of fuel containing diesel/biodiesel and manually switch to the tank containing vegetable oil when everything's warmed up, thus preventing the more viscous vegetable oil from clogging jets, lines and filters.
At the end of your journey prior to turning off the engine you will need to switch back to diesel/ biodiesel tank so that the injectors and fuel lines contain diesel. This means the engine will start next time you use the car, and it will prevent fuel freezing in the fuel lines during cold weather conditions.

Mixed Fuel

By far the simplest way is to mix vegetable oil with diesel or biodiesel in the main tank at different ratios depending on the weather conditions. On warm days a higher percentage of vegetable oil can be used and on cold days, vice versa.

Full Conversion

A full conversion to vegetable oil fuel negates the need for diesel all together by using heat to take the viscosity out of the fuel, thus allowing it to flow freely regardless of weather conditions.

A typical full vegetable oil conversion uses a fuel pre-heater in the tank, a heat exchanger to warm the fuel, and/or a heated fuel filter.

Waste Vegetable Oil

If its maximum economy you're looking for, then there's no denying waste vegetable oil is the way forward being by far the cheapest solution in the long run. The only downside being that it needs to be processed before you can use it in your car, therefore requires the most work on the part of the car owner.

Other things to consider

Although an engine will generally run more smoothly on vegetable oil, and be better lubricated than with mineral diesel, it is essential that you continue to maintain your engine properly, as you would have done prior to any conversion with regular servicing and check-ups.

You should always keep a spare fuel filter handy in case you suffer from a blockage. In very cold weather it will be necessary to add some mineral diesel to your fuel as a preventative measure, to prevent problems with freezing.

Biodiesel and UK Law

Unfortunately, here in the UK you can't even look at a new thing with ought the government slapping a tax on it (remember Poll Tax, the Tax on breathing?). So yes, you've guessed it! Although it would be great for the environment and the consumer, as of 2002 Tax must be paid on any oil of any origin which is used to power a road vehicle.

At the time of publishing, biodiesel and yes, you've guessed it, vegetable oil have an excise duty rate of 20 pence per litre less than the mineral diesel rates.

But you shouldn't let this put you off, running your car on biodiesel or vegetable oil is still considerably cheaper than mineral diesel, and far better for the environment.

For more information on this and other articles from Verooom please visit our website For more information, please visit the firm's website: http://www.verooom.com

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