Biodiesel-Equipment.com

Posts Tagged ‘Vegetable Oils’

You can buy biofuel to run in any diesel engine without having adjustments or change to the fuel system. There are thousands of biodiesel fuel stations in Europe and the USA and their number increase every year. Some countries even mix their diesel fuels with a small percentage of bio-fuel.

So why would you ever contemplate making your own biodiesel fuel?

Simply, it’s much cheaper! If you want to start using alternative bio-fuels to power your diesel engine vehicles you have choices.

By converting your diesel powered vehicle you could use virgin vegetable oils for fuel just like rudolf diesel first intended or use a mixture of vegetable oils and petroleum or kerosene as fuel. But many choose to transform waste oils and even animal lipids to biodiesel. This is a renewable and eco-friendly fuel alternative.

Biodiesel has attained global recognition in the last 4 years, its still hard to buy commercially and often times the same price as traditional diesel because of transportation cost and government taxation.

If you cannot find biodiesel fuel in your local area it may be your turn to discover how simple it is to make and start your own mini biodiesel production plant for your home or business vehicles. The cost benefits & fuel independence will make you feel like the oil shiek in your town.

Books like the “The Down and Dirty Guide to Biodiesel Recipes” help you get going. Biodiesel production is a risk-free process, but like most things you must be aware of the potential hazards and take safety precautions. The three primary substances are Lye, methanol and vegetable oil that make biodiesel.

If you would like to start making biodiesel here are some pointers:

- Purchase a basic level bio-diesel processor from a trustworthy company

- Make sure the processor you decide on has an explosion proof pump, basically this is a non-sparking pump

- Make sure you purchase a biodiesel processor that incorporates a dry wash system to clean your biodiesel not water. This will produce a better quality biodiesel

- Start with clean vegetable oil.

- Start by performing lots of tests with small test amounts of biodiesel and portions of each ingredient

- Take your time and effort in your education your biofuel will turn out better and you will save time and money

- Once you understand it then begin processing used WVO which will give you further savings especially if you find it for free.

You can be energy self-sufficient by learning How To Make Biodiesel At Home easily and successfully in your own backyard.

Although bio diesel production has gained huge popularity only recently, it is not a new idea. The idea was present when the first diesel engine was developed since peanut oil was used to fire the first compression-ignition engine.This should not be forgotten when one wants to learn how to make bio diesel.

Bio diesel therefore refers to the non-petroleum-based fuel made from animal or vegetable fat. This fuel is usually mixed with ordinary diesel or used alone with an ordinary diesel engine. As such it is a viable alternative fuel source especially with the increase in fossil fuel prices.

Since the production process is quite easy, it makes it possible for one to learn from different sources. Considering the production materials, there is a very wide variety used in producing the diesel ranging from rapeseed, soybean oil and other feedstock. In some cases, it is also possible to extract the diesel from used vegetable oils from hotels. Animal fats such as chicken fat, tallow are also other viable sources. Apart from these oils, the diesel can also be extracted from algae although this is not feasible for commercial production.

The first step when you want to learn the art of making bio diesel is identifying the source oil. This is because the process varies slightly with different materials. Some of the materials will also necessitate the acquisition of special equipment like a bio diesel processor. Some of the cases however do not require such equipment like in the case of making the diesel from used cooking oil with methanol and sodium hydroxide. This method however, does not produce large amounts.

After establishing the oil source, the next step is testing it. This is necessary since the quality of your final product is usually determined by the ingredients. The two main factors that determine the quality of bio diesel you get are how acidic the source oil is and how wet it is.

The best oil sources, which will make the process easier, are those with relatively low water and acidic content. This necessitates the need to learn how to test the oil using different methods such as heating or using a water testing kit. Acidity is tested by adding the oil to a pH neutral alcohol, a process called titration.

Another major step when making bio diesel is filtration. This is done when using used vegetable oil and helps remove food particles and any other contaminants. Filtering is done mostly with drum filters which are very effective. You should learn about micron rating as it will help you select the most effective filter. The smaller the rating number, the smaller the holes in the filter will be.

Before you can embark of full production of bio diesel a test batch is very important. You should therefore learn how to make this using items obtained from the local grocery stores. You will also need to obtain the actual production equipment. Some of the equipments needed include oil collection containers, oil transfer and filtering capability, a bio diesel processor and bio diesel washing vessel. You also require storage containers, transfer pumps and a titration kit.

The intended production capacity will be one of the main determinants of the equipment you acquire. With these you should be prepared to learn how to make bio diesel.

Locate those many choices for renewable energy by looking online. One choice you have will be biodiesel. To learn more about it head online today to learn those benefits. Don’t reprint the same version as everyone else. Get your own unique content Renewable Energy article here.

During his State of the Union address in January, Pres. Barack Obama pleased some alternative fuels producers by giving special mention to “advanced biofuels.” Biofuels have received presidential utterances in past addresses, but results haven’t always been forthcoming. “First of all, there were no specifics, so there was really nothing there,” said Jatrodiesel president Raj Mosali. “The president mentioned biodiesel specifically when he was campaigning, and now he’s talking about ‘biofuels,’ which could mean anything—and that’s concerning.”

In addition, grants, loan guarantees and even American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds are not going to biodiesel producers for the purposes of plant optimization and upgrades. “That’s 100 percent true,” Mosali says. “All of this assistance is being directed toward things like fuel cells, cellulosic ethanol and electric motors—all technologies that are still far off.”

The Obama administration coming out with billions of dollars from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to increase “clean energy manufacturing” could seem almost like a taunt to biodiesel producers.Obama announced “awardees” of the $2.3 billion clean energy manufacturing tax credits as existing biodiesel producers languish over the lapse of their specific federal blender tax credit. “Projects are assessed based on the following criteria: commercial viability, domestic job creation, technological innovation, speed to project completion, and potential for reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions,” the White House stated on Jan. 8.

While the word “biofuels” was good to hear spoken by the president, there’s a word that describes the 2009 biodiesel year—idle. Huge plants sat quiet for months as vegetable oils were high and diesel prices were not. Imperium Renewables Inc., which suffered an explosion at its Grays Harbor plant in Washington State, said it was in no big hurry to make repairs while the tax credit is nonexistent.

 Accurate Biodiesel Blending is Important to building worldwide consumer confidence. The biofuels industry must work to ensure that poorly blended biofuels are caught before they get to the end user. In colder climates, the thicker layers of the fuel can congeal and plug fuel lines, injectors or filters, stopping an engine. What is this material that congeals? It has to do with the feedstock that the biodiesel it was produced from. Feed stocks, especially those produced with used cooking oils (UCO), waste vegetable oils (WVO), yellow grease or animal fats (Tallow) will produce high levels of fall out materials. These layers of material can also be caused by incomplete removal of glycerin, soaps, waxes, or resins during the Transesterification process.

Government incentives are the backbone of the biofuel industry right now. Federal and state tax incentives are based on the amount of biofuel placed in the market. Companies that over report the amount of biofuel present in an advertised blend defeat the purpose of the tax credit and reduce government revenues. Biofuel advocates are concerned that inaccurate blending and poor press reports will lessen consumer confidence in their fledgling industry.

Companies such as 70CentsaGallon.com are offering cost effective solutions through a standalone biodiesel blending unit that will scientifically blend any blend of biodiesel. It has the ability to produce biodiesel at 350 Gallons per minute and if running non-stop it could put out 180 million gallons annually. It uses an injection blending technology that surpasses any blending technology out there. This set up is a 30,000 gallon gross set up which could be configured to the needs of the customers. These larger consumers range from governmental & city fleets to large transportation companies that rely on diesel biofuel to keep cost down and help the environment.

Just like any fuel station pump, a customer can pull up, insert their credit card, and purchase any one of three blends to fuel their diesel vehicle. The fuel is blended by two electronically controlled pumps and metering valves before being sent through the filling hose to the customer’s fuel tank.

These units are self contained just run power to it and your ready to dispense fuel. No holes to dig, plumbing to run or assembly. It’s the hassle free way to introduce alternative fuels at your station, or use them for your fleet.

The blend can also be programmed to suit individual needs as well. The units handle Bio-Diesel and regular Diesel onsite blending them into B20, B50, and B99 products. Fleet operators will benefit by consistently using the correct blend for each piece of equipment.

With new technologies like onsite biodiesel blending units to ensure proper blending of the fuels, the fledgling biofuels industry can grow and ensure global consumer confidence.

Biofuel will play a very important part in meeting the worlds growing energy need, Biofuel has a place in not only our past, but in our future as well.