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Environmental and economic concerns have ignited the search for alternative fuel sources. One of the most viable options is biodiesel. Created from fats and oils under strict manufacturing rules, biodiesel meets all of the health requirements set forth for alternate fuels in the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, according to the National Biodiesel Board. Biodiesel can be combined with petroleum-based diesel fuels or used on its own, offering benefits either way.
In 2006, researchers at Purdue Research Park (affiliated with Purdue University in Indiana) announced that a new way to process ethanol had been developed. They called the process the "Chen Xu" process, and is named for the scientists that discovered it, Li-fu Chen and Qin Xu. The Chen Xu process is hailed as a more environmentally friendly way to manufacture ethanol.
With soaring oil prices and increasing environmental concerns, producing fuel from alternative sources has become a matter of interest. One alternative fuel currently being produced with some success is biodiesel. Biodiesel is a renewable fuel produced to power diesel engines that has been derived from natural oil sources. Using algae as an oil source is an attractive option because algae grow much quicker than any other terrestrial oil-producing crop, producing much higher overall oil yields. The process of converting algal oils into biodiesel fuel is the same process used to convert other plant oils.
A Pontiac HEI conversion is the process of installing a high-energy ignition in a Pontiac vehicle. High-energy ignition systems became standard on all GM vehicles in 1975. HEI conversions are generally only necessary for vehicles produced before 1974.
The high energy ignition (HEI) ignition system has been a vast improvement over the old standard cap, rotor and point ignition system used in the past. The HEI design incorporates the vacuum advance mechanism, the ignition coil and a permanent magnet assembly that has a pole lined with teeth and a pick-up coil. Only a few models have the external coil, but most today have the coil combined with the cap. Bad HEI ignition distributors give off some warning signs that can be diagnosed by the vehicle owner.
Biodiesel from algae, also called algal fuel, algae fuel, or algaeoleum, is one of the most promising types of biodiesel due to its rapid growth rate and efficiency in terms of land use. As of 2010, costs remain high and production is far below that of other biofuels.
Biodiesel is a fuel product that does not contain petroleum. It is a derivative of vegetable oils such as corn or soy, which have been put through a refining process to remove glycerin. Once the vegetable oil has gone through this process, it can either be combined with regular petroleum diesel, or used instead of diesel as an alternative fuel source for a vehicle.
Crude glycerine or glycerol is the primary by-product of biodiesel production, but it can also be synthesized from oil, according to Biodiesel Feeds at University of Minnesota. Glycerine has many industrial applications, including as an ingredient in the production of medicines and cosmetics, food sweeteners, anti-freeze solutions, and as an energy source in swine and poultry feeds, among other things.
Biodiesel is an alternative to diesel fuel made from animal fats and/or vegetables. In the last decade, biodiesel production has grown quickly in the United States as awareness of the necessity for more environmentally sustainable fuels has spread. Concurrently, the federal government has passed several laws governing how biodiesel is produced, packaged and sold in the United States. If you are curious about biodiesel, becoming aware the major laws governing its use are can be very useful.
In times of fuel scarcity and expense, biodiesel may provide one answer. Made from processed plant matter, biodiesel may in the future prove to be a viable substitute for conventional fuels such as gasoline and diesel fuel. But there are several drawbacks to biodiesel that have prevented its widespread adoption for use in internal-combustion vehicles.
The Chevron Corp. is a major petroleum company headquartered in San Ramon, California, near San Francisco. Chevron markets fuels and lubricants to consumers under the Chevron and Texaco brand names and the Caltex label. The company has stations in Asia, Australia and North America. One of the company's thousands of branded stations is probably nearby; a fact you can confirm by visiting the corporate website.
Researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory released a report in 1998 citing potential production of biodiesel fuels from multiple fatty waste sources, amounting to more than 943 million gallons of fuel per year, based on 1991 figures. Many types of fatty wastes are suitable for the production of biodiesel, making it a potentially affordable and accessible alternative to fossil fuels to both rural and urban communities, provided it is accessible and produced with proper filtering and mixing techniques.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicle Data Center, Florida has substantial biomass resources, particularly from timber and crop residues. Florida's state government has been working to promote Florida as a leader in bioenergy production. In 2009, two biodiesel production facilities were under construction, financed partially from state grants for biodiesel.
Biodiesel is made using a process called transesterification to convert vegetable oil or animal fats into fuel that can be used in a diesel engine. Vegetable oil is most often used, and the whole fat is called a triglyceride, a long-chain fatty acid combined with a glycerol molecule. Base catalyzed transesterification is the most commonly used method of making biodiesel. It involves the use of an alcohol in the presence of a catalyst to remove the glycerol molecule, leaving only the fatty acid chain, which is biodiesel.
As the world heads toward a more diversified energy supply, interest in non-typical fuel sources such as biodiesel is increasing, which unfortunately means it is getting harder to find reliable sources of waste cooking oil. It is becoming more important then ever to find good providers of waste vegetable oil through large and small restaurants, and to maintain good working relationships with those providers.
The key ingredients in the production of biodiesel include feed stock, methanol and sodium hydroxide. Discover how fire code regulations affect biodiesel production with help from a biofuels activist in this free video on alternative fuels for cars.
Alternative fuels such as biodiesel are healthy for the environment and the public health. Their production is only growing, and many biodiesel operations are performed in private homes. Producing biodiesel may also qualify you for a tax break.
The use of organic oil to make a usable diesel fuel is becoming more and more popular as the cost of regular diesel and gasoline soars higher. Using this method that anyone can learn to do at home, you can run any diesel engine at an economical rate of 60 cents to 90 cents per gallon, according to Biodieselnow.com.
Production of biodiesel is based on a process involving transesterification. The objective is to separate long chain fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) molecules from short chain glycerol molecules found in vegetable oils and animal fats. The term FAME and biodiesel are often used interchangeably. A conventional batch process begins with feedstock preparation. The most desirable feedstock is a vegetable oil low in free fatty acids and containing minimal moisture. Moisture and free fatty acids cause incomplete transesterification resulting in excess byproducts at the expense of FAME production. Based on feedstock analysis an appropriate ratio of alcohol (usually methanol) and a…
First, if using waste vegetable oil, filter out all non-oil material such as dirt, detritus, old french fries, and remove excess water. Monitor the amount of water and free fatty acids in your biolipid (vegetable oil). Free fatty acids will be turned into soap and then discarded. If the concentration of free fatty acids or water is too high, this process can be hindered.
The High Energy Ignition (HEI) used on most General Motors products prior to the use of fuel injection was a hall effect type of distributor. It did away with the conventional points and condenser and used a magnetic pickup. This system consists of a star-shaped wheel on the center shaft, which passes in front of a magnetic pickup. Every time the point of the star passes close to the pickup, it produces a pulse that is used to trigger the coil.
Biodiesel takes 10 to 20 hours a week to collect the products and make the fuel; learn more from our biodiesel expert in this free alternative-fuel use video.
Making biodiesel creates waste products, like glycerine, which need to be disposed of; learn how with tips from our biodiesel expert in this free alternative-fuel use video.
Biodiesel, a renewable fuel not unlike cooking oil, comes with distinct characteristics of production and use, including a certain smell, as our biodiesel expert explains in this free alternative fuel-use video.
