At the 1900 World’s Exhibition in Paris, Rudolph Diesel unveiled an internal combustion motor that ran on peanut oil. He hoped farmers and rural communities could grow their own fuel for his biodiesel engine.
Diesel already had invented the petroleum-based diesel engine that bore his name. Before his invention, “diesel” fuel was a nuisance byproduct. Some gasoline companies actually dumped the stuff behind their refineries.
Diesel, rarely seen smiling in photographs, was unable to realize his biodiesel goal by the time he died in 1913. But he left some prophetic words: “The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today,” he said in 1912. “But such oils may become in the course of time as important as … petroleum and coal-tar products.”
Is Biodiesel Worth It?
Rising petroleum prices and global warming are driving the market for alternative energy sources such as biodiesel. But as with any emerging technology or system, there are some kinks that need to be ironed out.
The viscosity, or “thickness,” of petroleum-based diesel is relatively unchanged between zero and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Not so for vegetable-based biodiesel.
On frigid days, biodiesel would flow through fuel injectors like syrup. Fuel heaters and viscosity-lowering additives can cure that problem.
Another hurdle to biodiesel is price. A gallon of fresh vegetable oil can cost $10 or more. But there’s an alternative – fill up the tank at restaurants that serve fried food.
The restaurant industry pays to discard about 3 billion gallons of used vegetable oil a year. The oil becomes unusable because it gets “polluted” with particles, water and oxidation. However, because it’s still combustible, it’s still usable as biodiesel.
Intrepid do-it-yourselfers will need to filter the oil to avoid engine damage. How much filtering?
To avoid deposit build-up in today’s diesel engines, filtering particulates larger than two microns is good practice. Begin searching for filters and biodiesel kits at www.biodieselamerica.org.
Going this biodiesel route may seem daunting at first. But think of the advantages:
• Biodiesel provides better engine lubrication than conventional diesel.
• It’s far less volatile.
• It’s better for the planet.
Biodiesel substantially reduces carbon emissions linked to climate change, according to the National Biodiesel Board. Biodiesel emissions essentially contain none of the pollutants that cause acid rain.
Now, that’s something Rudolph Diesel could smile about.
