Diesel Fuel Alternative
Many vehicles run on diesel fuel, but with the growing push toward environmentally safer fuels for vehicles, do diesel vehicle owners have any alternative other than diesel fuel? Yes they do! The name of this alternative fuel is “bio-diesel” and the fuel industry is starting to take notice.
Bio-diesel is the name that has been coined for this clean burning alternative fuel, which is produced from domestic, and renewable resources. Bio-diesel contains no petroleum, but it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a bio-diesel blend. It can then be used in diesel engines with little or no modifications. Bio-diesel is simple to use, biodegradable, non-hazardous, and, for all intents and purposes, free of sulphur and aromatics.
Bio-diesel fuel is produced as an alternative to petroleum-based fuel from any fat or oil such as soybean oil, through a refinery process called trans-esterification. In this process the oil reacts with an alcohol to remove the glycerin, which is a by-product of biodiesel production.
Fuel-grade bio-diesel as an alternative fuel must be produced to strict industry specifications in order to ensure proper performance. Bio-diesel is the only alternative fuel to have fully completed the health effects testing requirements of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments.
Bio-diesel fuel that meets the industry specifications for an alternative fuel is legally registered with the Environmental Protection Agency as a legal motor fuel for sale and distribution. Unrefined vegetable oil does not meet bio-diesel fuel specifications, it’s not registered with the EPA, and it’s not a legal motor fuel.
The use of bio-diesel in a conventional diesel engine results in substantial reduction of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter compared to emissions from diesel fuel. In addition, the exhaust emissions of sulphur oxides and sulphates (major components of acid rain) from bio-diesel are essentially eliminated compared to regular diesel fuel.
Of all the major exhaust pollutants, both unburned hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides are ozone or smog forming precursors. One of the benefits of using bio-diesel as an alternative fuel is a substantial reduction in the amount of unburned hydrocarbons. Emissions of nitrogen oxides are either slightly reduced or slightly increased depending on the duty cycle of the engine and testing methods used.
Using bio-diesel fuel instead of a petroleum-based fuel is undoubtedly a step in the right direction in environmental terms as well as saving money. Bio-diesel is safer, burns cleaner, and easy to make. It’s a real advance for those who use diesel fuel and a suitable alternative to regular diesel fuel.
And now you can learn how to make your own biodiesel at home! There is lot of information about making homemade biodiesel fuel – a bit like homebrew really. One of the best biodiesel books is called ‘Biodiesel the Definitive Guide’ and it comes with some free bonuses including a bonus guide on how to make biodiesel from vegetable oil.
