altfuelsys

Why is biodiesel such a hot topic? We’ve been relying on the dwindling resource of gasoline for nearly a century. It will eventually be gone. The beauty of biofuels is that they are made from plant materials which are (and will be) available in endless supply. Additionally, biodiesel is biodegradable and non-toxic (unlike its gasoline counterpart).What about the emissions? The short answer is that biodiesel produces less polluting emissions than petroleum products almost 80 less carbon dioxide than traditional diesel fuel. And since carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas linked to global warming, these reduced emissions will effectively eliminate sulfur oxide and sulfate emissions two major contributors to acid rain. And last, biodiesel reduces the carcinogenic properties found in diesel fuel by almost 95 percent.How is biodiesel made? Most biodiesel being produced in the United States is made from soybean oil and recycled cooking oil (known as “yellow grease”) from sources such as canola, palm, and soy. Additional manufacturing practices include oils from corn, sunflower, peanut, cottonseed and some animal fats.So what’s the future of biodiesel? Well, since the manufacturing comes from renewal resources (as outlined above) future uses and applications seem almost endless. Current thought is that biodiesel will not definitively replace current diesel, but will be used as an alternative is situations where fumes from diesel may be toxic (school buses are a perfect example). Additionally, the EPA is currently looking at utilizing biodiesel as a fuel additive to help reduce the previously-mentioned sulfur fumes that impact greenhouse gases and acid rain.

Since you’re going to be hearing “alternative fuel” on an increasing basis as we move forward on our march toward environmental consciousness, following is a brief overview of some of the more common alternative fuel types (in no particular order).

• METHANOL (M85) is made mostly from natural gas, but methods to produce it via fermenting biomass are on the increase. One of the advantages to methanol is its virtual transparency to the end user with fuel systems of cars and trucks requiring only minor modification. A disadvantage to M85 is that it is more caustic than gasoline and as a result special oil additives are necessary to protect engines.
• ETHANOL (E85) is basically grain alcohol that is produced by fermenting biomass. The most commonly used biomass is corn, but other methods such as brewery waste are being tested. As an alternative fuel source for motor vehicles the typical blend-ratio is 85 ethanol and 15 unleaded gasoline. An advantage to ethanol is that the mixture can be used by most gasoline engines and retail outlets are becoming increasingly popular. A disadvantage to E85 is its cost as compared to gasoline. (more…)