Biodiesel - An Alternative Fuel
What is Biodiesel?
Biodiesel fuels are produced from living organisms or from other metabolic waste products that are from organic matter or food. A fuel can only be considered a biofuel if 80% of its make up is from renewable sources. As the original source of such fuels, is obtained by the photosynthesis process this can also qualify as a source of solar energy.
The U.S. National Biodiesel Board defines biodiesel as 'clean burning alternative car fuel produced from domestic, renewable resources.' It also further clarifies that biodiesel has no petroleum but can be blended with petroleum diesel, used in compression ignition engines, that diesel engines are, without having to make any modification in the engines. It is biodegradable, non toxic and free of sulfur and aromatics.
They further suggest that you can blend 20% biodiesel with the regular diesel and this blend can then be used for the same purpose as petroleum diesel. If it has to be used in its pure form without blending some sort of precautions are warranted.
Benefits of Biodiesel
There are a lot of benefits to using biodiesel. It is made from vegetable oils and therefore all the resources that it uses are agricultural in nature. In the U S of A soybean oil is mainly used to make biodiesel, though other oils like canola, sunflower and recycled cooking oils have also proved their efficacy. Animal fats have also been used to produce biodiesel.
It is eco friendly. It reduces net emissions of carbon dioxide, the chief polluter from automobiles, by almost a whopping 80% compared to the normal petroleum diesel. So if used as a 100% fuel without blending, it could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by half, while using it in a 20% blend with petroleum diesel, the greenhouse gas emissions could still reduce by a good 10%.
There is no difference to the engine performance if biodiesel is used and exhaust gases recorded a drop of 50° Celsius when such engines were tested.
It is easily available as a 100% biodiesel or in various blends all across the United States. A number of very big trucking fleets have switched over totally to using blends of biodiesel and this will definitely impact the environment and cause a reduction in resultant pollution. It is said that biodiesel blends are now available in over 800 locations across all the states and more and more such locations are being created by the day.
As modern diesel engines do not require any modification to switch over to blended biodiesel, the transition if so desired by vehicle owners is without any problems. They just have to decide to go for it and fulfill their environmental obligations.
Biodiesel can also be used as an alternative for the fuel used for heating or by generating power stations. A blend of 80% low sulfur heating oil and 20% of biodiesel reduces emissions of SO2 by almost 80% and NO2 and CO2 by a substantial 20%.
Biodiesel reduces exhaust odors, improves lubrication, cleans injectors and fuel lines, and also helps fuel pumps and tanks to remain clean. The efficiency of the engine is also improved.
The cost per gallon is higher and this could affect its wider use. It also needs that fuel filters have to be changed at closer intervals than for petroleum diesel.