Biodiesel - any experience?

[rbargeron]

I'm using some soybean oil fuel in my Kubota right now - making a gesture toward the environment. The product I'm using is Envirodiesel B100 from World Energy (check them out at worldenergy.net)

I understand there is a growing industry in non-petroleum diesel fuels, from pure soybean stock to recycled cooking oil from Burger King, McDonald's etc.

Based on my very limited experience (5 gallons so far) I can say that it appears to make equal power, equal sound, less smoke, and when the wind sends the exhaust toward my face it smells like there's something great cooking for supper.

The down side is price. There is not a dispensing infrastructure in place yet for low-volume users. Fleets and others who buy 600-1000 or more gallons at a time get the best price, but the basic fuel price, roughly $2.45/gal, runs up to $4 or $5 when packaging, handling, shipping, etc. get added in for 5, 20 or 55-gallon cans.

Anybody have any experience to talk about?

 

[_RaT_]

Sounds cool, can I grow my own? Rat...

 

[Bird]

I sure can't use any of that stuff; not only because of the price, but I eat too much anyway and if it smells like something good cooking, I'd have to stop for supper even earlier than I do now./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

 

[W5FL]

Guess this will finally prove once and for all the Return on Investment. If you can grow your own fuel and then use it to grow more fuel and plant a crop and do other work, then the idea will take off. If not, then it will have little impact during our lifetime. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Bird]

We're still looking for perpetual motion, huh? My dad could never quite understand why you couldn't mount a few little wind generators on an electric car and use the wind generated by your forward motion to keep the batteries charged, and never have to buy any fuel./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

 

[W5FL]

Bird, that won't work, but we may get to where solar panel conversion may be practical.

Always enjoyed the way my dad talked about seeds. He knew exactly how much of the crop would be put back for seed for next years crop and it is a pretty good portion on some crops. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Guess the seed store has a pretty good garden and they understand this philosophy better than us.

 

[_RaT_]

Bird, took me a while to figure that out to. You know out here in CA, they have company cars that are electric (less the windmill) that employees can take home. The really neat thing about them is how quiet they are. I would love a vehicle that was that quiet. I believe it is Toyota that makes the hybrid car. Runs on both gas and electric. Gas engine gets it going and electric maintains motion. The gas engine can also recharge the batteries. Rat...

 

[Bird]

Yeah, Rat, I keep waiting to see whether they're going to come up with an electric car that's practical for normal use. I sure like "quiet" vehicles. That was just one of several reasons I used to ride a Honda Aspencade instead of one of those noisy Harleys.

Bird

 

[rbargeron]

er... just a reminder to all of you senior, venerable, august, exhalted and magnificent members..... the request at the beginning was about bio-diesel fuels.....

 

[dfranksmith]

I think Toyota may be planning the release of such a car, but Honda is already selling one. Can't recall the name. The gas engine turns on and off as needed. I believe the total horsepower is 93 maybe, including gas and electric motors, but the car is light and the review I read said it was peppy. One significant breakthrough is that the brake charges the battery. This is about as close the "free energy" as you'll get (except for the windmills on top of the car . It gets 70 miles to the gallon, but I can't remember if that's highway driving or mixed driving.

Sometimes I think of starting my own revolutionary "health club", where instead of boring weights you get to: carry rocks! move logs! pull weeds! dig up stumps! All for the low price of $19.99 a month. You maybe could pull it off in Los Angeles .