Biodiesel. You've heard of it but how does it work? And is it really better for the environment?
Blue Sun, an alternative energy company that markets renewable fuel products, helps answer some of your questions:
The BasicsBiodiesel is produced from oils and fats like soybean oil, animal fats or waste grease. While biodiesel is not straight vegetable oil, its life can start as that before it undergoes a chemical process called transesterfication.
Biodiesel works in any diesel engine – in fact, the diesel engine was originally designed to use vegetable oil-based fuel. Biodiesel uses mostly soybean to produce fuel, but it can be produced from a variety of oils.
Biodiesel is considered a renewable fuel, unlike petroleum, coal and nuclear fuels, since the source of the fuel can be replenished. The carbon emitted from biodiesel when the fuel is burned is absorbed by next year's plants, which in turn is used for next year's biodiesel. So the carbon loop is largely closed.
Biodiesel is viewed as a useful alternative fuel because of its ability to reduce carbon dioxide and other harmful emissions.The oxygen contained in biodiesel makes it unstable, however, and requires stabilization to avoid storage problems.
How is it used?Just about any vehicle can run on biodiesel with no modifications. Although vehicles built before 1993 typically have natural rubber hoses and seals, which should be replaced with synthetic forms since biodiesel is a solvent and can degrade natural rubber.
What's next?Biodiesel firms throughout the United States are researching advanced feedstocks for biodiesel. Algae is a promising alternative since under the right conditions, algae can produce vastly more oil with little water consumption, and on land suitable for no other purpose.
Camelina is another agricultural crop that requires little water and can be grown in the winter rotation on farms. And this seed also produces more oil than standard feedstocks in use today.
For more information about Blue Sun: Contact info@gobluesun.com with the subject "Join Insights." Or visit: www.gobluesun.com
