Using Biodiesel as an Alternative Fuel by Brannan Sirratt

With the rising cost of fuel, Sunday drives and trips to grandma's are no longer relaxing past-times. Enjoying the journey has been replaced with counting the mileage and crimping the budget. Beside the issue of price, a growing desire to "reduce, reuse and recycle" has also left consumers wondering "What next?" and often, "What else?" when filling their tank at the gas pump. A variety of alternatives to petroleum fuel have recently been presented to consumers, though not all of them are yet viable on a widespread scale. Hydrogen is still years away, Ethanol or E85 is not available in all locations and buying a Hybrid may not meet the average consumer's budget.

One option that makes the most sense (especially to those with diesel-powered vehicles) and the most of our resources is biodiesel. This alternative fuel is most commonly made from fats and vegetable oils through a process called transesterfication. Don't let the complicated name fool you, the concept is quite simple: it takes the oils and separates the glycerin (used to make soaps, etcetera) and replace it with methanol to create methyl esters, a.k.a biodiesel. Put simply, it takes one type of trash and turns it into two usable products.

It may be easy to read about biodiesel and even advocate it, but placing a foreign substance in your vehicle may be a more intimidating task. However, biodiesel fuel that meets specifications is perfectly safe to use in your diesel engine vehicle, usually with little or no modifications. As with all fuels, it is always a good idea to check with your manufacturer and implement regular maintenance procedures. Biodiesel can be used separately or in a mix with petroleum diesel, and both options are beneficial to your vehicle and environment. In fact, biodiesel eliminates most of the exhaust emissions found in petroleum-diesel vehicles; making it the safest fuel to use and the most economic way to reuse resources among consumer fueling options.

About the Author

Homebiodieselkits.com is a great resource for information on making biodiesel, they also offer complete biodiesel processors that do all of the work for you.

The Fuel Of The Future Is Here by Joe Thompson

Today's vehicles are fortified with the latest advances in technology to create eye-popping designs, state-of-the-art auto parts, revolutionary amenities and remarkably low emissions to meet the standards. In fact, the most promising vehicles of the present time are coming into the market place with the most-advanced and environment friendly fuels. These fuels, as a fact, offer a slice of the future and they are just under your nose.

Diesel It is, by far, the oldest technology in connection with auto fuel. Nonetheless, diesel has some important features that could serve as a bridge to the future. Diesel engines are said to be at least 30 percent more thermally efficient than gasoline engines. Modern day diesel engines are designed to blend well with the vehicle body parts to deliver a quiet and efficient operation. The BLUETEC technology which was initiated jointly by the Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen brands, is well-accepted by auto aficionados.

Biodiesel This fuel is domestic and renewable. Usually, biodiesel is derived from natural oils such as canola and soybean. Generally, the fuel is a mixture of natural oils and petroleum-based diesel fuel. It oftentimes uses two to five percent of petroleum-based diesel. Biodiesel curbs foreign oil dependence and at the same time it reduces carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, particulates and sulfur dioxide that pose as a great hazard to the environment.

Ethanol Another renewable fuel is ethanol and this is derived from plant sources. The fuel is usually made from corn, sugar cane and saw grasses however it could be derived from other crops as well. The most common ethanol blend is the E85 which is composed of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. However, there are vehicles these days that are designed to run on 100 percent ethanol. According to statistics there are about two million 'flex-fuel' vehicles on the road that can run on ethanol.

Benefits of ethanol include extremely low emissions output because of its high oxygen content that make it emit no more than vapors.

Other Fuels Hydrogen, propane, methanol, and compressed natural gas are also some of the fuels that complement gasoline engines. These fuel applications are suited for some purposes that include but not limited to warehouse or closed-space operation and fleet usage.

Another technology is turbocharging. It increases thermal efficiency hence delivering more power from less displacement. Volkswagen, for one, delivers an impressive power output from its 1.4 liter engine by utilizing turbocharger and supercharger.

Fuel cell technology radiates incredible appeal. These fuels are environmentally clean having water vapor as its by-product. Audi, BMW, Daihatsu, Fiat, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Suzuki, Toyota and Volkswagen are some of brands that currently use fuel cell technology in their products.

Hybrids, a segment dominated by Toyota and Honda, are also hot items at the present milieu. They offer high fuel mileage, quiet operation and lower overall emissions.

About the Author

Joe Thompson is the owner of a successful auto body shop in Ferndale, California. This 38 year old is also a prolific writer, contributing automotive related articles to various publications.

Why Choose Biodiesel To Fuel Up Your Vehicle? by Elmy Halily

Over the recent years, biodiesel has begun to gain popularity. People all over the world are talking about this issue. The reason for this situation is because more people are concern about the environmental health. It is the role of the mass media that make them realize how bad the environment has been damaged. The other reason is people know that petroleum reserve is on its way to distinction. Thus it is the time to look for another energy resource to supply your vehicles.

There is much alternative energy available around the globe. But why you should consider biodiesel to fuel up your vehicle. One of the reason is it can save your money. This type of fuel is economy. To use biodiesel will only cost you about $3 per gallon compared to other alternatives which will cost you more than that. Why does biodiesel cost less? The origin of biodiesel is from the plants. It can be produced from plants such as oil palm, soybean, and corn or even from the used cooking oil. Thus it is more environmental friendly. Studies by the US National Renewable Energy Lab indicate that biodiesel used to power diesel engine will produce less smoke, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons.

Biodiesel is also good for your engine because it gives much higher lubricity to the engine. This means that it is essentially "slipperier" than normal diesel fuel. With the added lubricity, you can experience less wear and tear when used on a regular basis. Furthermore, biodiesel is perceived as the perfect altenative energy for your engine. Compared to other alternative energies like natural gas, propane and ethanol, you don't have to do alteration on your engine when using biodiesel. Natural gas and propane require special tanks to be installed and changes to the fuel injection must be made as well. Ethanol also requires specialized changes to the fuel injection system. Electricity requires a completely different engine.

Can you think of any other reasons for you to change to biodiesel? There are still more list to go. But these are the best reasons I can think of. To get more information about biodiesel production you can go to http://biodiesel-production-technology.blogspot.com

About the Author

Elmy Halily is a chemist working in the oil & gas industry. He has been working at various environments of oil & gas production plants. Be it onshore or offshore plants. He is an expert in handling many types of