Bio-diesel, my impressions so far

Yep a good weekend and celabrated Nessies birthday, really dissapointed with the bio-diesel, as we tow all the time we go away.

Nessie must have been Sweet 16???

Baz, I can't find Yawal - figure it's NSW - please make clues easier than the Competition.

Aaaahh no 25, and it's 30min west of Nowra on Yalwal Rd

Yep, changed it after the first tank, looked pretty clean i thought.

Hi redback,

THe Biodiesel is a solvent, so it cleans the residues and sediment that have built up in you fuel system after years of use.

Like you, when I first moved to Biodiesel, I had one filter change and everything looked pretty fine.

But one trip of 1500 ks in 45 degree weather was enough to heat up the biodiesel, increase it's solvent capabiltiies considerably, and release the rest of the sediment - meaning I needed to do another filter change.

As Tim said further down, however, if the power returns when you change back to dino diesel, that is not your problem.

I hope that helps
Andrew.

Jeremy,

Not sure why your ol' mate is playing cards close to chest. Whether it's second hand vege oil, or brand new, Canola works fine in a diesel.

Mixes below 25% vege oil to diesel can be run without any mod, blends above that need a heat exchanger to heat the mix prior to the injection pump and injectors to ensure the viscosity is lower and the spray pattern of the injectors is correct. It is a real aid to the lubricosity of dino diesel and the engines run quieter, smell less, and use the same fuel volume. Canola has slightly less calorific value than dino, not a noticable difference.

Sorry to hear Baz having power problems. Bio should work the same as fossil Diesel, I'd be changing filters as suggested in the other post. Although adding more dinodiesel and getting your power back doesn't sound like filters, but you never know.

Tim

G'day Tim,

well, let's just say that whenever anyone near the govt or industry has heard about it they want to inspect the gig etc. etc. As it statnds he can just run the operation without people wanting a piece of him. Good extra info thanks mate. Would be interested to find out the acreage he needs to make it sustainable wrt the primary purpose of the farm.

Jeremy.

Yeah know what you mean!!

Have been told now that the TD5 runs better on 50/50 and if chipped not to run Bio at all, something to do with how the ECU operates, which conflicts with all the reports i've been hearing from Europe, as all diesels in Europe are of a similar type (ie) modern diesel to the TD5, so who knows and whom do you believe.

Baz.

We had the chance to be a world leader in the bio field.
We could have had most diesel engines in Australia running on alt fuel.
We had the chance for individuals to make their own , thus saving oil and pollution.
So what did we do ? Put a bl$$dy tax on it ! Makes me sick. Diesel now more expensive than petrol, how stupid and short sighted.
WHEN will an Australian Govt do anything constructive towards the future of this country and planet? Their one reaction to ANYTHING is TAX.
Anyone making their own deserves a medal, not a tax !

*gets off soapbox*
Whew, the pills are working at last.

Footloose - you have got me puzzled. I thought the bio-diesel was lots cheaper because the tax is either less or non existent. I know at Mumdrabilla on the Nullabor I paid 25 cents a litre less for, I think 10% or maybe 20% blend. Even tho the fuel economy was a bit worse, it did not offset the cost saving by a long shot.

So what's about the tax - is it on the pills?

lol
Max

Footloose,

There is a way around paying excise and still use bio fuel.

If you make fuel you need to pay the excise. Whether you are BP or just me. heh that rhymes. So our government decreed that they will not differentiate between BP and me if I make biodiesel. However, I'm not sure there is a Q of back yard bioD makers at the door of the ATO fessing up and laying their money on the table, but in theory they should be.

Blending Fuel.
It is illegal to blend an excisable fuel and a non excisable fuel or product. This is no doubt to stop servos blending with kerosene for example. Diesel is excisable, vege oil whether new or used is non excisable. So blending vege oil and diesel breaks tax laws.

However - this is the good bit; the optimal setup for a vege oil conversion is a two tank system where you start up and shut down on dino diesel, and switch over to heated vege oil when the engine reaches operating temperature.
This works the best for the engine, and it is also quite legal, as the fuels are kept separate and you are not blending them - which would be naughtly.

BTW, don't forget to keep breathing when on soapbox - it's important. :-)

There are heaps of links around the place for this stuff. A few good places to start are:
http://www.coolideas.ca/install.htm
http://www.ravenfamily.org/andyg/vegoil.htm
http://www.journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_svo.html

A good place to start is to keep an eye out for specials at the supermarket. If you find new vege oil at less than diesel price, buy 20 litres and pour it in on top of your diesel. My local Action supermarket has dumped Belgium vege oil on special at $1 at the moment. It'll all mix in nicely and you're likely to knock off the black smoke, smell nicer, and be saving money. You'll be breaking tax laws in the meantime, and as always, caveat emptor. Do your own research first.

Tim

Ok Max you got me. I didn't know that it was availiable there at a cheaper price. Was it availiable anywhere else across the Nulli bore ? :) From what I'm told it's around the same price as normal diesel ...if you can get it.
AFAIK, Early on there was no tax and people were making it for around 20c a litre from recycled cooking oil. Then the Govt slapped a tax on one of its components (ethanol ?), and the taxing structure is such that if you make your own and open your cake hole, you are up for the tax etc. So people now make their own stuff using heavens knows what and don't shout about it.

Tim, thanks for a great post. I'm now going to pop some vege oil in the old girl and run around town and see how I go. I guess 20% vege should be OK....maybe. Anyway with the price of diesel I'll give it a go...got another fuel filter here so I won't get caught out...I hope :))

Footloose,

The methanol component, I think, of Biodiesel is what gives it the cleansing properties so loved by filter manufacturers.

As long as you put clean, either supermarket new or 5 micron filtered used, oil, then there are no cleansing properties in straight vege oil.

Remember - biodiesel and straight (or blended) vege oil are different beasts - and I have committed a sin by hijacking the original thread. Please forgive me Redback Baz.

Tim

Footloose

There was another one or two even on the SA side - Mundrabilla was the only WA one. Same deal - heaps cheaper for the blend.

The servos are SAFF and my Adelaide resident brother tells me they are pushing it pretty hard to develop a market for wheat.

Its only blend, but I think they sell 100% in Adelaide.

Max

There's no methanol in Biodiesel.

The original fatty acids are transesterified in the reactor used to make Biodiesel (one way or another) using a methanol-based solution (generally) of a salt like KOH or NaOH (otherwise known as caustic soda).

Any methanol remaining from the reaction is generally recovered for the next batch.

(just to OT Tim's OT thread).

Ciao for now
Andrew travelling fine on 100% biodiesel (from SAFF) whenever he can.

Yes mate, it will be and i will tow with the next tank.

I haven't spoke to them, it seems that the guy in the know there only works certain hours and the boofhead there couldn't tell us for certain when he'd be there.

Baz.

Yep did that after the first tank.

The cetane rating on Biodiesel is generally higher than Dino diesel.

This, together with the more complete burn, results in more power unless something else is happening.

I don't know whether it's the best way for power, but yes - a blend like the "Premium Diesel" (20% Biodiesel) that SAFF sell everywhere is much better than just dino diesel.

100% biodiesel, however, is a totally renewable energy source with potentially zero net carbon dioxide emissions.

Ciao for now
Andrew.

Andrew,

I've viewed ASTM test data on a batch of well made bio-d and it's cetane number was slightly less than fossfuel. Perhaps it was that batch, as quality does vary as a result of which "fat" you started out with when making it.

But all good stuff anyway.

Thanks,

Bilbo

Peter it's at the Zoom servo at River Rd and Milperra Rd next to the BP, near ARB southern.

Baz.

thanks

Ooops, that's supposed to read 'something else entirely'