Biodiesel... until the car fueled by water is reality... :) (page 3)

bebu

LOL hubert!!!

The way gas prices are going, booze will be cheaper than gas soon. Don't think I can run the car on booze, though.

bebu

Double Edge

Very interesting Bebu.... keep us all informed...and THANKS!

Elsewhere

One of the great things about bio-diesel is that it is effectively a zero emission fuel.

The plants absorb Carbon and Hydrogen from the air while growing, then your vehicle releases these same gases back into the air for the next crop to use.

"It'd be nice if diesel vans and trucks were available in the US"

You mean like the Chevy & GMC pickups & vans with the Duramax turbo-diesel engine, the Ford pickups & vans with the PowerStroke turbo diesel engine, the Dodge pickups with the Cummins turbo-diesel engine ... ?? :-P

Dan-O

"Don't think I can run the car on booze, though."

You can, but the mileage is lousy. I think that has a lot to do with the straws running up from the fuel tank to the passenger compartment. :-)

bebu

Dan-O, thanks for the tip about those straws! Whodathunk?!?

There are diesel trucks (did I say there weren't?? Yikes!) but the vans are limited to full-size (read: MONSTER) vans or cargo (read: MONSTER) vans. There are no mini vans that will fit into my garage. I'd like something that allows our family of 5 to fit comfortably together and have some room for luggage, too. Jeep Liberty is the only thing on the market, and it's okay... too small, though.

BTW, there are minivans in Europe and Asia... just not the USA yet!

bebu

PS: Can someone help me get a diesel minivan from the UK??

Dan-O

"vans are limited to full-size (read: MONSTER)"

As opposed to those God-awful mini-vans crowding the parking lots for the past 20 years? *LOL* Full size vans & trucks at least give people enough room to be comfortable.

Some of the manfacturers make mini-vans that run on E-85. You might take a look at those. It's not diesel, but it is a bio-fuel made from corn or another US-grown, renewable source.

Jim_TX

Bebu, Way to go!!! Keep on going... you'll soon be producing your own bio-diesel. I would recommend though, that before you go into full production, you try to make a small batch... about a gallon or so. Just to 'prove' you can do it, and to see how the actual process works. I did this - with a 'retired' blender - and made about a liter of fuel. It was really neat! Good Luck - and keep us posted. Regards, JimTX

Jim_TX

Bebu... One other thought. I seem to remember you saying that there were no diesel-engined vans. Have you asked a dealer if they can be ordered with a diesel engine? I am thinking that maybe they do... but need to be special-ordered that way. Just a thought. Oh - and perhaps you might look at the VW Vanagons. I'm not sure... but they might have a diesel version. Regards, Jim TX

bebu

Well, it's about time to actually let you know how it's been going. Seems like all kinds of events in life have cropped up in the last 6 months to slow down/deter me from moving forward quickly.

We followed your advice Jim, and made a batch or 2 of biodiesel in a blender. Worked both times. So, moved on to figuring it out for the processor. Our processor holds 30 gals, but we didn't have a lot of lye handy so we had to cut back to using 20 gals oil.

Had trouble with the pump; trouble with pressure release valves not working right; processor wiring slightly amiss (so it didn't start up until I fixed that); and various oily problems. Learned a lot, like I expected we would, during this first batch.

But it looks like it was processed right, since we didn't get glop (and, comparing the result with our blender batches, they are quite similar). Only have to "wash" it now... hope that goes well!! If so, my husband will not be filling up at a station this week...

bebu

Biodiesel... until the car fueled by water is reality... :)

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