Book Review: From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank, Joshua Tickell
Question:
Entertaining, but not economically feasible for most people, May 8, 2004 If you want to do something like this for your own amusement, this is a good book. It explains the what, how, and why of making old burger grease into biodiesel fuel, and I suppose it would be a fun project for some people. I know of two people who have, with results just as described: yes, Virginia, it runs. Is it cost-effective as a source of fuel? Probably no. If you figure only your own time on a per-gallon basis, it’s probably cheaper to pull up to the truck stop-before you fabricate any equipment, set aside the real estate, buy the wood alcohol and lye and the needed safety equipment to safely handle the incredibly caustic sodium methoxide, and set about getting the local burger joints to give you their used grease-a bigger challenge than the author expplains in many areas! My only other proviso is I wouldn’t put the stuff in my only go-to-work vehicle. Until you have got the process down there’s the danger of taking out expensive injection pumps and injectors with water, debris, and sodium methoxide. Biodiesel may also be incompatible with seals and bearings in some diesel systems, so I would buy a second hobby vehicle to tinker with, one that you are comfortable working on yourself. No diesel manufacturer will cover problems induced by homemade biofuel under warranty.
Response:
It’s actually a lot easier than you describe, and safer than you think. It costs us $.70 / gallon to make our own biodiesel, takes 2 hours out of my Saturday afternoon to make a weeks worth of fuel. If you follow the instructions, there is no problems with your vehicle or your warranty. — Steve Spence Renewable energy and sustainable living http://www.green-trust.org Discuss vegetable oil and biodiesel powered diesels at http://www.veggievan.org/discuss/
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Entertaining, but not economically feasible for most people, May 8, > 2004 > If you want to do something like this for your own amusement, this is > a good book. It explains the what, how, and why of making old burger > grease into biodiesel fuel, and I suppose it would be a fun project > for some people. I know of two people who have, with results just as > described: yes, Virginia, it runs. > Is it cost-effective as a source of fuel? Probably no. If you figure > only your own time on a per-gallon basis, it’s probably cheaper to > pull up to the truck stop-before you fabricate any equipment, set > aside the real estate, buy the wood alcohol and lye and the needed > safety equipment to safely handle the incredibly caustic sodium > methoxide, and set about getting the local burger joints to give you > their used grease-a bigger challenge than the author expplains in many > areas! > My only other proviso is I wouldn’t put the stuff in my only > go-to-work vehicle. Until you have got the process down there’s the > danger of taking out expensive injection pumps and injectors with > water, debris, and sodium methoxide. Biodiesel may also be > incompatible with seals and bearings in some diesel systems, so I > would buy a second hobby vehicle to tinker with, one that you are > comfortable working on yourself. No diesel manufacturer will cover > problems induced by homemade biofuel under warranty.
Response:
> It’s actually a lot easier than you describe, and safer than you think. It > costs us $.70 / gallon to make our own biodiesel, takes 2 hours out of my > Saturday afternoon to make a weeks worth of fuel. > If you follow the instructions, there is no problems with your vehicle or > your warranty.
Perhaps folks who are concerned with handling the chemicals and such might favor a straight vegetable oil conversion for their vehicle. A second tank, a heater loop, a few switches and the like and you’re set. They could buy their biodiesel (available in hundreds of stations now) for the one tank and fill the other with vegetable oil. There are quite a few after market kits out there for this and mechanics who will install them. Anthony
Response:
Indeed, we resell such a kit. — Steve Spence Renewable energy and sustainable living http://www.green-trust.org Discuss vegetable oil and biodiesel powered diesels at http://www.veggievan.org/discuss/
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> It’s actually a lot easier than you describe, and safer than you think. It > costs us $.70 / gallon to make our own biodiesel, takes 2 hours out of my > Saturday afternoon to make a weeks worth of fuel. > If you follow the instructions, there is no problems with your vehicle or > your warranty. > Perhaps folks who are concerned with handling the chemicals and such > might favor a straight vegetable oil conversion for their vehicle. A > second tank, a heater loop, a few switches and the like and you’re set. > They could buy their biodiesel (available in hundreds of stations now) > for the one tank and fill the other with vegetable oil. There are quite > a few after market kits out there for this and mechanics who will install > them. > Anthony
