Tag Archives: Alternative fuel

Biodiesel Fact Sheet: 25 Things To Know

Biodiesel is a popular subject these days due to many factors including world tensions, oil prices, and the environmental impact of petroleum based fuels. There is a lot of information floating around regarding Biodiesel, some true and some not. Below sits our fact sheet of things to know about Biodiesel.

• The process of turning vegetable oil into Biodiesel is called transesterification.

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Really, How Much Does Biodiesel Cost?

In a word: not much – at least not for what you get. Whether you buy it or make it yourself, the benefits of biodiesel far outweigh the biodiesel cost in so many ways. This article, examines the actual financial biodiesel cost – both biodiesel prices for those who choose to buy theirs from biodiesel production companies and for making biodiesel oneself.

How do biodiesel prices compare with other fuel costs, mile for mile?

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What Vegetable Oils Can Be Made Into Biodiesel

Biodiesel is a fuel comparable to petroleum based diesel fuel, but is made from vegetable oil. A wide variety of vegetables can produce the quality of vegetable oil that the Biodiesel conversion process needs. This wide variety of fuel sources gives hope that Biodiesel can be helpful as an alternative-fuel, not just in the more developed wester countries, but the underdeveloped countries as well.

A partial list of the kinds of vegetable oils that can be used in Biodiesel manufacturing:

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Ethanol Fact Sheet: 18 Things To Know

Due to the price of gasoline, world tensions, and environmental issues there has been a lot in the news lately regarding alternative-fuels. One of the more talked about alternative-fuels is ethanol, what follows is a basic fact sheet on this popular biofuel.

• Ethanol is a vegetable oil based fuel as opposed to standard petroleum fuel.

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Ethanol Basics

The use of ethanol as an alternative fuel is becoming increasingly popular by ever conscious consumers wishing to do their little bit for the planet. It may even be a better alternative to bio fuel, it seems that it is a lot more pleasant to make at any rate.

What is Ethanol? Ethanol is a grain alcohol, or plant mass formula derived from the natural sugars found in bio mass, or vegetation such as corn, wheat, barley, potatoes and sugar cane. This is then processed to make a renewable form of fuel or fuel additive, which is both cost effective and good for the planet. Many cars are able to run on Ethanol and gasoline mixtures. Although at the moment, the mixtures are only a ratio of 10% Ethanol, to 90% fossil fuel.

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Corporations Eye The Future, And The Future Is Biodiesel

With the high price of oil, the unstable foreign oil countries, and with a renewed focus on the environment there has been much attention of late on finding an alternative fuel source. Biodiesel is nothing new, in fact it has been talked about and experimented on for close to a century, but has been the recipient of a lot of interest of late.

An alternative fuel source has been talked about for decades. The reasons different people have for looking for this alternative fuel source vary widely. It could be for environmental reasons, economic reasons, or even just the excitement of new technology. One thing is certain though, in the past when someone showed interest in biofuel technology it was usually a small group of environmentalists, a lone scientist, or a very small energy related startup company. Not true any longer as multinational corporations and entrepreneurial millionaires are jumping on the ever filling Biodiesel bandwagon.

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Hydrogen Cars Might Be The Solution For The Future

Gasoline comes from a natural resource that might be renewable, but not during our lifetimes. With this in mind and the ever increasing cost for oil added into the mix, the need for alternative fuel sources is quite evident to many.

There are other options out there, but not all are being as aggressively explored as they perhaps should be. The hydrogen car, however, is one possibility that’s on the horizon that might serve as a viable alternative.

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Why Would Someone Buy An Alternative-Fuel Vehicle?

It seems that whether it’s a movie star talking about their new electric-gas hybrid car or a politician proclaiming the virtues of biodiesel, alternative-fuel powered vehicles are all the rage right now. There are many claims about these vehicles ranging from astounding miles per gallon (mpg) to the peace of mind it gives the driver, but why should someone buy an alternative-fuel powered vehicle?

Many alt-fuel vehicle owners speak of the financial benefits of owning such a vehicle. It is true that you can save money on your monthly fuel bill, depending on what choice of alt-fuel vehicle you drive. Because of the relatively new technology involved, many alt-fuels are just as expensive as or more expensive than traditional petroleum based fuels. It seems that the most money saving option is an electric-hybrid engine, but you usually end up paying more upfront for these as the cost for an electric-hybrid car is greater from the dealership than a standard car.

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Finally, Alternative Fuel Engines Are Gaining Respect

In order for all of us to understand what is going on in the world about the high price of gasoline. Let us look at one mans quest to make the engine a better and cheaper running machine, a quick history lesson if you will.

A lot of people think of the diesel engine with the black soot soaring upwards from large semi-trucks on the highways and byways of America. We have all smelled the odor when they idle in a parking lot. If you have ever been in the Army you can remember the deuce and half trucks and their smell.

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So, You Want to Buy a Biodiesel Car

You’ve had enough of rising gas prices and it’s just about time to trade your old car in anyway. So you’re thinking about getting a biodiesel car, hoping that it will take some of the pressure off your pocketbook. Well, we have good news for you. Not only will a biodiesel vehicle save you money, but it will also help you take better care of the environment – with 78% lower emissions than a standard vehicle running petroleum-based fuel. But where do you get a biodiesel car, you wonder? Well, hold on to your driver’s license because the good news continues. Any diesel car is already a biodiesel car. Nothing has to be done to the vehicle at all except fill the tank with biodiesel fuel instead of regular diesel.

The first American company to release a “biodiesel car”, specifically designed to run best on B5 or 5% biodiesel, 95% conventional, petroleum-based diesel, was Chrysler with their 2005 Jeep Liberty. The other “blends” of biodiesel fuel you’ll most commonly find are B20 (20% biodiesel, 80% diesel) and B100 (100% biodiesel), though it’s possible to make any mixture spanning the gamut. Interestingly enough, both B20 and B100 get the same great mileage, though the cost is slightly less for B20. The fuel emissions, harmful to both humans and our environment, however, are much lower in B100 than in B20 or any other blends, for that matter.

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Alternative Fuel - What Is E85?

If you watched the Olympics, you probably noticed that General Motors launched a major advertising campaign, touting the fact that 1.5 million GM vehicles are able to run on E85, made from corn. If you’re new to the alternative fuel concept, perhaps you were left wondering exactly what E85 is.

The term E85 is derived from the blend of two different fuels, comprised of 85% ethanol (where the term E85 comes from) and 15% petroleum. E85 is able to be used by vehicles that are known as flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs). So what’s the big deal, and why is GM willing to spending many millions of dollars to let people know their vehicles will run on E85?

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Types Of Alternative Fuels: What’s Out There

When looking into making the switch to alternative fuel use for your vehicle, there are a number of options. Based on price, availability, and motivation the best option for one consumer is not always the best option of another. For an alternative fuel to truly be viable it has to be both accessible to, and usable by, the consumer. In today’s world the viable alternative fuels on the market are mainly; ethanol, biodiesel, electricity, and natural gas.

Ethanol fuel is made from the fermentation and distilling of starch vegetation like corn, although it also can be made from trees and grasses. Ethanol is widely available in two varieties, commonly referred to as E10 and E85. E10 Ethanol, sometimes referred to as gasohol, is a mixture of 90% standard gasoline and 10% ethanol. Almost all manufacturers approve of the use of E10 Ethanol in their gasoline powered vehicles. E85 Ethanol is a mixture of 85% ethanol and only 15% gasoline. To run a car on E85 ethanol it has to be a specially designed flex fuel automobile that is capable of using E85. Flex fuel automobiles are becoming more and more common and most vehicle manufacturers offer at least one model.

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Biodiesel Engine or Biodiesel Conversion: Which One is Right for You?

Whenever we talk about biodiesel we mean the process of converting waste vegetable oil to an alternative fuel called biodiesel (or biodiesel conversion) which is then poured into unmodified diesel tanks in place of petroleum-based diesel. There is, however, another practice that comes to many minds whenever the term “biodiesel” comes up. This phenomenon involves the conversion of the engine rather than the oil, modifying a normal diesel engine to where it can run on unmodified waste vegetable oil (grease, fat, lard, etc.), in essence turning it into a “biodiesel engine”.

Thus the now famous and aptly named Grease Car. With greasecar as but one shining example of many, biodiesel engine conversion is gaining widespread appeal and it’s no wonder: imagine pulling up behind McDonald’s and getting all the free fuel you can carry! It’s true. Restaurants have to pay to get their waste vegetable oil carted away. People needing to fuel a biodiesel engine are doing them a favor – taking it away for free.

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Biodiesel - What Are The Benefits of This Alternative Fuel Source?

With the price of gas soaring and our country’s dependency on foreign fuel, are you looking for an alternative fuel source? Biodiesel may be just that fuel source you are looking for. What is biodiesel you may be asking? Biodiesel is an alternative fuel source made from vegetable oil. You can use this fuel in any vehicle that uses regular petroleum diesel fuel. There are places in some states that you can buy biodiesel fuel, but you can also make it yourself with a biodiesel kit.

This alternative fuel source has many benefits compared to petroleum. One benefit is the price. Biodiesel fuel can be produced for much less than its petroleum counterpart. If you are making it yourself, you will need to purchase a biodiesel kit. These can be gotten for a couple thousand dollars, you may be thinking “Wow, that’s a lot of money.” But if you think about it, once the savings over gas prices add up to the cost of the kit, all savings after that go straight to your wallet. This will definitely put a little breathing room into your budget. If you are not making biodiesel yourself, and are lucky enough to live in an area where there is a biodiesel station, your savings will add up a lot faster.

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The Best Thing About Biodiesel

Biodiesel is an alternative-fuel option for diesel burning motors. It has similar chemical properties to standard mineral based diesel but differs in that it has many positive traits for the people of the world and the environment. Biodiesel has many benefits that it offers the manufacturers, the growers, the sellers, and the consumers. But what is the best thing about Biodiesel?

Facts:

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