R.+Stacey+Biodiesel+fuel

B I O D I E S E L F U E L



Starting in 2000, hybrids and other alternative fuel cars were sold. Now, car companies are working and have come up with Ultra-low sulfur diesel and biodiesel fuel. Biodiesel is made of recycled vegetable oil and animal fat.

This fuel burns up to 75% cleaner and it reduces the unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and matter in exhaust fumes. Since biodiesel has no sulfur content, there is no emission of sulfur to the air. Also, its plant base allows for no CO2 emission into the atmosphere. It has 50% less ozone-forming potential than diesel fuel. By adjusting the engine timing, the emission of nitrogen oxide can be reduced significantly. Although it smells like the food it cooked, it does not cause eye irritation and it is “more biodegradable than sugar and less toxic than table salt” says the US National Biodiesel Board. This renewable fuel can also extend the life of an engine; the high cetane rating improves the performance 20% and can be mixed with ordinary petroleum diesel fuel. Even 1% of biodiesel can increase the lubricity by 65%. Global warming and greenhouse gasses are a very controversial issues in society now. By using vegetable oils or animal fats, you would essentially be running cars on solar energy. All of the biofuels are originally converted from sunlight to energy, carbohydrates and that keeps the leaves of plants green. By burning animal fats or carbon dioxide, you burn what plants feed off of, so it will be absorbed from the air by other plants. This can actually help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that lives in the air. According to a study by the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy laboratory, biodiesel only requires .31 units of fossil energy to make one unit. “By contrast, it takes 1.2 units of fossil resources to produce one unit of petroleum diesel, says the study”. The __US Environmental Protection Agency__ and __The__ __Department of Energy__ recognize biodiesel as an alternative fuel. This also means that under the Clean Air Act Amendment and the Environmental Protection Program of 1992, biodiesel has been approved. Biodiesel is extensively used in Europe. Germany has over 1,500 stations to pump biodiesel fuel and France is the largest producer. Soon, all of Europe will have between 2 and 5% biodiesel in their fuel. Many car companies have agreed to put 5% biodiesel fuel in with petroleum, but there are still many concerns to work out, and representatives for biodiesel are currently working with car companies to iron them out. Click here to get back to the Main Page!