Biodiesel energy?

Question

Is biodiesel a viable alternative to diesel from fossil fuels for trucks and buses?

Answer 1

it depends. there are different types of biodiesel fuels that have their advantages and disadvantages. but, overall i'd say yes.

Answer 2

It depends what you mean by "viable".

Can heavy vehicles run on biodiesel?  Most certainly they can.  A few percent of biodiesel added to petroleum diesel is a good way to make certain that the injection pump gets proper lubrication (biodiesel is a MUCH better lubricant than low-sulfur petroleum fuels).  You can go up to 100% biodiesel if the fuel is kept above its gel point and the seals and hoses are compatible.

Can the USA run all its heavy vehicles on biodiesel?  Almost certainly NOT.  The USA uses about 27 billion gallons/year of diesel fuel (some 60 billion gal/yr of "distillate" for all purposes), while the most productive temperate-zone oilseed crop (rapeseed) yields only about 120 gallons per acre per year.  Feeding the diesels would require planting some 225 million acres of rapeseed every year - when less than 100 million gets planted to corn!  Oil palms produce about 5 times as much per acre, but that's still not enough — and they require tropical conditions which the USA doesn't have much of.

I've written about this quite a bit, and you can find things in my archives at http://ergosphere.blogspot.com

Answer 3

Biodiesel can be used in pure form (B100) or may be blended with petroleum diesel at any concentration in most modern diesel engines. Biodiesel will degrade natural rubber gaskets and hoses in vehicles (mostly found in vehicles manufactured before 1992), although these tend to wear out naturally and most likely will have already been replaced with FKM, which is nonreactive to biodiesel.

Biodiesel has better lubricity than that of today's diesel fuels. During the manufacture of these, to comply with low SO2 engine emission limits set in modern standards, severe hydrotreatment is included. Biodiesel addition reduces wear increasing the life of the fuel injection equipment that relies on the fuel for its lubrication, such as high pressure injection pumps, pump injectors (also called unit injectors) and fuel injectors.

Biodiesel is a better solvent than petrodiesel, and has been known to break down deposits of residue in the fuel lines of vehicles that have previously been run on petrodiesel.] As a result, fuel filters and injectors may become clogged with particulates if a quick transition to pure biodiesel is made, as biodiesel “cleans” the engine in the process. Therefore, it is recommended to change the fuel filter within 600–800 miles after first switching to a biodiesel blend.

Pure, non-blended biodiesel can be poured straight into the tank of any diesel vehicle. As with normal diesel, low-temperature biodiesel is sold during winter months to prevent viscosity problems. Some older diesel engines still have natural rubber parts which will be affected by biodiesel, but in practice these rubber parts should have been replaced long ago. Biodiesel is used by millions of car owners in Europe (particularly Germany).

Research sponsored by petroleum producers has found petroleum diesel better for car engines than biodiesel. This has been disputed by independent bodies, including for example the Volkswagen environmental awareness division, who note that biodiesel reduces engine wear. Pure biodiesel produced 'at home' is in use by thousands of drivers who have not experienced failure, however, the fact remains that biodiesel has been widely available at gas stations for less than a decade, and will hence carry more risk than older fuels. Biodiesel sold publicly is held to high standards set by national standards bodies.

Biodiesel can also be used as a heating fuel in domestic and commercial boilers. A technical research paper describes laboratory research and field trials project using pure biodiesel and biodiesel blends as a heating fuel in oil fired boilers. During the Biodiesel Expo 2006 in the UK, Andrew J. Robertson presented his biodiesel heating oil research from his technical paper and suggested that B20 biodiesel could reduce UK household CO2 emissions by 1.5 million tonnes per year and would only require around 330,000 hectares of arable land for the required biodiesel for the UK heating oil sector. The paper also suggests that existing oil boilers can easily and cheaply be converted to biodiesel if B20 biodiesel is used.

Answer 4

no it takes as much energy to produce it as you get out of it

Answer 5

To an extent. biodiesel gels at a higher temp than regular diesel

Answer 6

Not at this time. It costs moe energy to produce it, and the mechanical energy that you get from it is lower than that of carbon based fossil fuels. This is just part of the Global Warming scam that is going on.

Answer 7

If it's made from waste material it is extremely efficient! Because it's made from renewable materials this makes it an even better choice! It's better to start with something replaceable than having to start with crude oil from the ground!

Answer 8

No it is not.  The carbon emitted for processing biodiesel is slightly less than that of gasoline.

The biggest problem with biodiesel is that most of it comes from corn crops.  As corn is redirected into biodiesel fuel, there is less available for food.  This may not affect us much but it does increase the cost of the food supply.  This hurts the global poor.  I digress, but I think those who are looking at biofuel should consider the costs outside of carbon reduction.

Answer 9

Yes but the collecting cost would be prohibited.

Answer 10

It could be.   But when our country is ran by oil hungry men, it is unlikely that it will happen

Answer 11

Yes, it is.

It doesn't pollute the air, so you should use biodiesel, :).

Answer 12

Biodiesel does not have enough energy density.Its good fuel for a few cars,but its hard to compress and despite it's use in select vehicles,its not perfect for anything.

For now its Hybrid Vehicles that is going to rule the market.