and that's a problem for you
Biodiesel fuel.
- Thread starter jedi
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GrumpyGel
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- Christchurch, New Zealand
I thought about saving the world and money...
So to save the world, a lot of Orangatangs are going to pay the ultimate price.
So to save the world, a lot of Orangatangs are going to pay the ultimate price.
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- Selby, North Yorkshire
What's happening to the orang-utans?
DastardlyDan
Active Member
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Hippo
Lord Hippo
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Our local chippy owner tries to sell me his oil to make bio diesel. When I tell him it's petrol he tells me to change the engine. I point out the obvious gearbox, computers etc which require changing at the same time. He then goes on to tell me how lots of his customers want his oil etc so I asked why he needed the extra sale. He said he was trying to help me. Conversation continued while he was cooking me chips.
Another customer came in and it was pointed out to me he was a regular oil buyer and made his own bio diesel. Done it for some years in several cars. Chap then says he's not doing it anymore as he's just feked up his mrs fiesta. Engine said to be in a bad way but not sure what the problem was.
I know a local chap who uses the same chippy and gets oil oft him too, to make his own bio diesel. He did it for many years then stopped. He said the filtering/mixing/time to do it started to annoy his mrs. He said he still made a saving and ran older cars so didn't have the trouble the newer ones do. But still stopped as he got fed up with it too. One thing he didn't realise was his house insurance was invalid if there was a fire. Garage was on the side of the house.
Bio diesel home brew was popular some years ago. I think it's popularity has dropped. More likely to down to time/effort required.
After carefully considering my options I now go to a different chippy which serves betterer chips.
Another customer came in and it was pointed out to me he was a regular oil buyer and made his own bio diesel. Done it for some years in several cars. Chap then says he's not doing it anymore as he's just feked up his mrs fiesta. Engine said to be in a bad way but not sure what the problem was.
I know a local chap who uses the same chippy and gets oil oft him too, to make his own bio diesel. He did it for many years then stopped. He said the filtering/mixing/time to do it started to annoy his mrs. He said he still made a saving and ran older cars so didn't have the trouble the newer ones do. But still stopped as he got fed up with it too. One thing he didn't realise was his house insurance was invalid if there was a fire. Garage was on the side of the house.
Bio diesel home brew was popular some years ago. I think it's popularity has dropped. More likely to down to time/effort required.
After carefully considering my options I now go to a different chippy which serves betterer chips.
It's down to a few things, price of diesel has dropped, newer cars aren't as bio tolerant, plus hassle etc.
Alibro
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- Northern Ireland
The green brigade used to bang on about Bio fuel, then after a few years it dawned on them producing it took up valuable food growing space. plus the inevitable burning down rain forests to grow more so now they're not so keen on it.
Unless it comes from chippy's of course.
Unless it comes from chippy's of course.
Yes, home brews are more hassle than they are worth and yes growing it is counter productive, however...
Most bio on sale is wvo (chippy oil least popular).
Many haulage companies use wvo, the most famous being Mcdoodles, as they have a ready supply.
Commercially produced wvo has to meet high standards and is as clean as dino.
I really don't see a problem with recycling a waste product into a clean fuel, not just for cars but in heating and power generation.
Most bio on sale is wvo (chippy oil least popular).
Many haulage companies use wvo, the most famous being Mcdoodles, as they have a ready supply.
Commercially produced wvo has to meet high standards and is as clean as dino.
I really don't see a problem with recycling a waste product into a clean fuel, not just for cars but in heating and power generation.
Skinny Mike
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Ran bio at 50/50 mix, for a year in our td4, to see if it was worth it.
Simple answer, No.
Drop in mpg, drop in power, and changing the fuel filter every 6 months, made it more expensive and a pain using 2 pumps to fill up.
Did clean out the fuel tank and pipes though!
Would only recommend it if you have an older diesel engine and a ready supply of bio. Then you might save a few quid and pump less crap out of the exhaust.
Mike
Simple answer, No.
Drop in mpg, drop in power, and changing the fuel filter every 6 months, made it more expensive and a pain using 2 pumps to fill up.
Did clean out the fuel tank and pipes though!
Would only recommend it if you have an older diesel engine and a ready supply of bio. Then you might save a few quid and pump less crap out of the exhaust.
Mike
I've worked on Borneo (Sarawack and Sabah - Orangutan country) - it's not rapeseed they're planting but palm oil - but the sentiment is the same.
It's pretty scary driving on some roads at night 'cos the illegal loggers drive without lights and don't stop if they hit you - then the illegal palm oil plantation workers will rob you and leave you (if lucky) - hardwood flooring is worth the risk, and palm oil gives a good yield too.....
GrumpyGel
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- Christchurch, New Zealand
I know the OP's original post may not have been about saving the world and may have been more about saving a few £s per tank or just trying something different - but growing stuff to power the world is just wrong and counter productive - unless scientists can find something that's much much denser in energy per acre/year.
Governments need to get much more serious about building renewable power sources. Why the Severn Barrage in the UK didn't get the go ahead is beyond me. Sure there may have been some negative environmental impact - but tiny in the overall scheme of things for the amount of power it would have generated. Around the 60's the NZ government created a network of canals and dams and today 80% or its electric is generated from hydro (and to a lesser extent geothermal) power. You couldn't do it today because the green wellie brigade would be up in arms - but I bet in 20 or 30 years time they'll be demanding it.
This hydro system has also created a fantastic recreational resource
These canals look like they are boiling - the surface looks like its bubbling and rippling - but its just because the water flows so fast through them.
Governments need to get much more serious about building renewable power sources. Why the Severn Barrage in the UK didn't get the go ahead is beyond me. Sure there may have been some negative environmental impact - but tiny in the overall scheme of things for the amount of power it would have generated. Around the 60's the NZ government created a network of canals and dams and today 80% or its electric is generated from hydro (and to a lesser extent geothermal) power. You couldn't do it today because the green wellie brigade would be up in arms - but I bet in 20 or 30 years time they'll be demanding it.
This hydro system has also created a fantastic recreational resource
These canals look like they are boiling - the surface looks like its bubbling and rippling - but its just because the water flows so fast through them.
Biodiesel and WVO are something completely different.
WVO = waste vegetable oil, not processed in any way apart from filtering and de-watering, this produces something that is much thicker that diesel.
Biodiesel = vegetable oil (waste or new) that has been mixed with methanol and a catalyst (typically KOH or NaOH), this removes free fatty acids and produces something that is very much the same viscosity as diesel.
For what is worth McDonalds run a biodiesel blend in some of their lorries, not WVO.
