Which is actually better? BioDiesel vs Used Vegetable Oil

[ghosthunter]

Which is actually better when going eco-friendly (and wallet friendly as well)?

- Biodiesel which is made from vegetable oil and a catalyzing agent. Clean * water free vegetable oil is mixed with an amount of the catalyzing agent and left overnight. The resulting liquid is biodiesel. If there is water contamination, you are left with soap. The biodiesel can be used directly as fuel but is not economical because of the high cost per liter. Typically this is mixed with regular diesel fuel at 1 to 5 percent biodiesel to regular diesel fuel. Results in cleaner emissions but a costlier fuel if not for certain tax breaks.

- Used vegetable oil is basically the raw material for biodiesel and essentially a waste material in kitchens. To use this as fuel, the used cooking oil is filtered to remove all particles and food bits. The resulting clean used cooking oil is then mixed 50% with regular diesel fuel and left to stand for an hour or two. If there is no separation between the mixture, the cooking oil / diesel mix can now be used as fuel. In cold climates, a diesel fuel preheater would be required because cooking oil tends to thicken as the temperature goes down. Here in the Philippines, the preheater can be omitted.

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For me, some of us would actually benefit from recycling used cooking oil into diesel fuel. It would be cost effective since it might be possible to get this for free from restaurant kitchens (if you ask nice enough).

[coiter]

hmmm interesting yung used vegetable oil. is there a detailed step by step manual of how to make this at home?

[mazingerZ]

I think I saw a feature in CNN before where a delivery vehicle used their used vegetable oil to fuel their car. There was even a comment that their vehicle smelled delicious since it was giving off a french fries kind of aroma.

[drag_addict]

dba meron ung sa mythbusters hehe ung benz diesel ung gamit nila... veggy oil lang gmit

[mbeige]

Since the question is, "Which is actually better when going eco-friendly (and wallet friendly as well)?" then I would say both are eco-friendly, WVO is just cheaper and usually free since they're just given away. All you need is time to mix all these at the correct amounts, add the necessary ingredients (which still cost less than bio-D) and filtering them properly and thoroughly to prevent clogged filters.

Newer cars are only rated at 5% biodiesel use, so it's not recommended for everybody. Since biodiesel and WVO are very similar, WVO use in newer cars is just as precautioned for use to prevent the voiding of warranties.

Personally I would go for biodiesel, simply because of convenience in today's fast-paced lifestyles. Some stations already have biodiesel available as a separate station from diesel and gasoline pumps, and some can be mixed as you please (B5, B20, B50, B100, etc). That way even newer cars that have Viton hoses to replace the standard rubber ones can still receive at least B5 (5% biodiesel). With WVO you run the risk of overlooking some food particles that got through and clog up your filters, with the additional risk of running with cold WVO fuel (if the heating elements are not heated). Granted it's not as cold here in Manila as it is in other countries to allow gelling of WVO, I still believe it's still a very good idea (for peace of mind - at least it's there when you need it rather than not) to have a pre-heated two tank system so you can convert into either fuel (WVO or plain old diesel). This is for one main reason: if WVO is not heated and you start the car with WVO in the fuel lines, then it atomizes in the combustion chamber (or prechamber) with thick, viscous oil rather than pre-heated ones (with the heat generated by running diesel first until it warms up, then you switch to WVO). This prevents ruining the pistons in the long run as well as the injector pump.

When in doubt, fuel up with plain old diesel.

[ghosthunter]

hmmm interesting yung used vegetable oil. is there a detailed step by step manual of how to make this at home?

some info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_oil_used_as_fuel

http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_svo.html

[chuaed]

Johnny Smith test Mercedes Benz 250D using waste vegetable oil (chip fat)...


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZX2BRdXkzA"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZX2BRdXkzA[/ame]

Smell My Fat...

[chuaed]

check this website:
http://fifthgear.five.tv/jsp/5gmain....tion=On%20test
Fuelpod 2 - It's a home vegetable oil conversion kit. By simply putting your waste vegetable oil in a tank it uses chemicals to pump out crystal clear bio-diesel 8 hours later.

this product was featured in the latest episode of Fifth Gear...



it would be nice if this product is also sold here in the Philippines...

yayaman ang importer, distributor, reseller ng ganitong product, at the same time mas-makakatipid at mapapakinabangan ang taong bayan dahil hindi na nila kailangan bumili ng sobrang mahal na diesel sa mga gasolinahan, at ang gobyerno makakatipid din dahil mababawasan na ang pag angkat ng diesel galing sa gitnang silangan.

[ghosthunter]

If it gets sold locally, you can start smelling the french fries scent from the tailpipes of the McDo delivery vans.