Biodiesel Rulez!!! [ARCHIVED]

[rsnald]

while vehicle manufacturers abroad are well on the way on pushing for the use of biodiesel, here in the Philippines, some vested interest groups are blocking the biofuels law that will require B1 blend at the pump. They're citing limited research data from japan and other scare tactics regarding the possible impact of the use of coco oil for biodiesel -for e.g., it will upset the price of food grade coco oil resulting in net losses daw for the economy since we will be forced to import coco oil daw. c'mon... were the top coco oil producer in the region before, what's stopping us from doing it again... it's a matter of political will to get things moving. the price of automotive diesel is nearing the commercial price of food grade coco oil. Once the two prices break even or, in a worse case scenario, if the price diesel surpasses coco oil... magiging viable na ang pag mass produce and mass usage ng cocodiesel. it's up to the government to put pressure on the auto manufacturers to come up with vehicles that are biodiesel compliant. bottom line... (pardon the term mods).... yag-b*lls lang kelangan ng gobyerno natin to push this biofuels program. stand up against the big petroleum companies.

[Bogeyman]

At least American efforts in biofuels are getting celebrity support:

[size=4]Julia Roberts Now a Spokeswoman for Alternative Fuel[/size]
FOXNews.com, Friday, July 21, 2006

Dallas-based Earth Biofuels announced that Roberts will become a spokeswoman for the company and chair its new advisory board.

"It's very important that we expand our use of clean energy and make a long-term commitment to it. Biodiesel and ethanol are better for the environment and for the air we breathe," Roberts said in a statement released this week.

Roberts joins fellow Oscar winner Morgan Freeman and country singer Willie Nelson in promoting the use of renewable fuels. Freeman and Nelson are on Earth Biofuels' board of directors.

Earth Biofuels produces biodiesel and is the exclusive distributor of Nelson's signature brand of biodiesel. The soy derivative is mostly sold in a blend called B20, which is 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent diesel.

Earth Biofuels said it will work with Roberts on a program to encourage the use of biodiesel in more than 500,000 diesel school buses nationwide.

The 38-year-old actress made her Broadway debut this spring in a revival of Richard Greenberg's "Three Days of Rain."

Her screen hits include "Pretty Woman," "Steel Magnolias" and "Erin Brockovich" -- for which she won an Oscar in 2001. She gave birth to twins, Hazel and Phinnaeus, in November 2004. She is married to cinematographer Danny Moder.

[lolo pepe]

in the U.S., many biodiesel advocates make their own biodiesel and use them 100% in place of petro diesel. this is where the savings come from since they use WVO (waste vegetable oil or used cooking oil). i didn't had the time to read the 42 pages in this thread (labo na mga mata, sakit pa ang likod) so i'm unsure if someone has already posted this: making 1 liter home-brewed 100% biodiesel. if you're willing spend the time and money to get the feel out of making biodiesel and can get the materials and chemicals locally, type "dr. pepper biodiesel" in your browser and read on from the websites. just observe the safety precautions, get enough ventilation and do it away from children and pets (preferably a garage or back room). if you decide not to go this route and just buy biodiesel, the websites are worth reading for the curious. time to go...inom pa ako ng gamot.

[Psalm136:2]

Sa mga BD long time users, question lang po. Every time I start my engine in the morning, it spews out black smoke then it turns into greyish white as the temp goes up to normal operating temp. Normal ba to?
Also bakit di nagbabago amoy ng usok as others claim na amoy something... something... I'm using BioExceed from SeaOil, 20mL for every 20L ang blend (recommended based on the bottle label). I started using it right after my PMS about a month ago.

[altec]

psalm, the french fries smell that others claim is more noticeable the higher your BD inclusion. At BD1, you will have to have a sensitive nose to notice the difference. There is, but requires you to smell a lot of exhaust smoke!!

Using BD doesn't guarantee that your car smoke belching tendency will be eliminated. If engine parts need adjustment, it will still smoke belch. Example, when I submitted our townace and L300 to DOST for field testing before and after BD application, both registered a before application of over 4. 1 hour after application, it started to go down to 2-2.5. Passing is 2.5 for diesel. At 2.5, its still high. The engine needed to be checked to reduce its smoke emissions.

Anyway, my question for others is: My friend offered me their WVO based BD at only P35/liter, and they are using it at BD100. Finally, he admitted that nakapalit na siya ng oil seal sa canter/elf niya. But he is so confident, that he is using BD100 in his new Hyundai Sta Fe with a CRDi engine! Is WVO based BD ok? Would you be willing to go BD100? At P35/liter, mas mura na siya kaysa sa regular diesel! They got their WVO from chinese restaurants daw.

[rsnald]

Anyway, my question for others is: My friend offered me their WVO based BD at only P35/liter, and they are using it at BD100. Finally, he admitted that nakapalit na siya ng oil seal sa canter/elf niya. But he is so confident, that he is using BD100 in his new Hyundai Sta Fe with a CRDi engine! Is WVO based BD ok? Would you be willing to go BD100? At P35/liter, mas mura na siya kaysa sa regular diesel! They got their WVO from chinese restaurants daw.

P35/liter yung Biodiesel or P35/liter yung waste vegetable oil? if it's the latter, masasabi ko lang.... mahal :D pero kung P35/liter yung benta ng BD... pwede na... medyo malaki pa rin kita ng friend mo hehehe.
Now... would I try BD made from WVO? why not...if... (and that's a big IF) it passes the standards for biodiesel, specially yung %total glycerides and acidity specifications. How to check? No choice but to send it to DOST or DOE... have them check %total glycerol and acid number or acid value. google mo na lang specs.

[altec]

rsnald, P35 is the home made BD. As of now, meron daw siya 16 tons of WVO to be processed. Yung mga kumukuha sa kanya, BD100 daw ang gamit. At BD100, yang 16 tons of WVO, I don't know what the conversion to final BD product is, konti lang yan. Maybe good for 20 trucks for 1 month use.

How about what others said to check the BD, by putting it in the ref and see if it becomes cloudy or worse, mag sebo? Or mixing it with water and shaking it and let settle, ito yung procedure to check for diesel contaminants?

[Psalm136:2]

psalm, the french fries smell that others claim is more noticeable the higher your BD inclusion. At BD1, you will have to have a sensitive nose to notice the difference. There is, but requires you to smell a lot of exhaust smoke!!

Using BD doesn't guarantee that your car smoke belching tendency will be eliminated. If engine parts need adjustment, it will still smoke belch. Example, when I submitted our townace and L300 to DOST for field testing before and after BD application, both registered a before application of over 4. 1 hour after application, it started to go down to 2-2.5. Passing is 2.5 for diesel. At 2.5, its still high. The engine needed to be checked to reduce its smoke emissions.

Anyway, my question for others is: My friend offered me their WVO based BD at only P35/liter, and they are using it at BD100. Finally, he admitted that nakapalit na siya ng oil seal sa canter/elf niya. But he is so confident, that he is using BD100 in his new Hyundai Sta Fe with a CRDi engine! Is WVO based BD ok? Would you be willing to go BD100? At P35/liter, mas mura na siya kaysa sa regular diesel! They got their WVO from chinese restaurants daw.

Sige susubukan kong taasan ang dosage, it might work. Salamat sir.

[Psalm136:2]

Sir Jonvic,
Maganda yang tanong mo. Sana nga may makasagot sa mga BD experts dito. Wag naman din sanang magalit ang mga sellers or dealers ng both products, if in any case, one is more advantageous than the other. Lahat naman ng diesel owners, whether for industrial or personal use ay makikinabang sa info na ito.

[XTO]

Sa mga BD long time users, question lang po. Every time I start my engine in the morning, it spews out black smoke then it turns into greyish white as the temp goes up to normal operating temp. Normal ba to?
Also bakit di nagbabago amoy ng usok as others claim na amoy something... something... I'm using BioExceed from SeaOil, 20mL for every 20L ang blend (recommended based on the bottle label). I started using it right after my PMS about a month ago.

ako i've noticed after starting talagang mausok even acceleration pero pag mainit na transparent clear na. i'm using envirotek biodiesel. 200 ml per 20 liters of diesel. (right now petron since last month)

[dlim]

for me, ive been using activ bd100 for 3 years now and ok naman lahat ng parts, seals and gaskets... no problem daw un dahil nag lilinis lang sya ng mga carbon deposits. havent tried any other dahil contento ako sa activ bd100.. hehe, and walang usuk talaga car ko pag starting ang pag acceleration

[altec]

dlim, verify ko lang. You use PURE bioactive sa auto mo? Not mixed bioactive with diesel?

[van_wilder]

bd20 ang optimal... bd100 is too much...

[biogas.works]

Dear Friends,

The use of BioDIESEL particularly the local product known as Coconut Methyl Ester (CME) made from coconut oil will be mandated at a 1% blend in the Philippnes soon under the BioFuels Act of 2006.

I have personally tested 1% CME and found that it gives 10+% mileage improvement during initial use. Prolonged use, however, seems unable to sustain 10% mileage improvements.

I have shifted down to 0.5% CME and have found after 3,000+ kms of simulated chassis dynamometer tests that 0.5% CME provides BETTER and MORE CONSISTENT Fuel Savings than 1% CME.

The latter follows a Canadian report that found after 2+ years of testing 5% Canola BioDiesel that lower blends like 0.25% were better. (Search: Saskatoon Biobus II Final Research Report and read Section 4: Higher Precision Highway Fuel Economy and Engine Wear Evaluations.)

As CME is expensive and if LESS CME can give BETTER Mileage and Performance, why should we use more considering that both our raw materials are finite and our production facilities are limited.

The implementation of the BioFuels Act of 2006 was not carried out before Christmas 2006 as widely anticipated. This is probably because the proponents are seeing that 1% CME may not be as good as they hoped.

I recommend that you try 0.5% CME while we still can (as only 1% CME will be sold in ALL gas stations after the BioFuels Act is implemented) and let us discuss your findings in this forum.

I would be happy to answer any questions on BioDIESEL if you have any.

Happy New Year and Best Regards.

Gerry

[biogas.works]

The quote below came from the thread BIODIESEL RULEZ! in this forum. Check BIODIESEL RULEZ! for more info on BioDiesel.

Hi ALL!
1) Honestly...maganda ang nababasa ko regarding BioDiesel Fuel...pero takot pa rin ako gumamit nito kasi sabi ng Isuzu Dealer eh ma-VOID ang warranty ng Sportivo ko if i used NON Recommended Fuel and that includes BioDiesel.

Some vehicle manufacturers oppose the use of BioDiesel. This is because NOT ALL BioDiesels are the same. In the US, BioDIESEL is made from Soya Oil, in Europe from Rapeseed Oil and in Canada from Canola Oil. All perform differently so studies in the US or Canada are NOT APPLICABLE in either country unless the same BioDiesel is used. More so in a foreign country for an unknown BioDiesel made from coconuts.

ALL BioDIESELS reduce emission levels even in low percentages but NOT ALL improve fuel mileage. Soya BD gives reduced mileage so it is used primarily as a fuel substitute and because of its high cost - users get incentives or subsidies from the US Government.

Coconut Methy Ester (or CME the Philippine BioDIESEL) has passed all emission tests in the US, Europe and Japan. However, its capability to increase fuel mileage has not been scientifically evaluated yet. Local studies of fuel mileage are not documented and the few that are do not appear to meet international testing standards so vehicle manufacturers and the transport industry (who are volume users of Diesel) continue to have doubts about CME’s ability to deliver long-term fuel savings.

This is not to say CME is not good. After using it for over 6,000 kms, I love it because I get over 10% more mileage (and power) despite the fact that I am only using 0.5% (after I saw a problem with 1%.)

I suggest you try using 0.5% CME. This minute percentage should be safe for your Sportivo. Even if it develops any problems it will not be noticed by Isuzu. Helping prove that 0.5% is better than 1% that will be sold in all gasoline stations (whether we like it or not) when the BioFuels Act of 2006 is implemented soon will allow us to put a good product to better use.

Why use 1% when 0.5% can give the same or better performance? CME is expensive and supply is limited. Why use more than necessary? If 0.5% can do what 1% can, we can be export the excess. This will generate foreign income for the Philippines and it also helps other countries save on fuel.

[GlennSter]

biogas works...to avoid multiple threads to the topic..please post any info about biodiesel in the original thread.thank you...

merging...

[MadMax]

Quote: "Of the three major oil companies, three manufacturers and some independent bodies I spoke to for this article, each one embraced the new law and fully supported it." -- YEAH, RIGHT!

(Took out some parts to make it fit the 10,000 char limit)

The Philippine STAR

Motoring

Fuel for Thought Part II
BACKSEAT DRIVER By James Deakin
Publication Date: [Wednesday, January 10, 2007]

Of the three major oil companies, three manufacturers and some independent bodies I spoke to for this article, each one embraced the new law and fully supported it. The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers even took out an ad congratulating the government for it. Initially, their concerns were that ethanol is not compatible with all cars and could create some warranty issues, which is why the law was drafted to allow consumers a choice, as well as a gradual implementation that allows manufacturers enough time to introduce ethanol capable vehicles and for the public to get cozy with the idea. In other words, while no solution is in sight, regular unleaded will still be available.

Sounds too good to be true? You may want to pour yourself a taller glass.

While ethanol gets the nod from both the oil industry and the car industry, it is the mandatory implementation of the 1% Coco Methyl Ester (CME) on all diesel fuels that is leaving a nasty residue in some mouths. Unlike the ethanol component, the new biofuels act requires that every last drop of diesel that comes out of a pump be mixed with a minimum of 1% CME. No exceptions. Not even on the industrial diesel that powers generators. So what’s 1% between friends?

The industries affected (automotive and oil) both fear that not enough research has been conducted to guarantee consumers that the introduction of even just 1% of CME will have a positive effect on either their vehicles or the environment. In fact, independent tests commissioned by some oil companies show the reverse to be true.

And who are we doing this for if not the environment and our countrymen?

As of today, I’m told that approximately 65% of all CME will be supplied by Chemrez, a local Chinese company. The same company is said to be currently developing another plant, which will increase their production to as much as 80% or more. While it may be true that this will create local jobs and fill the BIR’s pockets with wads full of much-needed cash, coconuts are a commodity like anything else and the concern is that there is absolutely no guarantee that the prices won’t skyrocket once a mandatory demand is created.

If prices remain at today’s cost of 60 pesos per liter of CME, this should work out to a minimum added cost to the consumer of 35 centavos extra per liter of diesel. That is just cost of product. Once you start to factor in the cost of cleaning out and modifying pipes and fittings to accommodate the new bio diesel, this will inevitably shoot up. Anything that the oil companies need to do to comply with the new law will be billed directly to you. Let’s face it, nice as everyone may be, nobody is doing this for love.

Another concern is that CME does not react well with water. Tests conducted by our local oil companies have shown that the very properties that make up CME "grabs" water. This becomes an issue during storage. Strangely enough, as part of the transportation of fuel, oil companies use water to push diesel through pipes. It may sound bizarre, but once inside the tank, any excess water just floats to the top where it is easily skimmed off. The same technique is used when water finds its way into storage tanks in humid countries like the Philippines.

The concern now with CME is that it cannot easily be separated from the water, which if no solution is found, will lead to corrosion in the tank, pipes, fuel lines and then eventually in your car’s fuels system. This is why the oil companies and even the manufacturers have been asking for more time so that they can study it and come up with the necessary measures to cope with it.

Of all the manufacturers I spoke to, only Ford confidently claim that their diesel vehicles will run on up to 5% coco diesel. According to Luie Dy Buncio, Ford’s VP for Sales & Marketing, all their gasoline models will happily run on a 10% ethanol mix; the Focus will even take in as much as 20%, while oddly enough, the new Escape hasn’t got a sweet tooth at all and is not recommended to run on any blend of ethanol whatsoever.

Just about everyone else seems to be opposed or non-committal towards the issue.

And lastly, while the CME industry claim that the introduction of just 1% in all diesel fuels will reduce emissions and generate up to a 10% saving in fuel usage, the oil industry argues that it is yet to receive anything to support those claims and feel that the mere mention of it until such time is just plain irresponsible.

On a whole, both the oil industry and the auto industry agree with the need for a bio fuel act. It is more on the implementation and the proper testing procedures where the tension begins.

Don’t get me wrong, the shift from fossil fuels to renewable resources alone is already a great leap forward; but let’s not over simplify things. For the biofuels act to work we need everyone to be batting on the same side — oil companies, government, suppliers, manufacturers and the public. This is not meant to be a band aid solution; this is much needed chemotherapy to save the country from our hopeless addiction to crude oil. It took Brazil over 30 years and over 16 billion dollars from 1979 to the mid-nineties just in loans to sugar farmers to get where they are today. That does not even take into account subsidies including foregone revenue from tax breaks as well as other costs to consumers. So please, don’t expect us to get there overnight.

But thanks to Brazil, we have a much easier learning curve. We can take a leaf out of their book and work towards an energy independent nation, so long as we do not get caught up in the hype.

I would like to believe that every motorist is committed to a cleaner environment. Just like we are all for eradicating poverty and hunger. Problem is, if it has to come directly from our pockets, many will look the other way. Biofuels, in principle, is a good thing. But the costs have to be shared in order to get to the bigger picture. Shell has been subsidizing their ethanol effort for eight months now just to kick things off. Now that the party is over, if ethanol still remains a more expensive option, guess what? Give me some of that good ‘old fashioned crude, please. Charity, after all, will always begin at home.

And if our government is not prepared to invest in this program in the same way as their South American counterparts, then the whole exercise becomes fruitless. I’m all for the ozone layer, but not if it will cost me 50 pesos a liter. And I know I’m not alone. In 1986, after civilians replaced generals in Brazilian politics, the world price of oil plunged, endangering the government’s pledge to keep the price of ethanol below that of gasoline. In 1989, President Jose Sarney started cutting ethanol price supports. Sales of ethanol cars plummeted and some Brazilians felt the entire experiment had been a waste.

Today, they are stronger than ever; but despite being known as the ethanol capital of the world, it may surprise many to know that Brazil has only enjoyed intermittent success with its ethanol program. It fascinated me to know how a country as successful as they are with alternative fuels overcame their problems to land them in the enviable position they are in today. So, as the biofuels act drew closer and closer to getting carved into stone, I decided to dig a little deeper by flying over to Sao Paolo , Brazil , last October for the final F1 race and made a little pit stop myself.

Aside from the government assistance, I learned that Brazil basically had to reinvent itself. They reinvested in R&D and came up with a better way to make ethanol, including using the remains of processed cane to power sugar and ethanol plants, and using industrial waste from ethanol production to fertilize sugar fields. As a result, the productivity of Brazil’s ethanol producers has steadily increased. In 1975, Brazil squeezed 2,000 liters, or about 520 gallons, of ethanol from a hectare, or nearly 2.5 acres, of sugar cane. Today, it’s nearly 6,000 liters.

But the biggest difference came when the government realized that, despite its influence and best intentions, it could not control the world’s market price of oil and ethanol, so it developed something else: the flex fuel engine. Today, more than 80% of all new cars sold in Brazil are fitted with Flex Fuel engines. The idea behind this was to be able to stabilize the prices of fuel by having a vehicle that could take both. Now, as a motorist pulls up to the pump, they have a choice of gasoline or alcool, depending on which one is cheaper on the day.

Nobody I have spoken to during the research of this article is opposed to change, but making it mandatory to use CME in diesel fuels could end up backfiring on our government. Unless more is done to insure that prices will be controlled and side effects (or concerns at least) minimized, this will hit the public utility sector harder than anyone else, which will in turn affect the transportation and the majority of the nation’s workforce that depend on it. Not to mention the private diesel motorists and the industries that depends on them, too. They may have found out the hard way, but even a country as advanced as Brazil understands that the power of energy independence is worth nothing without the power of choice.

[biogas.works]

The Philippine STAR Motoring Section
Fuel for Thought Part II
BACKSEAT DRIVER By James Deakin
Publication Date: [Wednesday, January 10, 2007]
Excerpts:

While ethanol gets the nod from both the oil industry and the car industry, it is the mandatory implementation of the 1% Coco Methyl Ester (CME) on all diesel fuels that is leaving a nasty residue in some mouths. Unlike the ethanol component, the new biofuels act requires that every last drop of diesel that comes out of a pump be mixed with a minimum of 1% CME. No exceptions. Not even on the industrial diesel that powers generators. So what’s 1% between friends?

The industries affected (automotive and oil) both fear that not enough research has been conducted to guarantee consumers that the introduction of even just 1% of CME will have a positive effect on either their vehicles or the environment. In fact, independent tests commissioned by some oil companies show the reverse to be true.

Dear Mad Max,

Thank you for the sharing the above article and some previous ones too. I underlined and boldfaced the vital portions to highlight them.

As one who has used different types of biodiesel and compared their ability to save fuel from increased mileage, I was quite impressed with 1% CME (specially because it is made in the Philippines and it is a potentially exportable product.)

My tests did not include emissions as I do not have the capability for these tests. Besides they have already been widely tested internationally by organizations like the US NREL.

As I want to help prove that 1% CME can deliver LONG-TERM fuel savings, I continue using 1% CME and subjecting it to my simulated "chassis dynamometer test" so that I can accurately report fuel savings taken on later occasions that can be verified.

I was really surprised when after 2,000 kms of using 1% CME, from a baseline of 11.2 km/L that peaked to >13.0 km/L (16% mileage increase), my little test fuel tank ran out of fuel at the NLEX prematurely. On this occasion, I obtained only 10.3 km/L or an 8% decrease in mileage.

The fear that 1% CME will damage my engine made me shift to 0.5% CME specially since a Canadian Study also reported that lower biodiesel blends were better. My 0.5% CME tests are continuing and now at over 3,500 kms, I still see >13.0 km/L (or a 16% mileage increase.)

I have reported these findings to the DOE, PCA, Chemrez and AIPSI. While they said they will look into it, I can't avoid wondering if they really are as I have not heard from them since. My requests for data and reports on tests they performed to prove 1% CME can deliver LONG TERM fuel savings equivalent to at least 10% increase in mileage also remain un-answered.

I hope they are re-thinking legislation to mandate the use of 1% CME as this law could really BACKFIRE on them. Although I only saw a one-time drop in fuel mileage with 1% CME, it was enough to scare me about using it.

Besides why should we be required to use 1% CME that is expensive if 0.5% CME (or a lesser & cheaper amount) can do the same or better job of saving fuel from increased mileage.

Please continue to share with us information about how we can best use biofuels to protect our environment and conserve our dwindling resources that include oil.

Again, thank you and MORE POWER.

Gerry

[Alpha_One]

Quote: "Of the three major oil companies, three manufacturers and some independent bodies I spoke to for this article, each one embraced the new law and fully supported it." -- YEAH, RIGHT!

OT: Why not? I mean, can't you imagine, when hydrogen or whatever comes around, you'll still be filling up your fuel cell Toyota at the corner Petron?

(Just rambling, ignore me if you wish). The thing that many people don't realize, about "evil oil companies" is that it's not all about the oil, or that they'll come to an end if we come upon an alternative source of energy. Doesn't matter if we're using oil, hydrogen, or beer as fuel, they'll be there. One way or another. We'll just call them the "evil beer companies" or something.

[1997]

Sorry for this reply... Ang haba kasi ng thread na eto kay hindi ko mabasa ng lubusan...

May I ask kung ok lang ba yung Bio Diesel direct from the pump ng Biodiesel?
My Car is 97 Hilander.. Whats best for my baby ba?