Benefits of Biodiesel

 

 

“Let The Sun Shine”

 

 

Town of Rosendale Environmental Commission

Presents

Rosendale Green Building and Renewable Energy Expo

 

 

 

 

 

Hudson Valley Biodiesel Cooperative

Richard Pilkington

RPilkington@BiodieselStation.org

April 16, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.   

– Charles Darwin, (1809-1882)

 

What is Biodiesel?

 

 

Ø   Renewable energy fuel

 

Ø   Safe to use, handle and store

 

Ø   Easy to make

 

Ø   Made in the U.S.A.

 

 

Where does it come from?

 

Well, from the SUN, of course!

 

Biodiesel Feedstock –

 

Organic Oils from Plants –

Ø    Soybean, Canola (rapeseed), palm, peanut, coconut, sunflower, flax (linseed), mustard, hemp, jojoba, poppy, sesame, etc.

 

Recycled Oils –

Ø    Cooking and restaurant grease or fry oils

 

Animal Fats –

Ø    Cattle, swine, chicken, turkey, lamb, fish, etc.

 

Other Sources –

Ø    Algae

What is Biodiesel?

 

Techno-def –

 

Biodiesel, n --- a fuel composed of mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from raw or recycled vegetable oils or animal fats, designated B100, and meeting the requirements of ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) D 6751.

 

Biodiesel Blend, n --- a blend (or mix) of biodiesel fuel with petroleum-based diesel fuel, designated Bxx, where xx represents the volume percentage of biodiesel fuel in the blend.

 

 

Rudolf Diesel

 

Ø    Designed the diesel engine to run on peanut oil

 

 

 

Rudolf Diesel 

 "The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today. But such oils may become in course of time as important as petroleum and the coal tar products of the present time." – Rudolf Diesel, 1912

 

Benefits of Biodiesel
 

 

Key Benefits

 

Ø   Registered fuel/fuel additive - EPA

Ø   Designated alternative fuel - DOE/USDOT

Ø   Non-toxic and biodegradable

Ø   Compatible with existing diesel infrastructure

Ø   Made from renewable resources 

 

 

Socio-Economic Benefits

 

Ø   Puts American farmers to work

Ø   Creates new production jobs – a new industry

Ø   Reduces dependency on foreign oil

 

 

Environmental Benefits

 

Ø   Renewable/inexhaustible resource

Ø   Reduces sulfur dioxide emissions

Ø   Reduces carcinogenic emissions

Ø   Carbon dioxide (CO2) neutral

Ø   Reduces hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), particle emissions (PM) and smoke

 

 

 

How to Make Biodiesel

 

Ø    A Recipe for Sustainability

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Ö        10 parts Vegetable Oil

 

Ö        1-2 parts Methanol

 

Ö        A Dash (+/-) of Sodium Hydroxide (lye)

 

Instructions:

1.      Pre-heat the oil in its barrel to 120F

2.      Fill the reaction tank until the right level is reached (leave enough room for alcohol).

3.      Mix the oil for a several minutes to get a representative oil sample

4.      Titrate the oil sample to determine oil quality

5.      Add the correct amount of catalyst to the pre-mix tank

6.      Add methanol to the pre-mix until the right amount of alcohol is present

7.      Start re-circulating oil and draw premix from premix tank until it’s gone

8.      Open mix jet valve and close tank fill valve to start vortex mixing

9.      Set timer to 1 hour and walk away

10.  Drain glycerin into empty pail in the when at least 80% of expected glycerin appears

11.  Drain remaining glycerin after about 6-8 hours of settling

12.  Perform a mist-wash for several hours

13.  Perform a few simple quality checks of your biodiesel

14.  Continue mist washing until the biodiesel is satisfactory

15.  Pump the biodiesel into your storage tank

16.  Use your biodiesel in any diesel vehicle or equipment

 

Yield:

 

Ö        8 - 10 parts BIODIESEL

 

Ö        1 - 2 parts Glycerin (sugar byproduct)

 

Ö        < ½ part Methanol (to be burned/boiled off or re-claimed)

 

 

Biodiesel – What Is It Good For?

 

Ø  Alternative Fuel for Diesel Engines

o       Reduces global warming gas emissions

o       Reduces particle emissions, including air toxics

Ø  Fuel Additive for Home Heating

o       Cleaner burning, odorless, sulfur free

o       Reduces soot and residue in heating system

 
What’s The Catch?

 

Ø    ZERO impact for Home Heating

Ø    Biodiesel cleans the dirty petro-diesel system

Ø    Cloud point and gel point are higher

Ø    Corrodes fuel lines and seals on older vehicles

Ø    Nitrous Oxide (NOx) emissions increase

 

. . . and what it means

 

Ø    Home Heating – Just Do Itâ

Ø    Fuel filter changes are usually necessary

Ø    Use B20 or B10 in the winter or anti-gel additive

Ø    Engines prior to 1993 (1992?) may require fuel line and seal changes (or, use B35 or less )

 

To reduce NOx emissions . . .

 

Ø    Buy a late model diesel vehicle

Ø   Use NOx  reducing additives

Ø   Retard timing

Ø   Use coconut or palm oil derived biodiesel

 

Biodiesel – In The U.S.A

 

Ø    Energy Policy Act (EPAct)

Ø    Executive Order 13149

Ø    Clean Diesel Trucks and Buses Rule (EPA)

Ø    Clean Cities Program (DOE)

Ø    Clean School Bus USA (EPA)

 

Ø    Gubernatorial EOs

Ø    More than 27 state Senate/House Bills

Ø    Fastest growing alternative fuel

Ø    $90 million in research

Ø    25 million gallons produced in 2004

Ø    Substantially tested –

o       100s of millions of miles driven

o      140 schools, 450 buses, 1.8 million miles in Denver alone

 

 

Biodiesel – In New York State

 

Ø    NYSERDA Feasibility Study

o       Requires $64 million infrastructure investment

o       30 million gallon capacity

o      B2 mandate recommended

 

“New York agriculture would be a major beneficiary of biodiesel industry. Soybean acreage increased from 40,000 in 1991, to 100,000 in 1998, to 150,000 in 2002. 2003 estimate was 5.3 million bushels on 144,000 acres.”

 

Ø    NYSERDA Home Heating Studies

o       Available in Rosendale today!!!

 

Ø    In 2004, New York farmers harvested 173,000 acres and produced 6.228 million bushels of soybean

 

Biodiesel – Where Do I Get It?

 

Home Heating Oil

ClickableOil.com, (877) 328-9645

 

Home Brewing

Hudson Valley Biodiesel Cooperative (HVBC)

Richard Pilkington, RPilkington@BiodieselStation.org, (845) 313-2039

 

Your Home, Farm or Estate

Anytown, USA

 

Suppliers

Environmental Alternatives

14 Van Street, Staten Island, NY

Bob Lindenbaum, in Brooklyn at (718) 972-2156

Ø      B100 (neat) and a variety of ASTM certified blends

Ø      Available through members of the Hudson Valley Biodiesel Cooperative (HVBC); Richard Pilkington, (845) 313-2039

Ø      April 9th, 2005 - $2.65/gal. less Fed. And State Road Taxes

 

World Energy Alternatives, LLC

Chelsea, MA

Michele Rubino, (617) 889-7319

http://www.worldenergy.net/

Ø      FOB Origin Albany, NY; 55 gallon drums and up

 

 

Retail Fueling Stations

Dennis K. Burke, Inc.
410 Beacham Street, Chelsea, MA

(617) 889-6711 

Contacts: Patrick Burke (800) 289-2875

Ø      B10 or B5 at the pump

Ø      Certified ASTM

Ø      April 15th, 2005 - $2.449/gal.

 

Fleming's Shell
99B Route 9, West Chesterfield, NH

(603) 256-8157

Contacts: John Hurley, (802) 229-4148, Dog River Alternative Fuels

 

Biodiesel – Now What?

 

 

Stay Informed –

 

Join the Hudson Valley Biodiesel Cooperative (HVBC)

 

 

Four ways the group communicates and finds out what's happening . . .

 

Next Meeting
6:30 P.M., April 19th, 2005
Sustainable Living Resource Center
150 Cottekill Rd., Cottekill, NY

 

 

Thank You!!!

 

  

 

Richard Pilkington

(845) 344-2669 Home/Office

(845) 313-2039 Cell/Voice Mail

BiodieselStation.org

 

 

Biodiesel – Further Reading

 

From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank

The Complete Guide to Using Vegetable Oil as an Alternative Fuel

http://biodieselamerica.org/

 

Biodiesel - A Primer (free download)

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/biodiesel.pdf

 

Alternative Fuel Vehicle Comparison

http://www.unh.edu/p2/biodiesel/article_vehicle_compare.html

 

Clean Cities Program

http://www.eere.energy.gov/cleancities/

 

Clean School Bus USA

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/schoolbus/index.htm

 

Statewide feasibility study

For a potential New York State biodiesel industry

http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/scandoclinks/ocm56903698.htm

 

Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Standards and Highway Diesel Fuel Sulfur Control Requirements

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/regs/hd2007/frm/f00057.pdf

 

Clean Diesel Trucks and Buses Rule

(2007 Heavy-Duty Highway Final Rule)

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/diesel.htm

 

 

 

L I N K S
World Energy Alternatives  · National Biodiesel Board (NBB)  · Biodiesel America  · BiodieselNow  · Journey to Forever  · Ethanol and Biofuels Resources  · Alternative Energy Institute  · Alternative Fuels Data Center  · Hemp for Fuel Resources  · Green, Renewable Energy  · Best Biofuels  · NREL  · Biodiesel Technologies  · BioEconomy Partners  · Alternative Fuel Price Report  · Clean Cities Program  · communitybiofuels.com  · Green Car Congress

 

 

This document is available on the Internet at:

http://www.itsmc.com/hvbc/doc/benefits_of_biodiesel.doc

 

Alternative Fuel Vehicle Comparison - by UNH Biodiesel Group

 

Jetta TDI on biodiesel

Jetta TDI on petroleum diesel

Jetta 2.0L gasoline engine

Toyota Prius on gasoline

Toyota Fuel Cell vehicle (hydrogen)

Dodge ESX3 (diesel-hybrid) on biodiesel

Vehicle cost

$19,970

$19,970

$18,790

$21,520

$100,0003

$28,500

Fuel efficiency

41/48.5

42/50

24/31

52/45

5.74

72

Vehicle range

609/711

609/711

348/450

619/536

155

???

Power (hp)

90

90

115

70

110

???

Torque (ft-lbs)

155

155

122

82 (EM?)

188

???

Cost/mile2

$0.047

$0.040

$0.062

$0.035

$0.195

$0.03

Energy density of fuel (Thousands of BTUs/gal)

127

141

123

123

9

127

Fossil Fuel Energy Balance6

3.2

0.83

0.74

0.74

0.667

3.2

Total fossil energy input/mile8 (Thousand BTU/mile)

0.89

3.7

6.0

3.4

2.4

0.55

1.       Assuming modern catalyst used with the TDI running biodiesel or ULSD.

2.       Assuming $1.70/gallon for gasoline, $1.80 for petroleum diesel, and $2.16/gallon for biodiesel, based on 50/50 average of city/highway

3.       Honda's estimate for the cost of their fuel cell vehicles in mass production in 2012

4.       Miles per gallon of hydrogen compressed to 5,000 psi (35 atmospheres), based on maximum range of Honda's FCV of 170 miles on a 30 gallon tank

5.       30 gallons at 5,000 psi equals 3.2 kg of hydrogen (hydrogen density at 14.7 psi is 0.0003142 kg/gal, at 5000 psi it's 0.1069 kg/gal). Typical cost for very large consumers of compressed hydrogen expected to be $10/kg. So, $32 for 170 miles.

6.       See http://www.mda.state.mn.us/ethanol/balance.html

7.       Assumes hydrogen produced from steam reformation of natural gas, fossil energy balance (net energy ratio) taken from http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy01osti/27637.pdf

8.       Fossil Energy Input calculated based on 50/50 average fuel mileage and energy balance of creating fuel, using 3.2:1 for biodiesel (when made from soy), 0.83:1 for petroleum diesel, 0.74:1 for gasoline, and 0.5:1 for hydrogen (based on electrolysis of water). See http://www.mda.state.mn.us/ethanol/balance.html
Energy input per mile then equals (energy density of fuel )/[(fuel efficiency (mpg))*Energy balance]