Another technology that looks interesting to me is biodiesel. This is a drop-in replacement for petro-diesel. I was reading about a guy that actually makes his own from waste oil collected from fast-food places. Basically, you filter the oil (to get food particles out) and mix 40 gal. of oil with 10 gal. of methanol, add 24g of KOH, heat it to 125 degrees F, and agitate it for 90 minutes. Afterwards, let it setle out, and it will separate into two layers. The bottom layer is 10 gal. of Glycerine, the top layer is 40 gal. of advanced Diesel substitute.

Got this off a bb I frequent. Wonder if you smell like french fries after you get through? :)

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), May 07, 2001

Answers

OK, I'm lost. I didn't take chemistry. What is KOH? Where do you get it? Also, where do you get methanol? Otherwise, it doesn't sound difficult at all!! thanks.

-- Green (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), May 07, 2001.

Can't help with the chemistry - its been over 10 years, and no practice. BUT... Eric - who USED (????) to post here and on BHM makes his own.

It was also on one of those news shows a number of years ago... Folks rigged up a carb on a van to use the stuff, and went around the country using old McDonald's, (etc) oil from the fryers.

I've been thinking about doing this for a long time... Those places have to pay to have folks haul away all that grease. Many times, you can get paid, too (though, like all other things 'country', it won't make you rich, lol).

One problem - here in ID, don't know laws elsewhere.... Its illegal. See, the product made is considered to be 'off-road' fuel, though it is essentially the same as any other diesel. Here, it can't be used in cars, trucks, etc... only tractors and motor bikes...

One other benefit.... the waste product generated from production is GLYCERINE.... yup!!! That stuff they sell for $1 per ounce at the drug store!!!!

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), May 07, 2001.

You might try Home Power magazine.http://www.homepower.com or maybe http://www.veggievan.com/

Backwoods home I think had a article on it as well as CS.

It may come down to home brewed versus $3.00 gallon unleaded.

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), May 07, 2001.

I haaven't looked at that site yet, Ken. But what about regular old gasoline engines? I am getting my truck all tuned up next week and trying a modification on the carb....Why not? 13mpg isn't anything to write home about. If it makes 17 or 18 I am SOOOO far ahead of where I am now. I heard they were saying$4 a gallon in Cali and NY for the summer's highest prices. I shudder.

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), May 07, 2001.

Yep I've heard of it AND MADE IT! The process works.My problem is I don't own any diesel vehicles to burn it in.I also have not found a cheap and plentiful source for methanol.My test batch was used in a friend's genset and it worked I also used about ten gallons in my home heating system.(it was nearly empty so was burning almost 100% bio-D)It worked fine as heating oil.Erick from Scotland claimed he was making it using ethanol.I sent an email as well as posted the question on CS (when i was still posting)as to whether or not the process and formula was the same using this type of alcohol.To date he has not answered.If I could make it using grain alcohol rather than wood alcohol it would be a boon because I could make bio-D for home heating at least until I could lay hands on a cheap used diesel pickup.In the interim I could enlarge the jet in my pickup's carb and burn the ethanol that I can grow and distill.BATF is problematical but I don't give a damn anymore.The road tax issue exists here as well regarding home made fuel.My personal answer? screw 'em.I've played nice for years and I was not the first to break the faith and damage the social contract between me and my government.Odd how taxation and politics enters into something as simple and common as motor fuel.Green I didn't actually know that RED DEVIL LYE was KOH.The process for biodiesel is as easy as baking a cake,very little of the mad scientists laboratory is needed.I'm always tempted to tell folks to keep it under your hat now that they know about it.I don't want to compete for the fryer oil.

-- greg (gsmith@tricountyi.net), May 09, 2001.

http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_simon.html http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_aleksnew.html http://www.webconx.com/biodiesel.htm

Lincoln, Nebraska has public transit buses that run on 25% soybean oil, but not recycled soybean oil. There are over 85 biodiesel production plants in 21 countries. 7 are in the US. In Canada, the Alternative Fuels Act requires that 50% of all new govt vehicles purchased must be able to run on alternative fuels and the requirement will rise to 75% by 2004. SOURCES: From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank by Joshua and Kaia Tickell, GreenTeach Publishing, Sarasota, FL. This is a pretty good book, with tons of info. I find it humorous that technically you are breaking the law using biodiesel on the highways, because it is not taxed and you aren't supposed to operate vehicles on public highways w/ untaxed fuel. I love America! This book even shows you how to modify a diesel engine to run on STRAIGHT vegetable oil, no transesterification to biodiesel required.

-- JC (survivors00@hotmail.com), May 10, 2001.

BioDiesel is very easy to make. It has been in commercial use in Europe for over 30 years. It can be made from virtually any natural oil, including greases and oils filtered out of wastewater. The KOH somebody was asking about is the catalyst needed to make BioDiesel. Generally Potassium or Sodium hydroxide is used as a catalyst, but I have heard of people using other things as a catalyst as well. The really cool thing about BioDiesel is that the byproducts left from making it are glycerine and soap !

-- Tony Kenny (jak711@home.com), February 07, 2002.

Well I'm not too familiar with BioDiesel per se, but I am aware of kits to convert diesel engines so that they can burn primarily recycled cooking oil which such drivers would obtain from their local restaurants. A growing industry to say the least.

-- Dave Barry (tribalconversions@hotmail.com), June 20, 2002.

Check out www.boiledfrog.org. We are an environmental organization in Calgary and one of our specialities is bio-diesel. We invite your to check it out! Peace.

-- Boiled Frog (info@boiledfrog.org), June 06, 2003.

Just to tell everyone Biodiesel isnt a hoax. Several friends have started making and using it in our vehicles. Several have also used it in thier tractors on thier farms. It's great to thumb our noses at OPEC. Our group is using an average of 200 gals a month now and hope to get others involved.

One of the farmers in our group will be converting his irrigation system to SVO this spring. last year he had to buy 800 gals of diesel to run it at a cost of almost $1200.00. this year hes hoping to get that down to less than $200.00 using biodeisel to start it and SVO to run it.(lol) His wife already has ideas on spending the money he'll save.WVO here in the area around Charlotte NC is free for the pickup most restuarants are glad to give it away, at least for the time being and at the amounts we are using.

So if you have a diesel car, truck or implement consider using Biodeisel or SVO in it lets send a message to OPEC that we dont need them anymore.

-- Jeff Kish in NC (jeff_kish@hotmail.com), February 11, 2004.

If you want to know more about Biodiesel or in the market for a machine that you can buy email me and i will get you the information. Its a cool looking machine and fits in the back of your pickup or a floor mount model with wheels it makes 120 gallons a day. I feel the same way all the oil opec dudes can take a hike off a short cliff..Hey people lets keep it here in our own country...

-- Barry Ware (bwareoo@earthlink.net), July 15, 2004.

oops thats bware00@earthlink.net sorry it's not oo it's zero zero on the email....

-- Barry Ware (bware00@earthlink.net), July 15, 2004.