ALL ABOUT ALTERNATIVE FUELS

The innovations in alternative fuels are nothing short of amazing. Scientists have made amazing strides in this area even developing engines that can run on simple, everyday vegetable oil!  I, personally, think that’s absolutely amazing!

But there are a lot of other alternative fuels available and there are certain vehicles that are able to run on those fuels. We’ll take a look at some of these fuels and how they are derived.

Ethanol

Ethanol is a type of alcohol that has been converted to allow it to become a source of fuel for vehicles. Ethanol is sometimes called grain alcohol and is generally made in the United States from corn. It can also be made from organic materials including agricultural crops and waste, plant material left from logging, and trash including paper.

Brazil, which is by far the largest producer in the world, makes ethanol from sugar cane. Projects are now underway in California to convert some of the state's agricultural waste, like rice straw that is now burned in fields, into ethanol.

The alcohol found in alcoholic beverages is ethanol. However, the ethanol used for motor fuel is denatured, which means poison has been added so people can't drink it.

Some people believe that ethanol takes more energy than it gives back and for the most part, this is true. However, technologies have evolved in such a way that it is possible to increase the efficiency of producing ethanol.

Corn ethanol today is made by converting the starch in corn to sugars and then into alcohol in a process of fermenting. A company in Canada, Iogen, has invented a process for converting agricultural waste such as corn stalks, husks, etc. (corn "stover") and other cellulose rich plant waste like straw into ethanol by using enzymes.

This process may raise the energy balance of ethanol to as high as 1:7, although there are no details related to a study of the effectiveness of this process. If waste agricultural products are used, then the energy for planting and harvesting have already been taken into account, allowing ethanol from waste to have a very favorable energy balance. It is estimated that as much as a third of the waste from our fields could be made into ethanol without harming the soil.

Corn ethanol yields about 300 gallons of ethanol per acre and corn is a fairly "high input" crop. That means that corn requires heavy fertilizers which hurts the energy balance equation.

The ethanol we get from corn is a result of converting the starch in corn into sugars and then into alcohol in a process of fermenting. Sweet sorghum starts with a high concentration of sweet juice in the plant.

A farmer in Iowa has invented a new process to harvest the sweet sorghum, crush the juice out while harvesting and add yeast during harvesting starting the fermenting process immediately. The sweet juice is then stored on the farm in a very large rubber bladder for a week to 10 days and, you've got hydrated ethanol (ethanol with about 8% water). Sweet sorghum produces about 900 gallons of ethanol per acre and is a lower input crop than corn.

During the energy crisis of the 70s and 80s, there was a product referred to as "Gasohol" that was about 10% ethanol or "E10". Gasoline engines needed minor modifications to run on E10 because the ethanol tended to degrade seals and fuel hoses.

Modern gasoline engines are now set up to run E10. In Iowa, about 60% of the gasoline sold is E10. It is actually the least expensive gasoline grade because the ethanol is subsidized to make it so.

To use higher percentages like E85, engines need appropriate seals, hoses and engine settings like timing, etc.. Vehicles set up to run E85 have been selling for a number of years and are sold as "Flex Fuel" vehicles (FFV). Such vehicles have a fuel sensor in the fuel line to monitor the mix of gasoline and ethanol present and adjust the engine appropriately for the fuel being used.

Either all gasoline can be used or any mixture of ethanol up to 85% ethanol (E85). The stimulus for these vehicles being available was the 1992 EPAct that mandated that government vehicle fleets use renewable fuels. Many such vehicles have been purchased by government fleets and then sold later as used vehicles to individuals. There are people that have FFVs and are not even aware they can run E85.

You can generally tell if you have an FFV by looking at the engine and seeing if there is a sticker or some other indicator that you have an FFV car. You’d be surprised at how many vehicles are capable of running E85 fuel, so check it out – it could save you some money!

Compared with gasoline-fueled vehicles, most ethanol-fueled vehicles produce lower carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emissions and the same or lower levels of hydrocarbon and non-methane hydrocarbon emissions. Oxides of nitrogen emissions are about the same for ethanol and gasoline vehicles. E85 has fewer highly volatile components than gasoline and so has fewer evaporative emissions.

Ethanol has a high octane rating (108 +), which is beneficial in engines that are designed to operate on higher octane fuels. However, because ethanol is blended with gasoline in E85 the actual octane level rating will vary by season and location. Unlike gasoline, the octane rating of E85 is rarely posted on the pump and doing so is not required by law.

Methanol

Methanol is Ethanol’s cousin in a way as they are both alcohol based products. Methanol is sometimes called wood alcohol and can be made from various biomass resources like wood, as well as from coal. However, today nearly all methanol is made from natural gas, or methane, because it is cheaper.
 

Methanol is also very poisonous and very harmful if swallowed. Methanol must not be confused with ethanol. As with gasoline, it is also wise to avoid skin contact with methanol, as it can pass through the skin. Methanol is also used as an anti-freeze as well as a solvent.

As an interesting bit of history, the ancient Egyptians used methanol in their embalming process. When mummies were prepared for entombment, their blood was removed and replaced with methanol.

The use of methanol as a motor fuel received attention during the oil crisis of the 1970’s due to its availability and low cost. Problems occurred early in the development of gasoline-methanol blends, however. As a result of its low price, some gasoline marketers over-blended the mix. Others used improper blending and handling techniques.

This led to consumer and media problems. However, there is still a great deal of interest in using methanol as a neat fuel. The flexible-fuel vehicles currently being manufactured by General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler can run on any combination of ethanol, methanol, and/or gasoline.

Methanol is used a lot in the open wheel racing circuits because it is highly combustible. It is also used a lot in drag racing as well as with remote control airplanes and on the Indy racing circuit. Methanol is less flammable than gasoline so it is considered safer to use in high performance engines.

Scientists are working toward a more methanol based fuel for consumer use and because it is cheaper to process, the likelihood that it will be cheaper to the user is much greater as well.

Compressed Natural Gas

You can cook with it and heat your house with it. You may even power a car or truck with it. So what is it? It’s natural gas. Like oil, this common fuel comes from underground. However, natural gas, as the name implies, is a gas much like air, rather than a liquid like petroleum. It has been found to be one of the most environmentally friendly fuels, and its popularity is growing.

Natural gas, like methanol, is mostly made up of methane gas – 95 percent. The other 5 percent is made up of various gases along with small amounts of water vapor. These other gases include butane, propane, ethane and other trace gases. Methane is a hydrocarbon, meaning its molecules are made up of hydrogen and carbon atoms. Its simple, one carbon, molecular structure (CH4) makes possible its nearly complete combustion.

Because of its clean burning nature and the fact that it is not made from petroleum, as gasoline and diesel are, many automakers around the world are developing vehicles to run on natural gas. Cars, vans, buses and small trucks generally use natural gas that has been compressed and stored in high-pressure cylinders.

Several vehicles are available today such as the Honda Civic CGX and the Ford Crown Victoria that operate on compressed natural gas. Some run on natural gas only and others can run on natural gas or gasoline in bi-fuel vehicles.  You may have better luck converting your vehicle to run on natural gas rather than trying to find a car that runs on it anyway.

Dedicated natural gas vehicles (NGVs) are designed to run only on natural gas; bi-fuel NGVs have two separate fueling systems that enable the vehicle to use either natural gas or a conventional fuel.

In general, dedicated NGVs demonstrate better performance and have lower emissions than bi-fuel vehicles because their engines are optimized to run on natural gas. In addition, the vehicle does not have to carry two types of fuel, thereby increasing cargo capacity and reducing weight.

Compressed natural gas certainly is the newest and most popular change in alternative fuels. It has the most promise as a viable alternative to gasoline and it certainly is much better for the environment.

Fueling stations are available in many larger cities and even in rural areas. You can easily locate a fueling station by asking around or doing a quick Internet web search.

Natural gas vehicles are just as safe as today's conventional gasoline and diesel vehicles. They use pressurized tanks, which have been designed to withstand severe impact, high external temperatures, and environmental exposure. Adequate training is required to operate and maintain natural gas vehicles because they are different than gasoline or diesel vehicles. Training and certification of service technicians is required.

In general, a natural gas vehicle can be less expensive to operate than a comparable conventionally fueled vehicle depending on natural gas prices. Natural gas can cost less than gasoline and diesel per energy equivalent gallon; however, local utility rates can vary.

Purchase prices for natural gas vehicles are somewhat higher than for similar conventional vehicles. The auto manufacturers' typical price premium for a light-duty CNG vehicle can be $1,500 to $6,000. For heavy-duty trucks and buses it is in the range of $30,000 to $50,000.

Federal and other incentives can help defray some of the increase in vehicle acquisition costs. In addition, fleets may need to purchase service and diagnostic equipment if access to commercial CNG/LNG vehicle maintenance facilities is not available. Learn more about NGV tax incentives.

Retrofitting a conventional vehicle so it can run on CNG may cost $2,000 to $4,000 per vehicle. However, the price may be well worth it in the long run – especially for the environment. Processing procedures as well as increased availability could conceivably bring the price of CNG lower than conventional gasoline.

High-pressure tanks that hold CNG require periodic inspection and certification by a licensed inspector. Some natural gas vehicle manufacturers now recommend oil changes at intervals twice as long as similar gasoline or diesel models (10,000-12,000 miles).

Compared with vehicles fueled by conventional diesel and gasoline, NGVs can produce significantly lower amounts of harmful emissions such as nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and toxic and carcinogenic pollutants. NGVs can also reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas.

The cost of a gasoline-gallon equivalent of CNG can be favorable compared to that of gasoline, but varies depending on local natural gas prices.  As we’ve already said, there will continue to be advancements made in this arena which could be significant for the consumer.

Natural gas is mostly domestically produced. In 2004, net imports of natural gas were approximately 15% of the total used, with almost all the imports coming from Canada.

Some natural gas vehicle owners report service lives 2 to 3 years longer than gasoline or diesel vehicles and extended time between required maintenance.

Electricity

Believe it or not, electric vehicles have been around for a very long time. In the early 1900s, there were more electric vehicles than there were gasoline-powered cars. Back in the early 1920’s when vehicles were becoming more popular, gasoline was very expensive.

It also was hard to start a gasoline engine; you had to turn and turn and turn a crank in front of the car to get it to start. They did not have a key to start the car like we do today. Gasoline vehicles were also noisy and put out lots of smoke. The cars either had no mufflers, or the mufflers didn't do a good job. So, electric vehicles were a big hit. At one time there were 50,000 of them on the roads and streets of the United States.

But these vehicles soon faded away like the horse-drawn carriage. New ways to make gasoline cheaply were being discovered. A new invention called an electric starter was made. It started the car with a key instead of a crank. A gasoline car could go much farther than an electric one. So, gasoline-powered vehicles soon became the main method of transporting people.

Automobile companies are making cars cleaner and cleaner today. Ten cars built today produce the same amount of pollution that you'd get from just one car built 15 years ago. And oil companies are creating cleaner fuels like a new gasoline called reformulated gasoline. But electric vehicles are once again back on the road.

Electric vehicles don't burn gasoline in an engine. They use electricity stored on the car in batteries. Sometimes, 12 or 24 batteries, or more, are needed to power the car. Just like a remote-controlled, model electric car, EVs have an electric motor that turns the wheels and a battery to run that motor.

One of the first modern EVs was the General Motors Impact. GM changed its name and started selling the GM "EV1" in 1997. This sleek looking car even set a World Record of more than 180 miles per hour!

The EV1 is very aerodynamic. This means that air slides around the body of the car very easily. The less air resistance or drag, the less energy is needed to power the car at freeway speeds. In face, the EV1 is as aerodynamic as some jet fighter aircrafts!  However, the GM Impact is not yet available for sale.

To charge an EV's batteries, the car is usually plugged in at night. Some EVs can plug right into a regular electrical wall outlet. Others need a larger outlet, like the kind that a stove or electric clothes dryer plug into. Electricity, is then stored in the batteries of the EV.

The batteries can be lead acid batteries, like the batteries you find in our flashlight or in regular gasoline cars. Or they can be ni-cad (nickel-cadmium) like the kind that run portable video recorders or a portable video game player -- only much larger.

Better batteries that hold more energy and last longer are being developed. In 2001, by the time today's fifth graders are ready to drive, electric vehicles should be able to travel 150 to 200 miles before recharging.

Most EVs today, however, can only go about 100 miles before you need to plug them in and recharge their batteries. They are not like the Energizer Bunny that keeps on going, and going, and going. But, 50 to 100 miles is plenty for most people who only drive a short distance to and from work, to and from school, or to do some shopping.

Electric vehicles are more expensive to buy than gasoline cars, but when more and more EVs are made, the price of EVs should drop to about the same as gasoline cars.

Some EVs, like the Toyota RAV-4 EV are made by major auto companies. Other electric vehicles built today are made by small car companies, or by people who build them in their own garages as a hobby. Some people build cars from kits and make them look like gasoline roadsters or like sports cars.

Other people convert regular cars into electric vehicles. They pull out the motor and gas tank and put an electric motor and batteries into the car. Sometimes, the batteries go into the trunk or even under the back seat...they go where ever there is room.

Beginning in 1999, nearly all of the major auto companies -- Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Chrysler and Honda offered at least one model electric car. That numbers has dropped in 2002, with many auto companies working on hybrid vehicles -- a combination of a small internal combustion engine and an electric motor.

Another type of electric vehicle is a golf cart or neighborhood watch vehicle. These battery powered electric vehicles are used to patrol in small, private neighborhoods, travel around the golf course, or provide small distance transportation in various situation.

Solar Power

A solar powered vehicle is an electric vehicle powered by solar energy obtained by solar panels that are on the surface of the car. Photovoltaic (PV) cells convert the sun's energy directly into electrical energy.

Solar cars are not practical day-to-day transportation devices at present, but are primarily demonstration vehicles and engineering exercises. Solar cars compete in races (often called rayces) such as the World Solar Challenge and the American Solar Challenge. These events are often sponsored by government agencies, such as the United States Department of Energy, who are keen to promote the development of alternative energy technology such as solar cells.

Such challenges are often entered by universities to develop their students' engineering and technological skills, but many professional teams have entered competitions as well, including teams from GM and Honda.

The electrical system is the most important part of the solar car’s systems as it controls all of the power that comes into and leaves the system. The battery pack plays the same role in a solar car that a gas tank plays in a normal car in storing power for future use.

Solar cars achieve their performance by extreme lightness of weight along with very efficient aerodynamics. Those simple concepts would require unacceptable compromises that would not really be feasible for a day-to-day transportation device.

Conventional vehicles today are built for passenger comfort, among other considerations making the ultra-compact nature of a solar car impractical for the everyday consumer. Meeting contemporary safety standards would make a solar car much less aerodynamic and heavier which would require more power to achieve standard highway speeds. With current and foreseeable technologies, it is unlikely a completely solar car will become commercially available.

However, solar cars are basically electric cars with an inbuilt recharging capability, so when you take engineering knowledge and pair it with technology develop in competition solar cars that may help the development of battery electric vehicles and even hybrid vehicles.

Still, there is a question as to whether if battery electric vehicles become popular, it will be worthwhile fitting them with solar cells to extend their range and allowing them to recharge while parked anywhere in the sun. While a solar powered vehicle would be a no emission vehicle and great for the environment, having one become an everyday use vehicle is probably not going to happen.

But, one very practical application for a solar powered vehicle could lie within the golf cart industry. While many golf carts are electrically powered, there are still many that run on gas thus releasing the same greenhouse gases that come from cars.

Golf carts aren’t used for hours on end – except by my husband – and they spend most of their time parked in the sun. Besides saving on electricity – which is getting more and more expensive every day – they can also reduce gas emissions completely. At least it’s a start!

Hydrogen

One of the most interesting and promising, alternative transportation fuels is hydrogen. While mostly only experimental vehicles are operating on this fuel now, the potential for this unique energy source is excellent.

Anyone who has taken a chemistry class knows that hydrogen is number one on the periodic chart of elements and the lightest of all elements. It is easy to produce through electrolysis, simply splitting water (H20) into oxygen and hydrogen by using electricity. However, these days, nearly all hydrogen is made from natural gas.

Because hydrogen burns nearly pollution-free, it has been looked at as the ultimate clean fuel. When burned, it turns into heat and water vapor. When burned in an internal combustion engine (the kind of engine in gasoline cars today), the combustion also produces small amounts of other gases.

These other gases are mostly oxides of nitrogen because the hydrogen is being burned with air, which is about two-thirds nitrogen. Being a non-carbon fuel, the exhaust is free of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide, emitted from our burning of fossil fuels, is causing the world's climate to change.

Hydrogen is normally a gas and can be compressed and stored in cylinders. The main problem with hydrogen is bulk of the cylinders or fuel tanks. Compressed hydrogen contains less energy per volume compared to liquid fuels like gasoline or ethanol. Hydrogen can also be cooled to produce liquid hydrogen, but it is costly.

Hydrogen's clean burning characteristics may, one day, make it a popular transportation fuel. For now, the problem of how to store enough hydrogen on a vehicle for a reasonable range, and its high cost, compared to gasoline, are critical barriers to widespread commercial use. Nearly all hydrogen currently is made from natural gas. For that reason, hydrogen usually costs more than natural gas.

There have only been a small number of prototype hydrogen vehicles made. Most of these have been experimental vehicles made by car manufacturers. Nearly all of these prototype cars were equipped with internal combustion engines, similar to ones that run on gasoline.

Hydrogen is also used in fuel cells which are used to power fuel cell vehicles.   Fuel cell vehicles are the most promising vehicles in saving the environment as they are considered zero-emission vehicles. Fuel cells have been used on spacecraft for many years to power electric equipment. These are fueled with liquid hydrogen from the spacecraft's rocket fuel tanks.

Fuel cell vehicles turn hydrogen fuel and oxygen into electricity. The electricity then powers an electric motor, just like electricity from batteries powers the motor of an electric vehicle. Fuel cells combine oxygen from the air with hydrogen from the vehicle's fuel tank to produce electricity. When oxygen and hydrogen are combined they give off energy and water (H2O). In fuel cells this is done without any burning (combustion).

When we think of vehicles that are fueled with hydrogen, we may think of rocket-powered spacecraft, like the space shuttle. The space shuttle is fueled with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. To fly, the oxygen and hydrogen are mixed together and ignited to make a very hot fire.

The expanding gases from that fire are what propel the spacecraft. The exhaust from spacecraft rocket motors (and hydrogen-fueled fuel cells) is mostly water. That is why hydrogen-fueled fuel cell vehicles. Very little is in the exhaust except water. Fuel cells do get hot though, so the water comes out of the fuel cells as water vapor, or steam.

There are a number of ways that hydrogen can be provided to the fuel cell. One way is simply to put hydrogen gas into the fuel cell, along with air. Hydrogen gas can come from gaseous or liquid hydrogen stored on the vehicle.

To carry gaseous hydrogen on a vehicle, it must be compressed. When compressed (usually to a pressure of about 3000 pounds per square inch), it must be stored in special high-pressure containers. This is similar to the way compressed natural gas is stored on natural gas-fueled vehicles.

The other way to provide hydrogen gas to the fuel cell is to store it on the vehicle in liquid form. To make hydrogen liquid, it is chilled and compressed. Liquid hydrogen is very, very cold--more than 423.2 degrees Fahrenheit below zero!

This super-cold liquid hydrogen is the kind used in space rockets. The containers are able to hold pressure, but they are also insulated to keep the liquid hydrogen from warming up. Warming the liquid, or lowering the pressure, releases gas (like boiling water), and the gas can go to the fuel cell.

Another way to get hydrogen to the fuel cell is to use a "reformer". A reformer is a device that removes the hydrogen from hydrocarbon fuels, like methanol or gasoline. When a fuel other than hydrogen is used, the fuel cell is no longer zero-emission, but it still may be very low emitting.

There is also a type of fuel cell that can be fueled with methanol directly. This is called a direct-methanol fuel cell. This type of fuel cell does not need a reformer to separate the hydrogen from the methanol. The fuel cell removes the hydrogen from the liquid methanol inside the fuel cell.

Many people in the vehicle manufacturing business think that fuel cell vehicles may be the technology of the future. However, a lot of work will have to be done to make fuel cell vehicles perform well enough to replace the internal combustion engine in the vehicles we use today. They also will need to be made much less expensive.

At present, fuel cell vehicles have only been developed to what might be called the pre-prototype stage. That means there are very few fuel cell vehicles in existence, and all of them are actually used for testing.

Most car manufacturers have or are working on demonstration models, some of which can reach a speed of 90 mph and can travel up to about 280 miles before they need refueling. Some manufacturers claim they will have fuel cell cars available for the public in the next ten years.

Liquefied Natural Gas

Natural gas can be made into three forms. One kind is the low-pressure form you use to cook or heat your home. It comes from the underground pipe from the gas company.

Another form is compressed natural gas (CNG). This form is compressed into high-pressure fuel cylinders to power a car or truck. It comes from special CNG fuel stations.

The third form is liquefied natural gas (LNG). LNG is made by refrigerating natural gas to condense it into a liquid. The liquid form is much denser than natural gas or CNG. It has much more energy for the amount of space it takes up. So, much more energy can be stored in the same amount of space on a car or truck. That means LNG is good for large trucks that need to go a long distance before they stop for more fuel.

Liquefied natural gas is made by refrigerating natural gas to minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit (260 degrees below zero!) to condense it into a liquid. This is called liquefaction. The liquefaction process removes most of the water vapor, butane, propane, and other trace gases, that are usually included in ordinary natural gas.

The resulting LNG is usually more than 98 percent pure methane. Caterpillar, Cummins, Detroit Diesel, Mack and Navistar all sell heavy-duty natural gas engines that can operate on LNG.

Even though liquefied natural gas produces less pollution, it is not used in widespread form because it is expensive to produce plus it must be transported in cryogenic tanks which are also extremely expensive. However, liquefied natural gas plants are being constructed all over the world and steps are being taken to try and curtail the expense of producing this alternative fuel.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas

Most people call liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) "propane." That is because LPG is mostly made up of propane. Actually, LPG is made of a mixture of propane and other similar types of hydrocarbon gases. Different batches of LPG have slightly different amounts of the different kinds of hydrocarbon molecules.

These hydrocarbons are gases at room temperature, but turn to liquid when they are compressed. LPG is stored in special tanks that keep it under pressure, so it stays a liquid. The pressure of these tanks is usually about 200 pounds per square inch (abbreviated "psi").

Propane has been used in vehicles since the 1920s. Today there are more than 200,000 propane vehicles in the United States and about 9 million worldwide. These include cars, pickup trucks, and vans; and medium- heavy-duty vehicles such as shuttles, trolleys, delivery trucks, and school buses; and off-road vehicles such as forklifts and loaders.

Propane vehicles can be equipped with dedicated fueling systems designed to use only propane, or bi-fuel fueling systems that enable fueling with either propane or gasoline.

Most LPG produced in the U.S. comes from natural gas wellhead processing. That is because natural gas has LPG gases and water vapor in it, which must be removed before the natural gas can be sent away in pipelines. Most of the LPG produced in California comes from petroleum refining.

The LPG used in vehicles is the same as that used in gas barbecues and camper appliances. LPG is also used in many homes in the country, where there are no natural gas pipelines. These homes use LPG for heating, cooking, hot water and other energy needs.

LPG fueled engines can pollute less than gasoline and diesel engines. LPG usually costs less than gasoline for the same amount of energy. In some countries LPG is used much more for vehicle fuel. In the Netherlands over 10 percent of the motor fuel used is LPG.

Propane vehicles can produce 60% fewer ozone-forming emissions (CO and NOx) than vehicles powered by reformulated gasoline. In addition, tests on light-duty, bi-fuel vehicles have demonstrated a 98% reduction in the emissions of toxics, including benzene, 1,3-butadiene, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde, when the vehicles were running on propane rather than gasoline.

The cost of a gasoline-gallon equivalent of LPG is generally less than that of gasoline, but varies depending on location.

Biodiesel

Biodiesel fuel is a lot like diesel fuel, but it is made from vegetable oil or animal fat. Biodiesel is not regular vegetable oil and is not safe to swallow. Biodiesel is biodegradable though, so it is much less harmful to the environment if spilled.

Biodiesel is made through a process called transesterification. This process makes vegetable oil and animal fat into esterified oil, which can be used as diesel fuel, or mixed with regular diesel fuel.

Ordinary diesel engines can run on biodiesel. Practically any type of vegetable oil or animal fat can be used to make biodiesel. But the most popular types of vegetable oils are soybean and rapeseed oil.

Soybeans are used to make tofu and soy sauce. Soybean and rapeseed oil have been tried as biodiesel because they are less expensive than most other types of vegetable oil.

Although soybean and rapeseed oil are more expensive than regular diesel fuel, most other types of vegetable oils are too expensive to even be considered for use as diesel fuel. Animal fat also is too expensive for this use, but used oil from restaurants has been tried for biodiesel with great success.

Consider the following story:

Tom McGurr, a New Jersey contractor, has found a new way to beat the high cost of diesel--by scrounging used vegetable oil from fast-food restaurants, which are usually happy to give it away. But McGurr doesn't just pour fry oil into his tank. Using a kit from Missouri-based Greasel Conversions, McGurr filters the cooking oil into a tank in the truck bed.

Water from the engine's cooling system then heats the viscous oil before it's pumped into the engine. "I've put about 4000 miles on the conversion, and the truck runs great," McGurr says. "My commute is about 35 miles each way, and after only a few miles I can switch from regular diesel to the heated veggie oil, even on cold days."

A few miles from the end of the day's driving McGurr switches back to diesel. He does this to flush out the lines so oil doesn't congeal in the fuel-injection system. Charlie Anderson, owner of Greasel Conversions, has sold over 4500 of the kits to date; they cost $800 and up.

Biodiesel has been shown to produce lower tailpipe emissions than regular diesel fuel. The best thing about biodiesel is that it is made from plants and animals, which are renewable resources.

Biodiesel blends can be used in any light- or heavy-duty diesel engine. However, it is important to check with your manufacturer before using biodiesel. As with any fuel, an engine component failure caused by the fuel may not be covered under warranty.

Blends of biodiesel are being used in a number of heavy-duty vehicles throughout the country as well. The most common blend of biodiesel is B20 (20% biodiesel / 80% diesel), but B100 (neat biodiesel) and blends of less than 20% biodiesel can also be used.

Vehicles that have successfully used biodiesel include school and transit buses, refuse haulers, military support vehicles, farm equipment, and national park maintenance vehicles. Biodiesel fueling of light-duty diesel vehicles is less common. It is important to always consult your vehicle manufacturer to make sure they approve the use of biodiesel in their products.

Fleets looking to comply with the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct) must use fuel blends that contain at least 20% biodiesel.

According to the National Biodiesel Board, using a B20 biodiesel fuel blend can reduce vehicle emissions as follows:

• Unburned hydrocarbons - 20% reduction
  
  
• Carbon monoxide - 12% reduction
  
  
• Particulate matter - 12% reduction

Biodiesel is domestically produced, so its use helps reduce the nation's dependence on imported oil and can help boost the agricultural sector of the economy. It is also a renewable fuel made from domestically grown crops like soybeans and mustard seed. Biodiesel can also be produced from recycled cooking grease. When using biodiesel, lubricity is improved over conventional diesel fuel.

So, as you can see, there are many alternative fuels that can be used in vehicles as opposed to gasoline. But why should you use alternative fuels?  Mainly because it helps the environment.

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