Biodiesel Kits & e85 Conversions

Alternative fuels for gasoline and diesel are being mass marketed commercially to power hybrid, electric and hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles. Yet they represent only the tip of a much larger, "underground" movement away from fossil fuels. Members of this "underground" include several small fuel production companies, automobile makers from around the world, local and regional cooperatives, municipalities and individuals.

Just as diverse as this grassroots underground are the actual raw sources they are developing for use. Whether you spell it as two words (bio fuels) or one (biofuels) portion of the fuel marketplace is growing rapidly, with and without government sanctions and standards or much public understanding.

The two branches of biofuels are biodiesel and ethanol. Both are made from renewable organic substances, and sometimes from the same substance (corn for example). They are the only alternative fuel in the US to complete EPA Tier I Health Effects Testing under section 211(b) of the Clean Air Act.

For the typical consumer looking at ways they can benefit from bio fuel use individually, that's where the similarities end. While there are several different ways to look at the differences between these fuels, perhaps a better way to distinguish them would be to look at what vehicles can use them.

In order to use ethanol in higher fuel concentrations (other than the widely available 10%), a consumer has to drive a "flex fuel" vehicle or convert his existing car, SUV or truck to be "flex fuel" capable. In order to use biodiesel, a consumer must already be driving a diesel fuel powered vehicle. Let's take a closer look at where each stands in the marketplace to better understand their differences.

Ethanol is already in use, powering nearly six million flex-fuel vehicles already on the road. The United States is widely considered the world's largest ethanol producer, cranking out 4.6 billion gallons of ethanol each year. Most of this is e85, a mix of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline (just about a complete reversal of what has been a government regulated fuel standard for decades).

Ethanol burns cleaner than gasoline while reducing greenhouse gases. It has also been shown to improve engine performance. However, the performance gain comes at a cost of mileage. Average mpg drops 28% for e85 over 100% gasolines.

E85 is also more expensive to produce. However, with a breakeven price point at roughly $4.10 per gallon of regular gasoline, ethanol's environmental and political benefits take the spotlight.
Ethanol is usually made from fibrous materials like wood chips or from the starch or sugar found in common crops like corn. Brazil leads the way in producing ethanol from sugar cane, while most US ethanol comes from corn. In 2007 a Japanese firm announced that it will begin work on producing ethanol from rice as well.

Since so many sources of ethanol are also basic food crops, and estimates of the amount of acreage needed to grow that crop for a fuel instead of food use, ethanol has become very controversial.Major debates over the production of food versus fuel and what impact that will have on the US and world economies play out on TV and in print around the world. The debates are heated and ongoing online as well and have led to the creation of forums such as Chevron oil's www.willyoujoinus.com devoted just to individual viewpoints.

Ethanol can be considered both a renewable energy source and a "homegrown" alternative to foreign oil. Both of those factors have weighed heavily in its favor from a national political standpoint. Reducing our dependency on any foreign energy source is also seen as a great financial move for the US.

For more information on ethanol and e85 conversions there is just one book recommended above all others by experts on many sides of the ethanol fence. It is referred to as "the Ethanol Encyclopedia." Although lengthy, it is actually six books in one that take a reader through all the history and politics to specific step by step instructions on converting their car to use ethanol.

Biodiesel is most commonly produced from recycled vegetable oils like those used by restaurants to cook up French fries and other deep fried foods. Once processed and cleaned of fatty acids, biodiesel can be poured directly into a tank and mixed in any proportion with fossil diesel.

Diesel powered vehicles were originally built to burn vegetable oil diesel. It was only after "waste" petroleum became cheaper to produce that fossil diesels were introduced. Now, in an effort to avoid the same food or fuel debates as ethanol new sources of biodiesel are being developed that include animal fats, algae and other cellulosic materials (usually crop waste, such as corn stalks or tree deadfall).

Biodiesel burns cleaner than fossil fuel diesel, expelling fewer smelly hydrocarbons and less soot and carbon monoxide. Because the carbon dioxide released by biodiesel is the same kind absorbed by the plant (or animal) source from where the fuel came, biodiesel is called a carbon neutral fuel.

Unfortunately, biodiesel releases more nitrous oxide than regular diesel, a factor in smog. This has led many to discount biodiesel as an environmentally positive alternative fuel. Instead they see it as just an economical alternative to fossil diesel.

There is an initial expense and learning curve to producing your own biodiesel fuel that can cost several thousand dollars. After that, however, the cost to produce your own biodiesel can drop to around $.70 per gallon. A big factor in this low price is the fact that so many of today's home biodiesel producers are using waste vegetable oil (wvo) that they obtain for free from local restaraunts.

Books and plans for home biodiesel kits can be purchased online that include complete parts lists and instructions for building your own bio fuel production plant in your garage. While the basics of most biodiesel kits are pretty standard, the second generation of biodiesel fuel sources will call for a different approach.

One of the most promising of these is biodiesel algae. Algae is the fastest growing organism on earth and happens to be one half lipid fat, which is exactly what is needed for biodiesel. You could grow your own biodiesel algae and skip many of the steps of "traditional" biodiesel production including the hunt for stable sources and much of the washing. That cuts down the amount of processing time and attention needed and will only make this a more popular home production alternative.

Of course, there are also several sources for pre-assembled biodiesel processor kits to be found online, but most of these kits sell for $3,000-$12,000 or more. Buying parts kits is a more affordable middle ground for those who don't have time to shop.

Larger scale plans and kits are also available that can produce hundreds of gallons of biodiesel at a time. Farms were the traditional users of these systems, taking the biodiesel they produce to run many different kinds of machines in addition to trucks and tractors. Now they are being joined by individual entrepreneurs as well as cooperatives who are selling their excess production to members or neighbors.

The decision to convert your vehicle to burn a commercially available fuel, or to produce your own fuel to use in a vehicle that requires no conversion could be seen as a matter of personal preference. It may also come down to being a choice between activism and laziness.

It will be interesting to see how many people choose to produce their own fuel week after week and how many will pay more for the convenience of simply selecting pump B instead of pump A at their local gas and e85 station.