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Recently Asked Questions and Answers
This page lists
some of the questions we have received from members of the public or from our
members, with the answers provided.
The texts are edited to remove any information that is personal.
The question is set out in Bold Italic, and the answer in blue
normal type.
I was looking at your website for biofuel (great
site). I have a 2006 Mitsubishi
L200, 2.5 turbo diesel and was hoping to run it on
vegetable oil, (I use the car for my small electrical business) and the rising cost of diesel is
crippling me so i need an alternative.
However the car is still under warranty and i think the conversion will void
the warranty, but that is not a problem.
Do you know
if biofuel has any bad effects on the turbo booster, also could you point me in
the right direction as to where i may be able to
purchase a conversion kit for my model of car.
Your vehicle
should run OK on our form of fuel but I do not know where you are situated, or
who may be able to supply you with fuel. Many people
are now using our basic technique to produce their own bio-fuel, and we can
provide help and support to our members to become independent
fuel makers. The government now allows everyone to make 2,500 litres of
bio-fuel per year without any need to register to pay Excise Duty.
The fact that
your engine uses a turbo makes no difference to the performance on bio-fuel.
The warranty issue is something you will have to decide
for yourself. Why don't you write to Mitsubishi saying that you want to run
your car on 100% bio-fuel, and ask if there is any reason why this cannot
be done. You could ask specifically what problems they have encountered that
lead to any resistance to the use of bio-fuels. I would be very
interested to receive a copy of your letter and any reply you receive. It is
our view that all diesel engines can run on a bio-fuel if there was a will on
the part of the motor industry to facilitate this. But it seems that they are
doing all they can to frustrate the progress that could be being made to
achieve the use of 100% non-fossil fuels.
Before making any
alterations to the engine or the fuel delivery system, I suggest that you try
the vehicle on a 50% blend of bio-power fuel and
mineral diesel, then slowly increase the proportion of bio-fuel until you
notice any problems. This will be
a reluctance to start in the morning when
it is cold, or a slight drop in performance. Only then will it be seen whether any form of conversion is
necessary.
John Nicholson.
Hello John, Do you remember talking to me about
possible driving jobs with biopower? Iam interested to learn more. Also of any
other
interesting positions within the organization that I could use my skills to
help with. Relocation is a
possibility
Thanks for your
message. I also understand that you have now met up with our Local Agent in
your area and may be you can do some work with him.
If you have the
capability and driving experience to get an HGV licence in the UK and I am
assuming that you would enjoy travelling and the life style
of the HGV driver, then don't let the worry about the climate change adversely
affect you decision. Indeed, this is an brilliant opportunity! It is possible
to convert a heavy lorry engine to run on near solid vegetable fuels. Any fuel
that is solid or semi-solid at 15 degrees Centigrade is not regarded as a
taxable hydrocarbon. So palm oil (as is commonly used in traditional fish &
Chip shops) which is solid at ambient is not taxable if used as a fuel.
There are other forms of fat that equally apply.
I am sure there
is also a demand for specialist transport and delivery work for people or
companies who are concerned about environmental
consequences of transport, for example vege box schemes, organic and whole food
distributors, the National Trust, WWW, RSPB, and many other
green and environmental groups. An
advert in a green magasine like Resurgence would reach the potential market.
I would be very
interested in helping and supporting a project to convert a lorry tractor (the
front part of an articulated lorry) to run on veg oil. This tractor
can then be used to pull any sort of trailer. We are looking to import new veg
oil from Eastern Europe, which we would sell to the Fat Users we collect from.
We are also looking to import orange peel oil from Spain and southern Italy,
and raw gum turpentine from Portugal and Greece. But even within the UK
we need a driver to distribute the solvents we use and also collect the
material we call 'white skins' which we will then process to form one of our
main
solvents.
This is not something we can start next week, and it may take you a
while to pass all the necessary levels of qualification. Our agent has also
been through this so do talk to him about it. He had the advantage that his
training and fees were paid for by the government as he is a Territorial Army
volunteer.
I am a Transport Manager
for a Local Authority and am looking for as much information as I can find on
the safe use of BIO Diesel. At the
moment I am running 3 vehicles on a 20% blend of Bio Diesel but I am under
pressure to reduce my carbon footprint. I have been running
a spreadsheet for the last nine months that calculates my carbon footprint.( on
the ground that if you can’t measure it , you can’t manage it)
I have not been able to
find, an engine manufacturer, that will warranty an engine over a 5% blend.
HELP
As you will
discover from the material I am sending to you, there are a number of problems
when using bio-diesel made as a Fatty Acid Methyl Ester.
This form of fuel is not totally fossil carbon free, as the carbon introduced
into the fuel (as a methyl ester) is itself fossil derived. This is because the
methanol used in this process is made from methane extracted from oil and gas
wells. Also there is a lot of
energy used in the manufacture of caustic
soda, which although it is technically a catalyst in the transesterification
process is not recoverable. It is
most unlikely that this energy is created from
non-fossil sources. FAME is also
an active solvent and can cause problems in some engines, hence the warranty
issues. When burned as a fuel it
also increases the amount of nitrous oxides in the exhaust. So in attempting to address one
environmental issue it is in fact adding to another.
The best way to
reduce your carbon footprint significantly is to use straight vegetable
oil. This can be used in some
engines (notably Mercedes) with little
if any modifications. But this is
really a course of action for enthusiasts. However, we would be very willing to help you with the necessary
technical
guidance to convert a sample vehicle to run on SVO with the necessary heated
fuel system, as a pilot scheme.
The next best way to proceed would be
to make your own fuel from locally derived used cooking oil (from the council
canteen?), and modify this using our basic technique, starting with a simple
blend with mineral diesel. We have
not yet found an engine that will not run on a 50:50 mineral:vegetable oil
fuel. As you increase the
proportion of
vegetable oil so you may need to add other components. Again we can help with technical advice
and guidance.
One of the
problems you may encounter in Yorkshire is that the quality of the used cooking
oil is very low. It is a sad
comment on the decline in food
quality standards as you go North and East. You need to find a good supply of clear runny vegetable
oil. It should look like a good
beer. The best
places will be food led pubs and restaurants. Traditional Fish & Chip shops should be avoided at this
stage, because they will use palm oil or even
lard or dripping.
We do not have
many Bio-power fuel makers in the Yorkshire area yet, and those we have are
already inundated with orders for their fuel. We would
prefer to lead you towards a self sufficient solution.
Can you let us know
the make and model and age of vehicles you have in the authority, that
currently run on mineral diesel?
We can then suggest which
may be best to use as a pilot project. It would be interesting to see your
spread sheet.
Another issue
would be to look at running your own car on as close to a 100% non-fossil fuel
as we can manage – largely to build up your own practical
experience and confidence.
And finally
another longer term consideration might be a CHP scheme to provide the heat and
power for the authorities offices.
This may make a lot of
economic sense if part of a simple bio-fuel production plant.
Over the last couple
of months I have been giving serious consideration towards running my VW Passat
on bio fuel in an attempt to benefit
both myself (financially) and the environment. I've visited your website a
number of times now and found it a mine of useful information.
I have a strategic plan in my mind as to what my next steps will be. But erring
on the side of caution I thought I would try and contact you to
run these past you. My plan is as follows:-
1) Prepare anything I might need in the cold months whilst I wait for the
warmer weather to come to conduct the trial!
2) Build myself a heat exchanger as per the design on your website and fit it
to the vehicle.
3) Try straight veg oil as fuel and see if the car runs OK (out of a temporary
container - not the fuel tank).
4) Source a supply of used veg oil.
5) Process the UVO as per your page "making your own fuel"
6) Try the processed UVO and see if the car runs OK (out of a temporary
container - not the fuel tank).
7) Start using processed UVO in the tank at 50:50 mix with diesel.
8) Increase the mix ratio in favour of the processed UVO.
My Passat is a 1.9 TDI, 130 bhp on a 52 plate, AWX engine code, have you any
knowledge of similar cars running on the fuel?
Are there any pitfalls I have overlooked?
I understand that you are probably a very busy person, however any feed back
you could give me would be greatly appreciated.
I will cut into your text in blue….
1) Prepare anything I might need in the cold months
whilst I wait for the warmer weather to come to conduct the trial!
If you do have any problems, they will come when it is
cold.
2) Build myself a heat exchanger as per the design on
your website and fit it to the vehicle.
It may not be necessary. Heat exchangers will not
address the problems that are most likely to occur. The heat exchanger will
just improve efficiency.
3) Try straight veg oil as fuel and see if the car runs
OK (out of a temporary container - not the fuel tank).
Start with a 50:50 vegetable oil to mineral diesel
mix. It is safe to put this directly into your fuel tank, and I suggest you add
a small amount of
Miller's Diesel Power Plus (1:1000). We have yet to find a vehicle that will
not run on a 50:50 veg oil and mineral diesel blend. The Miller's will raise
the Cetane value slightly and also provide the level of liquid engineering that
a modern engine expects in the fuel.
The problems you
may find (if any) will be a reluctance to start in cold mornings, and to
address this you should buy a can of Easy Start. A small amount
of this gas is sprayed into the air intake before starting.
The other
problem that may occur if you use used vegetable oil is blockage of your fuel
filter by crystaline globs of fat often referred to as 'waxes'. These
melt out if heated, and most engines will run perfectly without a filter at
all. However, I always recommend that people experimenting with making their
own fuel install a translucent in-line filter in advance of the normal fuel
filter. This will pick up any waxes, and will therefore show you the quality of
your
fuel making. Always carry a spare filter in your car.
When running on 100%
bio-power fuels I often remove or by-pass the filter system completely.
4) Source a supply of used
veg oil.
Don't bother with traditional Fish & Chip shops,
they will cook in palm oil which is solid at ambient. You will need to explore
food led pubs and
restaurants, canteens and berger bars. Do not collect from McDonalds or Berger
King as their fat is an artificial gum. The fat you need should be
liquid and translucent, but may have a sediment. It should look like a good
beer. Rape seed oil is the best.
If you have any
problems with fat users who ask for a certificate of waste collection , then we
do provide to our members a laminated copy of the
bio-power waste collection certificate, and a letter of authority to collect
oil on the behalf of the Bio-power network. We also provide a computer file
to print your own oficial receipts with instructions to the fat user. This
means that your fat collection is then fully legal and officially supported.
4) Process the UVO as per your page "making your
own fuel"
The process we use now is much simpler, and does not
require heating. It can be done easily at any temperature. This information may
soon be
published in more detail on our new web site.
5) Try the processed UVO and see if the car runs OK (out
of a temporary container - not the fuel tank).
If the engine runs well on a mineral fuel:veg oil
blend, and your UCO is perfectly clean then you should have no problems using
your normal fuel tank.
6) Start using processed UVO in the tank at 50:50 mix
with diesel.
7) Increase the mix ratio in favour of the processed
UVO.
Remember to include a little Millers, or similar fuel
tonic if you go above a 50:50 blend..
8) My Passat is a 1.9 TDI, 130 bhp on a 52 plate, AWX
engine code, have you any knowledge of similar cars running on the fuel? Are
there any
pitfalls I have overlooked?
I had an old VW Pasat 1600 cc, turbo diesel, and it
ran well on very simple bio-fuels. I eventually blew the head when using a high
performance
blend of bio-fuels that enormously increased power. With gentle driving the car
hardly used any fuel, but when I drove up to Manchester in a
hurry at over 100 mph the head gasket blew. We took the head off and the inside
was perfectly clean. I did not repair the head because the rest
of the car was not worth the effort.
VW resistance to Bio-fuels
Can you please advise me if I can run my
car which is a VW Touran 2.0l sport on a 56 plate on bio fuel? I have a Land
Rover that runs
perfectly on it but VW are less than helpful in telling me anything other than
. "No you can't sir!"
The fuel I am using on the Land Rover is sourced by my friend who collects it
from somewhere near Camberly. I know it is used vegetable
oil that has been treated with ethanol and in the Land Rover works fine.
I would love to use it in the VW as like most of the rest of the country I am
sick of paying £1.10 a litre for diesel.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I do not know the
VW Touran 2.1 sport engine, but I have run many other VW engines on our form of
bio-power
fuel with no problems. Most VW engines will run well on bio-fuels. However,
there is a great resistance to bio-fuel
technology on the part of the British Motor Trade. There is also a great lack
of understanding of bio-fuel
technology and a huge amount of misleading myth spread about.
Landrovers also seem to run well on bio-power fuels. Both types of engine seem
to work a bit better if a heat
exchanger is fitted, but this is not essential.
In a separate
e-mail reply I am sending you further information about the form of bio-fuel we
make and promote,
and also about the way we operate within the UK as a network of bio-power local
agents. As you will see there
are many different forms of bio-fuel and we have strong views about the form of
bio-fuel called Bio-diesel that is
made as a Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME). We regard this as a very wasteful and
inefficient way to make a bio-fuel.
You may also like
to consider making your own fuel using our technology, as there is now no
requirement form home
brew bio-fuel makers to register with HMRC to pay the Excise duty on home made
fuels up to 2,500 litres per year.
(HMRC have also told us that they are not interested in following every home
brew bio-fuel maker around all year to
prove they may be exceeding that limit and there is also no legal requirement
for any home brew maker to keep
any record of the volume of fuel they make).
The best way to
make a simple bio-fuel is to find a local supply of used vegetable oil that
looks like good beer - i.e.
it is translucent and runny. This should be allowed to settle and then the
clear liquid taken form the top and mixed
with a little mineral diesel and a very small amount of Miller's Diesel Power
Plus. This additive lifts the Cetane value
slightly and also provides the levels of liquid engineering expected by a
modern diesel engine. The form of bio-power
fuel we sell is rather more sophisticated blend of natural plant oils, and
alcohol and water. We can help with more
specific advice, and also with the necessary paperwork to enable you to legally
collect used vegetable oil outside
the waste stream.
HEAT
EXCHANGER DESIGN
Dear Biopower,
I am building a solar thermal system,
and have become overwhelmed by my total lack of engineering knowledge when it
comes to the heat exchanger.
Perhaps you can help me. I see your
name in association with home-made heat exchangers Maybe mine is a question in
the discipline.
I have a heat storage tank (a simple 4'
x 8' x 1.25' wooden box lined with pond liner) filled with 200 gallons of water,
kept at a steady 140
degrees Fahrenheit by the sun. That part works. (Please excuse the inches and Fahrenheit.)
I want to place a coil of 1/2"
I.D. (5/8" O.D.) copper pipe in the heated storage tank. I will spread the
coil out. The cold water from the mains
(town water supply at 85-95 psi and 58 degrees Fahrenheit) will be diverted
through this coil on its way to my hot water heater. The faucets
give 1.5 gallons per minute.
But how long should the copper coil be? Should it be 20 feet, 50 feet,
200 feet?
If a 20-foot coil gives a steady output
of water at greater than 110 degrees F, the project will proceed. If a 200-foot
coil gives 80 degrees F,
I'll abandon the project as not cost effective.
How long should the coil be? I don't have the
budget to answer this empirically; but there are a bewildering array of
equations and
calculators on the Web waiting to give me a theoretical answer, if only I knew
more engineering.
This is a very
important question that many of us have had to address in designing thermal
systems. However the actual physical variables in the system
you describe are far more complex than the problem that you present. I am not
sure about the technology you propose with the water storage and solar
capture tank. It seems to be very inefficient. There will be a considerable
heat loss from the water to the air above and to the ground below. There are
many systems similar to this, some of which are successful. Have you insulated
the water from heat losses to the tank? How are you proposing to
overcome problems of convection? Do you know why thin water sections are
normally used in direct solar to water system? In my view the vacuum
glass tube systems now made very cheaply in China have become very effective
indeed. In these systems the copper connection by a stud in to a
separate circulating manifold seems to work very well. They will perform
reasonably well even when it is cloudy.
However, as with all direct solar installations
they have the fundamental problem that they are least efficient in the winter
when the need for heat is the greatest, and they work well in the summer when
there is relatively no need for additional heat. They should always be regarded as ancillary to or supporting
a conventional heating system.
My own experience
with heat exchangers is largely with a very different type of flow and
temperature gradient. The purpose of the heat exchangers I have
drawn on the web (which are also now very out-of-date!), are of low thermal
efficiency. However, with ample hot water provided by a diesel engine there is
no need for anything that is ultra efficient. In our case the aim is to warm
the fuel rather than to super heat it.
Heat exchangers
work proportionally to the temperature difference between the warm (heat providing)
source, and the cool (heat absorbing) source. The
greater the thermal difference in temperature the greater the potential
transfer of heat. However, when the temperatures are close so other factors
will play
a more disruptive role, and this is the fundamental problem with most of the
systems that try to use solar power directly - and also systems that use
'heat pumps' to heat buildings from the sub soil. Very often the cost of
running the necessary heat pump is barely less than the value of the final heat
gained.
From your
description you are working with an outside pool of water, which will warm up
when the sun is shining, and will maintain a stable temperature.
This is when the heat provided by the sun equals the heat loss to the ground
and to the air. However, as soon as you start to take heat out of this thermal
reservoir, the temperature will begin to fall, and this means the thermal
gradient is less and so the thermal efficiency drops dramatically. Many systems
work fine on hot sunny days, but fail when it is slightly cloudy. Your system
may well struggle when the air outside is cold. This is one of the benefits of
the evacuated tube system.
Essentially, you
are asking how long the copper transfer tube needs to be. It all hangs upon that
thermal gradient, and the relative flow. If the flow is very slow
then a shorter length will suffice. But if you increase the transfer length so
also the effect will be to deplete the temperature of the water in the pool and
the
system will fail because of inefficiencies caused by other losses.
Now my turn to
ask questions...
Where are you
situated?
What sort of car
do you drive?
Have you
considered running a diesel engine on fat to produce both heat and power in
excess of your needs and then sell the surplus to the grid? I ask
because this is in my view the most efficient way to heat your house and meet
your own electricity needs, and make some money to pay back the
installation costs. However, it may not suit every situation. The fat used for
such a project is the nearly solid fat used in traditional Fish & Chip
shops - called Palm Oil. It is normally free to collect.
SIMPLE MIXTURES
If I mix 50/50 clean used oil and diesel
would you still recommend an additive and or preheat?
So much depends upon the type and make of vehicle, and
also the quality of the vegetable oil you can collect. However, generally, a
50:50 blend of
cleaned used vegetable oil and normal mineral diesel will run in just about
every car. This is also the proportion we suggest that most people start
from if they have never used a bio-fuel before.
The most common problems that will arise (if any) are the blocking of fuel
filters because the oil is not clean enough, and a reluctance of the engine to
start - especially when it is very cold in the morning. We therefore suggest that anyone
exploring the use of home made bio-fuel should fit a clear
plastic in-line fuel filter in advance of their normal fuel filter, and carry a
spare. This will show if your fuel
is clean enough. If it blocks
regularly then
your processing is not good enough.
We can show you how to build a simple and reliable processing system.
To overcome problems in starting, you should carry a can of ‘Easy Start’, or a
butane gas torch – of the sort used to solder ‘Yorkshire’ plumbing
pipes. It is important to learn
just how little to use to start the engine, and where to introduce it into the
air intake. It may be helpful to
drill a small
hole in to the air intake manifold or supply pipe as near as possible to the
air intake system, and fit a cover or a bung using a rubber medicine
bottle type of bung or a lid from a fizzy drinks bottle or juice carton glued
on to the air intake pipe. This
way you can easily introduce a little gas into
the air system to start the engine, and close the pipe again.
The standard heat exchanger we make and supply does not address either of these
problems. It is to improve the
efficiency of burning bio-power
fuels once the engine is running.
However, we do make equipment that can overcome other problems that we
find are often encountered in some
vehicles.
So the next stage is to let me know what vehicle you have.
March 2008