I've been hearing pro's and con's ref the use of Bio. Not the price, but what happens in the engine. Any comments? (Less power and questions as to lubricity)
Lee

 

According to everything I've read, using Biodiesel in CTD is better for the engine. It lubricates the inj pump better and produces less emissions than petro diesel. Also since petro diesel has been mandated to have less sulfer there is less lubricity which the sulfer provided. Even engines which don't like biodiesel can benefit from a biodiesel blended with petro diesel.

I seem to remember there are some issues with cetane which if I'm correct is a factor in cold starting ease but that could be remidied with additives to raise cetain. I would think that current cold weather additives would work just fine in biodiesel.

Edwin

 

you can make soap bars from the left over glycerin i thought that was cool when i found that out.

 

Edwinsmith, sulfur is NOT a lubricant. It's the refining process of removing sulfur that also removes lubricity as a side effect. The sulfur itself is garbage.

Greentow, biodiesel has excellent lubricity and is good for the ctd . I've run about 100gals thru the ctd, but over 4000 in 2 other diesels. Both run great on the bio and have great oil analysis reports.

 

Main reason I use bio is to support US farmers and to cut back on the trillions of dollars we send to the Arabs. That's worth a lot in my book.
About the only cons are less power and mpgs if you go over a B20 mix (20%) and it will gel at higher temps at higher concentrations.
It's better for your engine but you can achieve the same results cheaper with a diesel additive. It won't be long though and bio will cost the same or less than petro diesel.

 

I respectfully disagree with infidel on the statement that you can get the same results with an additive. I've tried just about every additive out there, and nothing even comes close to the quietness and smoothness of a B20+ idle/engine. I also don't think a few ounces of multi-benefit additives will give nearly as much cetane boost as say 10 gals of 50-55 cetane bio would.

I also agree a large motivator for bio use is foreign oil dependence. Earlier I was just replying to greentow's question - what happens in the engine.

You won't notice any power loss with anything under b50 IMO , and I've tried just about every blend.

Cons - as posted above, less btu/mpg at higher blends, and a higher gel/cpff point. There is also the higher cost, and biodiesel's ability to be 'hygroscopic' , which means it is almost a magnet to water, like brake fluid. Keeping it sealed and properly vented (for storage) with dessicating filters etc is beneficial.

 

How much less BTU/gal? How much less MPG would one get on 100% bio?

Also, how much water disolved in the bio before it becomes a problem for the engine such as rough running or damage? Would say 3% water disolved be a problem?

I think the disadvantages will be outweighed if diesel gets much more expensive. I'm wondering about the prospect of "growing my own fuel."

Also, how much of a problem is water in diesel? When I first got my truck, I had to drive it 500 miles in a downpour. The Water in Fuel light came on and stayed on for 2/3 of the trip. I didn't notice and problems with running. The light may have been a wiring problem though, I drained the filter sump and the light stayed on.

Edwin

 

Average #2 diesel is 140,000 btus, B100 is 130,000 btus. Mpg differences are a hard question to answer.

When growing your own oil seed crops for bio the average return is 230%, in other words for every one dollar input to your tractor, irrigation pump, combine, etc you will get 2.3 dollars worth of bio.

500ppm of water in diesel is considered a problem as far as algae growth is concerned, you probably could get away with much more if you used the fuel fast. I've read that 5% water can damage injectors.
PuriNOx fuel used in Calif and Texas is 15-20% water but uses a special fuel additive chemistry to keep the water in emulsion.

The water in fuel light coming on after washing the engine or in a downpour is a very common problem caused by water in the wire connector.

 

Thats wayy too much water for regular diesel . Anything over about 100-115 ppm falls out of suspension and becomes 'free water,' which will cause injection system wear/damage. Biodiesel has a much higher threshold/saturation point than regular diesel, however it also attracts water as well. Keeping it as dry as possible is key. Edwin -3% water would be too much, thats 3000 ppm right?

 

back to the China topic...

I am most concerned about the transporting of the technology, and the profits fueling the Chinese economy.. It seems they are being very strategic in technical aquistions on a wide front at the moment. They will most likley USE the advantage of a free market society to bring Bio-D into a more viable and profitable business, (this process would take decades in China) Then take their learnings, and leave us in the dust...China has a significant future issue of resource limitations (except people). I feel the USA is in for some significant changes in std of living / wealth.... but, I was also hoping to build a WA state Bio-D plant, but funding is on hold (and it takes a pile...) $3mil minimum, and the regs...

 

Thanks for the info.

The BTU diff is about 7% so assuming no difference in burning efficiency I could expect 7 % less MPG. But as you say, that's a big IF.

What would the expected cost of homebrewed biodiesel if the oil was purchased rather than grown? Do your figures incluse Federal and state taxes which I gather must be paid in order to use biodiesel on public roads?

Edwin

 

I ran b100 for 35,000 miles in my TDI. I saw on average a 3 mpg loss. However , that was 46 compared to 49 average. I don't think our trucks would see quite as large of a loss. Even still , if one can homebrew bio in the range of 40-70 cents per gallon , any blend is saving you money! It's too bad the commercial price is so high.

 

Here's an interesting article about a truck driver who runs WVO...
http://www.landlinemag.com/Archives/...weet_smell.htm

 

So, if this guy is going to have injector problems or stuck rings, I wonder how many miles he will get before that happens.

 

Some older diesels with low pressure injection systems can run fine on a properly set up WVO system. I would just be hesitant to use it on a 3rd gen ram.