In lieu of the oil crisis and rapid disappearance of traditional fuel sources, manufacturers and researchers have been gradually developing methods to combat modern-day issues. Biodiesel is an alternative diesel fuel source that is constructed using a combination of lipids and fatty acid-producing alcohol. The lipids used in biodiesel are chemically reactive to the alcohol solution that they are placed in. Unlike a variety of other fuel sources that require engines to be modified in order to utilize the fuels, biodiesel is a drop-in biofuel. Biodiesel offers a variety of benefits that many people are unaware of.
Ease of Usage
As alluded to earlier, biodiesel fuels can be placed into diesel engines without the need for any modifications. Additionally, biodiesel fuels can be blended with a multitude of other diesel fuels while offering an identical fuel economy. Vehicles manufactured prior to 1993 may need to have their fuel lines replaced due to aging in order to for the engines to effectively use biodiesel fuel. While a fuel line replacement isn’t needed for these vehicles to run biodiesel fuels, it is highly recommended.
Fuel Economy
Unlike many other alternative fuel sources, biodiesel fuels are very capable of offering equivalent fuel economies to their traditional diesel fuel counterparts. Much like the fuel economy, the horsepower and torque figures that biodiesel fuels provide are similar to other diesel fuel blends. Biodiesel is actually more capable of lubricating engines than the new low-sulfur diesel fuels that are being used in engines. An engine’s performance will not suffer as a result of a driver’s switch to biodiesel fuel.
Emissions
Biodiesel fuel not only presents a solution for manufacturers seeking to solve fuel supply issues, but it also solves a greenhouse gas emission problem as well. As the only alternative fuel to pass one of the emission tests of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), biodiesel fuel releases less carbon monoxide molecules and hydrocarbons into the atmosphere after burning. Compared to traditional petrodiesel, biodiesel fuels emit nearly 85% fewer carcinogenic compounds into the atmosphere. A result of its lipid construction, biodiesel smells like fried food after it has been burned. Many, especially those with asthma, may find this to be a big relief.
About The Author
John Kaweske is an Entrepreneur, Consultant, and Biodiesel Expert in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He is the President of Bio Clean Energy, S.A., a biodiesel holding company with diversified assets in the clean energy sector in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In 2018, John and Bio Clean Energy won a $36 million contract with the Bolivian Government, sparking his incredible start in the clean energy sector. Today, John Kaweske continues his work in business, and maintains a monthly meditation blog.