BioDiesel for all

In a world where people rely heavily on diesel-powered engines to perform many functions for both agriculture and other known industries, it no longer comes as a surprise if there is a limited supply of derivatives of diesel fuels with traces of petroleum.

Besides the (over)exhaustion of reserves of petroleum fuels, improbability in petroleum sources and supply because of certain economic and political reasons inspired many to look for alternative resources for petroleum-based fuel sources like diesel.
You’ve heard of vegetable oil, animal fat, and recycled cooking oil being used as fuel nowadays. These are what you call Biodiesel.

From the word itself, biodiesel is an alternative to diesel fuel made from renewable or organic sources such as the ones already mentioned above. Biodiesel is produced by means of a reaction between an animal fat or vegetable oil and ethanol or methanol with a certain catalyst. Biodiesel appears as and used as either in its pure form or can be mixed with diesel to be utilized by diesel engines - a petroleum-based biodiesel. Both have yields of glycerin and biodiesel, which are chemically known as asters of methanol and ethanol.

The following presents the major advantages of using biodiesel:
1. It is non-hazardous and biodegradable.2. It can readily be used in modern types of diesel engines.3. It is a much more efficient as compared to fuel cells.4. Thus, it can eliminate the huge allocation of reconstructing major fuel distribution factories and companies.
On the note of producing biodiesel extracts on a macro scale basis, two steps are usually considered:

1. Growing of alternative feed stocks.
Oilseed crops (and animal lipids) are well known sources of biodiesel because of their oil content.
Interestingly, recent programs have been funded to research on the feasibility of using algal species as feedstocks for biodiesel extracts. In fact, there are noted species of algae from which you can extract larger amounts of oil. The same species also grow at very fast rates so production would definitely be efficient. Moreover, most of these species use less water for cultivation, unlike oilseed crops.

Another advantage of using algae as a source of biodiesel is that the species also grow best in salty water, so farms could be built near the ocean without desalinating seawater.
With recent development regarding algae research, that concern is completely obliterated since it was noted that algae could survive in either a hot desert or within areas near waste streams.
Processing the feedstock into biodiesel. This step would be best accomplished by present oil refineries around the world, which are being converted to biodiesel refineries and by new companies building state-of-the-art plants.

Environmentally speaking, the use of biodiesel is basically not alarming. However, further researches regarding on biodiesel producing alternatives should be ventured upon to facilitate a more feasible large-scale biodiesel production.

Biodiesel Fuel
If you have an interest in being environmentally friendly, then no doubt you're aware of the damage fossil fuels are doing to our environment. Not only that, but at some point they will run out. Add in the recent jump in gas prices, and it's hardly surprising that more people are talking about making their own biodiesel fuel. Although it sounds like a great idea, you need to consider a few points before going ahead and making your own biodiesel fuel.

What Is Biodiesel?
To start with, let's take a look at what biodiesel fuel actually is. At its most simple, biodiesel fuel is made from either vegetable oil, animal fat, or mixture of the two. It's a clean burning fuel that is made from renewable resources hence the name biodiesel.

Generally, biodiesel fuel is made from straight vegetable oil, sometimes referred to as SVO. So if you want to make your own biodiesel fuel, you'll need to have an adequate supply of the basic ingredients. Unfortunately, most households don't produce enough waste animal fat or vegetable fat to come anywhere close to making enough biodiesel fuel to keep the family car running.

Using Recycled oil
This has led to a whole new industry, with the basic aim of sourcing much larger quantities of raw product. They get together with restaurants, bakeries, and any other business that uses a deep fryer, so that they can collect the used oil for recycling. The oils are then blended and used as the basis for biodiesel fuel. The processes are the same as you'd use to make biodiesel fuel at home, but by having access to a much larger supply of raw products, these companies can produce biodiesel in quantities that are more viable.

Can I make it at Home?
One thing to remember is that it's not quite this simple! Used vegetable oil needs to be mixed and stored, which can be quite a problem if you have large amounts of it. You also need to dewater, filter and deacidify the waste oil before it can be used for making biodiesel. This makes the production of biodiesel fuel at home a lot more complicated.
Having said that, it's certainly still quite possible to make biodiesel fuel at home, simply by buying straight vegetable oil, rather than using waste products. Even though it will cost you a lot more, when you compare it to the cost of buying the necessary amount of gas to run your car for a year, you can still save an enormous amount - somewhere around 75 percent. Even better, you're saving the environment too.

Can I mix it with Petroleum?
The short answer is yes! It can be blended with petroleum in any percentages and used as fuel. There is a fuel called B20 which is 20 percent biodiesel that has shown significant environmental benefits. It can be used in an existing diesel engine with either little or no modifications. The only thing to be aware of is that biodiesel acts as a solvent and can remove old deposits on on your fuel tank walls and your fuel lines. This may lead to a clogging of your filters so care should be taken. But hey - then you have a clean system!!
So if you're interested in saving money and helping out the environment, look at the option of making biodiesel fuel at home. It takes a little bit of effort, but the rewards are definitely worthwhile.

Although there are many different ways being experimented with to make biodiesel, algae is one of the most promising production sources for biodiesel. Although algae is by no means a new way to create biodiesel, with the current oil crisis going on in the world it is important for companies to look into new ways that they can quickly and efficiently create biodiesel.

Because algae is a renewable resource, it is a great source. Algae can grow in a wide range of conditions, they can grow in bodies of water or even damp places. Just like plants algae need sunlight and carbon dioxide so that it can grow. They use the sunlight for photosynthesis in which they turn sunlight energy into chemical energy. Algae can be grown in a closed structure called photo bioreactor.
In a photo bioreactor you can control the environment which will make you be able to create algae at a much faster rate then just waiting for it to grow in an open pond. The photo bioreactor can be set up to harvest algae by setting it up with nutrients and algal seed.
Different types of photo bioreactors include tanks, plastic sleeves or bags and even glass or plastic tubes. To grow algae at home you simply take a container and put a small amount of algae culture in it. To grow algae for biodiesel you need specific strains from the biodiesel.
If you add an aquarium bubble stone you will increase the growth and help the algae circulate. The only things you will need is CO2 nutrients, fertilizer, and some type of light source. Temperature range depends on the strain that you are using. Suggestions for light sources are fluorescent bulbs and even natural light which will both efficiently do the job.

If you want more information, please visit our website: www.biodieselcorner.com