Thread: Bio Diesel

As you well know drivesafe all fuel is imported,,
our base stock oil is, hmmm,, incorrect? for decent fuel

I doubt woollies would be able to afford a compartment of badly refined fuel, and the suppliers would be relunctant to sell it anyway,,

Please correct me anyone,,,,,, [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

Actually much of our FUEL is produced from our own crude but we still import large amounts of heavy crude and some of this is used to produce lubricants as our own crude is too light. The way I heard the story was that Woolworth's, plus others, bring in the finished product from the Philippines and Malaysia and this fuel is loaded with sulphur and other impurities.
Plus when it comes to diesel, in most if not all states, it is not illegal for the suppliers to mix the diesel fuel with things like home heating oil and in some cases bio-diesel.
BP, Shell and Mobil guaranty against such mixes and the next time you are at the fuel pumps, look around for notices stating such.
Regards.
By the way, I am not a fan of these three companies. I just want to protect my vehicles. 8)

hmmm..

I have a biodiesel plant and will be putting the good oil into a TD5 (defender 130 dual cab).

the BD is currently fuelling a diesel generator on my small farm..

anyone here running on biodiesel (BD) in their Landrovers???

regards,

tannery.

Hi Tannery, I gather from your posting that you are just starting with the biodiesel. What did it cost you to set up and what sort of costs do you think it will run at.
I’m a real fan of alternative power supplies. About 15 years ago I build a battery powered lawn mower, Nothing new, but the idea at the time was to develop a mass produceable product because the California State Government was about to introduce new stricter laws governing pollution and part or the new legislation's covered domestic lawn mowers.
After attempting to get government grants and the like, I gave up.
At the time I was looking at about $50,000 but you have no idea as to the games you have to play to get on the grants merry-go-round.
I later realised that the $50,000 would have been naively inadequate and to add insult to injury, a French company only 12 months later, got a $5,000,000 grant from the Australian Government, to develop a battery powered lawn mower, which they did and it was a sales flop. You may not remember the lawn mower but you will know the French company, Black & Decker.
Any way I’ve kept my finger in the reusable fuels area ever since so please keep us informed.
I am particularly interested in hydrogen and solar power.
Regards

I have been investigating biodiesel for a while (about 18 months), and trialling making small batches, with success... now I'm making larger batches 175ltrs,and using the fuel in a diesel generator on my farm.

I use the Mike Pelly method (on the journey to forever web site, http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html) then wash and filter the fuel prior to putting into an engine... works fine in the generator. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

setup costs are resonable.. so far I've spent approx. $900, in setting up a reliable "plant", where I can make the fuel, then wash/filter it. the main costs are in fine grain electronic scale ($200), ph meter ($100), and racor 110A - 2 microns, water removing filter ($250), electric heater ($120).. apart from those, the other items are fairly cheap.. (recycled 44 gal drums, piping, caustic soda, mixers, etc).. but this setup will make about 180ltrs or there about of fuel..

btw - I'm the guy Rob Pepper mentioned a few posts earlier.. so I guess, stay tuned for the article...

regards,
Tannery

sounds like you know what you are doing tannery,,,

keep up the reports,,,

lots of people are "listening'


[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

just an update....

have been running the TD5 on home-brew for over 1000 kms.. and no problems..

engine is a little quieter.. rather than a clatter of a "normal" diesel.. no difference in power.. afterall, this is not a ferrari, but a 130 TD5..

unfortunately, I've run out of biodiesel and had to refuel with dino-diesel.. I'll be making more in the near future..

regards,
Biodiesel Bob... [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]
(tannery)

oh, nearly forgot....

I have heard, that VW warranty biodiesel in their new diesel motors, apparently.. and the EU are looking to make biodiesel a "regular" fuel.. or at least a mix of diesel and biodiesel..