| Subject: Re: Godd Bye vehicle warrenty! |
Author:
Duncan7
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Date Posted: 21:52:02 02/25/07 Sun
In reply to:
Oropan
's message, "Godd Bye vehicle warrenty!" on 08:20:20 02/25/07 Sun
Haven't had a need for one. Other then brakes, tires and mufflers and regular service everythings pretty normal.
>>For once, an article I agree with. Although you don't
>>have to use methonal, any alcohol will do and I
>>recommend a certain amount of butanol for best
>results.
>>
>>>well what did you expect, lie and methonal is used to
>>>make the biodiesel
>>>
>>>FUELING A REVOLUTION
>>>Biodiesel moves almost into mainstream in Bay Area
>>>
>>>About a year ago, Paul McNees chose to change his
>life
>>>by changing his fuel.
>>>
>>>He sold his Saturn sport utility vehicle and bought a
>>>diesel-powered Mercedes-Benz. A mechanic whipped it
>>>into running order and replaced the soft rubber fuel
>>>lines with something sturdier.
>>>
>>>Then the El Sobrante teacher started burning
>biodiesel
>>>-- a fuel cooked up not from petroleum but from
>>>vegetable oil, often waste oil from restaurants or
>>>food processing plants.
>>>
>>>"I just couldn't justify filling up that tank with
>>>gasoline anymore for a multitude of reasons,'' said
>>>McNees, 43, citing global warming and the war in
>Iraq.
>>>"This has been great. It's totally cleaned out the
>>>engine. It runs great, has a lot more power. It sort
>>>of smells like french fries -- it doesn't have that
>>>noxious diesel smell."
>>>
>>>A small but growing number of Bay Area drivers like
>>>McNees are trading their gasoline-fueled autos for
>>>biodiesel-powered cars. How many is hard to tell. The
>>>biodiesel industry is nascent, largely unregulated
>and
>>>informally organized. But experts agree that
>biodiesel
>>>use is growing.
>>>
>>>Nationally, biodiesel consumption is up sharply --
>>>from 500,000 gallons in 1999 to more than 75 million
>>>gallons in 2005. In the Bay Area, the number of
>>>customers filling up at Berkeley's Biofuel Oasis --
>>>one of the region's few public biodiesel stations --
>>>has climbed from about 200 three years ago to about
>>>1,800 today.
>>>
>>>Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and President Bush have
>>>mentioned the fuel in their respective plans to cut
>>>greenhouse gases and reduce petroleum dependence. The
>>>University of California recently signed a landmark
>>>deal with oil giant BP to develop biofuels.
>>>
>>>Much of biodiesel's appeal stems from the fuel's
>>>ability to perform as well as petroleum diesel while
>>>emitting fewer exhaust materials that cause smog,
>>>particulate pollution and global warming. According
>to
>>>the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, pure
>>>biodiesel emits 67 percent fewer unburned
>>>hydrocarbons, 48 percent less carbon monoxide and 47
>>>percent fewer particulates but 10 percent more
>>>nitrogen oxides.
>>>
>>>Yet, despite its benefits and growing popularity,
>>>biodiesel might not be the fuel of the future
>because,
>>>as demand grows, the amount of land needed to produce
>>>the oils could become untenable, experts say.
>>>
>>>Biodiesel is created in a relatively simple process
>>>known as transesterification. Producers, including
>>>fuel companies or home brewers, start with clean or
>>>waste vegetable oil, then add methanol and a catalyst
>>>such as lye. A chemical reaction produces biodiesel
>>>and glycerine, which can be separated easily. The
>>>glycerine can be used in a variety of products, from
>>>soap to manufactured fireplace logs.
>>>
>>>Biodiesel has been popular for years among farmers in
>>>the Midwest and in the South, where virgin soybean
>oil
>>>typically is used to produce the fuel. Yet its use in
>>>the West, until recently, was largely limited to
>>>hobbyists who brewed the fuel at home and people who
>>>prided themselves on not using oil.
>>>
>>>The home brewers include people like Ben Jordan, who
>>>makes his own biodiesel and teaches an alternative
>>>fuels class at City College of San Francisco, in
>which
>>>students create a batch of biodiesel.
>>>
>>>"It's very dangerous and potentially very
>>>problematic,'' he said. "You're dealing with methanol
>>>and lye, and when you mix it together, it is very
>>>explosive and toxic. It's not something to mess
>around
>>>with. However, if you know what you're doing, you can
>>>safely and easily make it in your own home.''
>>>
>>>Home brewers deserve much of the credit for the
>>>percolating interest in biodiesel, said Anna
>>>Halpern-Lande of Tellurion Biodiesel, a San Francisco
>>>marketing and distribution firm.
>>>
>>>"The hobbyists make up a very small portion of the
>>>market," she said, "but they play a critical role:
>>>They capture the public's attention.''
>>>
>>>In the past couple of years, biodiesel and other
>>>so-called alternative fuels have moved out of garages
>>>and workshops and into the mainstream. On Wednesday,
>>>Safeway, which operates 300 fuel stations in the
>>>United States, opened a biodiesel test pump in West
>>>Seattle. The fuel also is becoming popular with
>>>celebrities: Country music legend Willie Nelson, for
>>>example, is a partner in BioWillie Diesel, which
>>>markets the natural fuel primarily to truck stops.
>>>
>>>The change hasn't gone unnoticed by some of
>>>biodiesel's earlier adopters, such as Ahri Golden,
>32,
>>>a public radio documentarian from Berkeley, who has
>>>burned biodiesel in her 1980 Mercedes for four
>years.
>>>
>>>"It was kind of hippie-ish," Golden said as she
>filled
>>>up at Biofuel Oasis. "Now you see a lot more people
>>>with nicer cars and more money coming for the
>>>practicality and not just the ideology.''
>>>
>>>Yet it isn't practical for everyone. New diesel cars
>>>aren't sold in California because of air-quality
>>>regulations, and buying an older diesel can be
>>>competitive, biodiesel users say. No significant
>>>modifications are required to use biodiesel, but
>>>because it is a solvent, soft rubber gas lines need
>to
>>>be replaced with stronger tubing.
>>>
>>>Biodiesel stations also are still hard to find: There
>>>are just nine in the nine-county Bay Area, according
>>>to the National Biodiesel Board. The small-scale
>>>operations usually have limited business hours.
>>>
>>>"You can't just run down to the gas station,'' said
>>>biodiesel user Jonathan Austin of Oakland. "You've
>got
>>>to plan ahead.''
>>>
>>>Because fueling stations have limited hours, many
>>>biodiesel users fill their tanks, as well as one or
>>>more 5-gallon containers that can be stored in the
>>>trunk or stashed in the garage. Although the process
>>>of making it can be dangerous, the biodiesel itself
>is
>>>safe because it burns at a much higher temperature.
>>>
>>>And while some users don't like to use petroleum
>>>diesel, the fuels can be mixed or used
>>>interchangeably. Many biodiesel users fill their
>tanks
>>>with blends -- B-20, a blend containing 20 percent
>>>biodiesel, is common.
>>>
>>>Filling up with biodiesel can also be more costly
>>>depending on fuel prices and a vehicle's fuel
>>>efficiency, although many experts believe the price
>>>will drop as use of the fuel becomes more widespread.
>>>At Biofuel Oasis, the current supply of B-99
>>>biodiesel, made from reclaimed soy oil from a potato
>>>chip factory, sells for $3.65 a gallon. Gasoline
>sells
>>>for around $2.79 a gallon nearby and petroleum diesel
>>>for about $3.01 a gallon. However, cars that run on
>>>diesel -- including biodiesel -- can get 40 to 50
>>>miles per gallon.
>>>
>>>Many biodiesel users say they care less about the
>cost
>>>and more about cutting America's dependence on oil
>and
>>>combatting climate change. Their bumper stickers
>>>reflect those opinions. "Biodiesel -- no war
>>>required,'' read one on a car waiting to fill up at
>>>Biodiesel Oasis. "This car powered by vegetable
>oil,''
>>>read another.
>>>
>>>Jennifer Radtke, one of the five women who own
>Biofuel
>>>Oasis, thinks growing concern about climate change
>and
>>>the diminishing oil supply is driving the popularity
>>>of alternative fuels.
>>>
>>>"A lot of our customers switched to biodiesel because
>>>of the war,'' she said. "That's probably common in
>the
>>>Bay Area, but across the country, it's probably
>>>because of concern about climate change and renewable
>>>energy. And that it's so cool.''
>>>
>>>Yet biodiesel faces serious obstacles before it can
>>>become the fuel of the future.
>>>
>>>A current challenge is availability. Interest in
>>>biodiesel may be rising, but so far local production
>>>isn't. Just one firm manufactures biodiesel in the
>Bay
>>>Area, according to the National Biodiesel Board, but
>>>two Bay Area plants are under construction and are
>>>expected to be producing the fuel later this year.
>>>
>>>Yokayo Biofuels in Ukiah (Mendocino County) has
>>>produced biodiesel from waste vegetable oils for five
>>>years. The company only recently began making enough
>>>to supply Biofuel Oasis, in addition to three
>stations
>>>in Mendocino County.
>>>
>>>Kumar Plocher, Yokayo's president and founder, said
>>>that although the process of making biodiesel is
>>>relatively simple, it can be difficult to efficiently
>>>and consistently produce high-quality fuel. Some
>>>firms, he said, have invested in top-of-the-line
>>>equipment and hired petroleum and chemical industry
>>>experts but still failed to produce and distribute
>the
>>>fuel.
>>>
>>>Yokayo has grown slowly and learned along the way, he
>>>said. The company is still a small producer, he said,
>>>making about 15,000 gallons a month.
>>>
>>>"Biodiesel has a lot of interesting little nuances
>>>that you need to get to know,'' he said. "It's its
>own
>>>beast, its own molecule.''
>>>
>>>Like oil, biodiesel may have its limits because of
>the
>>>sources of the vegetable oils used to produce the
>>>fuel.
>>>
>>>"People are really excited about biofuels now,''
>>>Plocher said. "But there isn't much knowledge about
>>>them. For instance, the issue of sustainability.''
>>>
>>>Much of the Bay Area's biodiesel is produced from
>>>waste vegetable oil that comes from restaurants --
>>>including burger joints and Chez Panisse. Although
>>>that supply is now plentiful, it won't always be,
>>>especially if biodiesel use and healthier eating
>>>habits become more popular.
>>>
>>>"It's extremely attractive and cost-effective, but
>>>it's very limited,'' said Severin Borenstein, head of
>>>the Energy Institute at UC Berkeley.
>>>
>>>Most of the biodiesel produced and used nationally is
>>>made from soybeans, which yield 50 gallons of
>>>biodiesel per acre, Plocher said. Sunflowers can
>>>produce up to 100 gallons an acre and canola
>>>(rapeseed) as much as 150 gallons an acre.
>>>
>>>The huge amount of land required to grow biodiesel
>oil
>>>could crowd out food crops. Aware of that concern,
>>>some biodiesel producers have started importing palm
>>>oil from the tropics. But the growing popularity and
>>>production of palm oil for purposes including
>>>biodiesel has caused the destruction of rain forests
>>>in Malaysia and Indonesia, according to environmental
>>>groups, including Friends of the Earth.
>>>
>>>Researchers are looking for more productive, and
>>>sustainable, sources of biofuel -- including algae.
>>>They're focusing primarily on four types of high-oil
>>>algae -- diatoms, green algae, blue-green algae and
>>>golden algae -- that could be cultivated in farms or
>>>ponds. Oils could be extracted using chemical
>>>solvents, enzymes, expeller presses, osmotic shock or
>>>ultrasonic shock waves.
>>>
>>>But whatever its future, biodiesel has already
>>>generated a fleet of loyal fans who say they would
>>>never go back to petroleum diesel.
>>>
>>>"It feels good to be living your own ethics,'' McNees
>>>said after filling his tank at the Biofuel Oasis. "It
>>>is a little bit of a hassle, but knowing that I'm not
>>>adding to the problem makes it so worth it.''
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>-----------------------------------------------------
>-
>>-
>>>-------------------------
>>>New life for old grease
>>>
>>>Used frying oil is one source of vegetable oil that
>>>can be made into biodiesel. A common method called
>>>transesterification breaks down cooking oil,
>resulting
>>>in two valuable products: glycerine, an additive to
>>>soaps, and methyl esters, the chemical name for
>>>biodiesel, which can fuel a diesel engine.
>>>
>>>
>>>1. PREPARATION
>>>
>>>-- Vegetable oil poured into processor
>>>
>>>-- Oil is heated to 120° Fahrenheit
>>>
>>>-- Acidity level is checked
>>>
>>>2. REACTOR
>>>
>>>-- Lye (alkaline base) and methanol (alcohol) are
>>>mixed in a separate container
>>>
>>>-- Solution is mixed with oil
>>>
>>>3. SETTLING
>>>
>>>-- Oil is separated into glycerine and unwashed
>>>biodiesel
>>>
>>>-- Glycerine removed
>>>
>>>4. WASHING
>>>
>>>-- Biodiesel is washed with water
>>>
>>>5. PURIFICATION
>>>
>>>-- Oil is separated from water
>>>
>>>-- Water removed
>>>
>>>-- Processed biodiesel transferred to storage
>>>container
>>>
>>>6. DISTRIBUTION
>>>
>>>-- Biodiesel is "dried" or allowed to settle
>>>
>>>-- Ready for fueling
>>>
>>>
>>>Source: National Biodiesel Board
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