How Biodiesel Cars Work
The most amazing thing about biodiesel fuel is that many diesel cars can use it. Biodiesel is a diesel equivalent elicited from plant sources. There are variations of the fuel but they require special engines to process and make use of it. Biodiesel can be used by any environmentally conscious driver or company with no ill effects on the vehicle. The implications of this fuel are deep and far-reaching.
It is produced from a combination of vegetable oils, recycled greases or animal fat. It is biodegradable and when burned releases far less pollutants into the atmosphere. B20 is a popular blend of 80% diesel fuel and 20% biodiesel fuel. The more biodiesel in the fuel the higher the number. So 40% would be B40, 60% would be B60, etc. Biodiesel in its pure form is viable but some analysts say you should always have a small mixture just to avoid having to modify ones engine to support the fuel most efficiently.
Some of the environmental benefits of biodiesel over gasoline include: the fact that biodiesel fuel is non toxic, it contains fewer hydrocarbons, it is biodegradable, it reduces emissions of carbon dioxide, and also reduces emission of particulates. It is also the only currently known alternative fuel source to have fully complied with the Health Effects Testing requirements.
Drawbacks of Biodiesel
It would be a mistake not to include a few criticisms of the technology. None of it stems from the fuel itself but rather the positions of the plants that make it. Many already have been built on the edge of forests and into jungles. There is also the issue of deforestation. Some more unscrupulous companies will seek to get more fuel-combustible (and thus lucrative) plants such as oil palm.
This destruction of the jungles leads to a loss of habitat for many species and can drastically alter the eco-system of the area. There are species of orangutans in Indonesia that are on the verge of extinction due to the biodiesel companies chopping down their homes for fuel. These things are of course all fixable through a more judicious pursuit of the fuel sources.
Biodiesel is easily available and more visible within the nation every day. Gas stations are beginning to offer biodiesel fuel to consumers. Many trucking companies are now using it as an additive to their fuel.
Biodiesel is currently more expensive to purchase than petroleum, but that is only due to the small number of manufacturers relative to the man offering petroleum. As use of it goes up and more people start to manufacture it, the prices will soon go far below traditional gasoline. And how could that not be a good thing?
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