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bennelson · 01-08-2009, 11:53 PM

Heck, if I do this project the way I think it's going, I am going to pull any useful thing I can off the Mercedes to make it all work.

From what I have read, Bio-Diesel DOES have a higher gel temperature than petro-diesel. Vegetable oil has an even higher gel point.

Get into other related fuels, say, shortening - and it's solid at room temperature. Now I am not saying I am going to run anything on Crisco, but you could, IF it was heated to the right temperature.

All the biodiesel guys that I know run B100 or at least a high % blend all summer, but run a very low % blend (if at all) in the winter.

I would like to run 100% year-round, but it's going to take some figuring how to do that. I may need a block heater, fuel heat exchanger, insulated tank, who knows what...

The good news is that I have about 10 months to figure that part of it out. I should be able to do a diesel swap, locate oil, learn how to brew bio, and figure out temperature issues by next October or December.

Boy, that sounds like a lot to learn. I better get going!

PS: I believe Groar's statement about US electricity making a lot of CO2 was simply a statement, not an accusation. The US DOES use a lot of electricity, and DOES make plenty of CO2. You will also notice that Groar is in France. France gets close to 90% of it's electricity from nuclear power and exports lots of its power to other European countries. Love it or hate it, nuclear power doesn't use fossil fuels or make CO2 or other combustion by-products.
(If you would like to continue discussion about nuclear power, please do so in a new thread - either here in the Fossil-Fuel-Free Forum, as it really is a fossil fuel alternative, or otherwise maybe in the Lounge. Nuclear power can be a divisive topic, but well worth discussion.)

I am glad that there are people who choose to use renewably generated electricity, even if they have to pay extra for it. I think it says a lot about people who put their money where their mouth is. It's also why I donate to public radio and put a few bucks towards the Open Source Controller Project.

01-08-2009, 11:53 PM	#58 (permalink)
bennelson EV test pilot Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Oconomowoc, WI, USA Posts: 4,435 Electric Cycle - '81 Kawasaki KZ440 90 day: 334.6 mpg (US) S10 - '95 Chevy S10 90 day: 30.48 mpg (US) Electro-Metro - '96 Ben Nelson's "Electro-Metro" 90 day: 129.81 mpg (US) The Wife's Car - Plug-in Prius - '04 Toyota Prius 90 day: 78.16 mpg (US) Thanks: 17 Thanked 663 Times in 388 Posts	Heck, if I do this project the way I think it's going, I am going to pull any useful thing I can off the Mercedes to make it all work. From what I have read, Bio-Diesel DOES have a higher gel temperature than petro-diesel. Vegetable oil has an even higher gel point. Get into other related fuels, say, shortening - and it's solid at room temperature. Now I am not saying I am going to run anything on Crisco, but you could, IF it was heated to the right temperature. All the biodiesel guys that I know run B100 or at least a high % blend all summer, but run a very low % blend (if at all) in the winter. I would like to run 100% year-round, but it's going to take some figuring how to do that. I may need a block heater, fuel heat exchanger, insulated tank, who knows what... The good news is that I have about 10 months to figure that part of it out. I should be able to do a diesel swap, locate oil, learn how to brew bio, and figure out temperature issues by next October or December. Boy, that sounds like a lot to learn. I better get going! PS: I believe Groar's statement about US electricity making a lot of CO2 was simply a statement, not an accusation. The US DOES use a lot of electricity, and DOES make plenty of CO2. You will also notice that Groar is in France. France gets close to 90% of it's electricity from nuclear power and exports lots of its power to other European countries. Love it or hate it, nuclear power doesn't use fossil fuels or make CO2 or other combustion by-products. (If you would like to continue discussion about nuclear power, please do so in a new thread - either here in the Fossil-Fuel-Free Forum, as it really is a fossil fuel alternative, or otherwise maybe in the Lounge. Nuclear power can be a divisive topic, but well worth discussion.) I am glad that there are people who choose to use renewably generated electricity, even if they have to pay extra for it. I think it says a lot about people who put their money where their mouth is. It's also why I donate to public radio and put a few bucks towards the Open Source Controller Project. __________________ 300mpg.org Learn how to BUILD YOUR OWN ELECTRIC CAR CHEAP My YouTube Videos Last edited by bennelson; 01-09-2009 at 12:09 AM..