[alfa] Biodiesel

["Rich Wagner" <drsavage@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Gang:

With the intensity of the ongoing biodiesel discussion on the digest, I
just wanted to sound a mild alert.  Don't allow yourselves to be too taken
by claims raised by people who don't have complete knowledge of this
subject.  In the media--even in somewhat educated outlets like auto
magazines and TV shows--there is a distinct desire to say that, since
diesels run just fine on this fuel, it's a perfectly acceptable fuel for
them.  This is not true.

A diesel engine can run on ANY fuel that can be properly atomized by its
injectors, including everything from light oils through highly volatile
hydrocarbons.  What necessitates the blend of light oils and
sulfur-containing additives that we today know as "diesel fuel", is the
design of the mechanical diesel injection pump.

Penn State researchers recently published a paper where they found that
vegetable oils, without any additives to aid in lubrication, do NOT offer
the lubricating qualities required for long life of mechanical injection
pumps.  They did find that, by adding the same sulfur-containing additives
used in normal diesel fuel, this situation was easily remedied.  However,
the very same sulfur is the fraction of the exhaust gasses that are
currently being objected to by the public.  The researchers have identified
other compounds that can be blended with the fuels, and seem to provide
acceptable lubrication, but research is still ongoing.


Caveat emptor,

Rich Wagner
Montrose, CO
'82 GTV6 Balocco
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