Freedom Fuel America
This is the number one search term on Google Trends today so far. There seem to be a lot of people interested in making their own biodiesel fuel. Save yourself the trouble of searching and go here if you are interested.
Be sure to read the FAQ on this site if you are really considering making your own diesel fuel. There is a lot of interesting information on the process you will go through to get a batch of biodiesel together. You might be sure to notice that biodiesel will gel in cold weather, rot the rubber hoses in your fuel system, and cost you some tax money even if you make it yourself.
I don’t know why anyone would want to make their own diesel fuel. Yes, the price is high, but so is the cost of vegetable oil. It costs money for pure methanol, and you have to put up with safety issues in handling caustic chemicals and heated vats of oil. This is not the answer to rising fuel costs. Cooking up your own methyl ester of lard is not the way to get your big rig across the USA any cheaper.
I am surprised that you don’t need some kind of license to run this kind of a chemical plant. There are dangers involved in any chemical reaction, and especially so when you might not even know what you are doing. Selling equipment like this to people who probably did not even take high school chemistry is irresponsible. This is probably why Freedom Fuel America does not exactly sell this system. They direct you to some mom and pop shop that sells the reactor.
I’ve heard of people cooking up biodiesel in old water heaters. I’ve heard of people building biodiesel plants in old chicken coops. This is not the stone age. If you want to go into the fuel business, hire a chemist and raise the capital for a full scale safe operation. If you can save some money on a small time setup like this, imagine the profit potential of a bigtime business.
Sure, old fryer grease can be got for free from restaurants. How long will that last once everybody has a biodiesel reactor in their garage? Not long. Believe it or not there is no such thing as a free lunch. Renewable energy sources like vegetable oil still cost money and consume petroleum in their production. Spending a lot of time and effort to make low-quality fuel substitute is not going to make you any more free. If you want to save money on fuel costs, don’t drive so much.
Well for once,
After everybody has a biodiesel reactor,
the price of cooked meal will drop, health industry will see an increase in profits…
and you’ll see more fat people behind the wheels.
Some Knowledge,
I don’t know where you get your information or experience from but I have been making my own fuel for well over a year now. In our state at least for now there are no taxes on making your own fuel. The federal tax is still required but even with it the cost is still about 1/4th of pump diesel. What you stated about rotting your fuel lines is all BS if you have a modern diesel it already has the viton rubber needed if not it is only a small investment to replace the ones on your older diesel. The engine runs better, smoother and much cleaner than on petroleum diesel. I have also found that many commercial antigel additives on the market for biodiesel will get you through temperatures in to the 20 degree F range, I ran 100% biodiesel all winter long without any trouble. I have news for you too on the waste grease, very few people are going to go to the trouble of doing it….. dealing with the smell, mess and other unpleasantness of retrieving waste oil. I don’t know any homebrewers who use virgin oil because you are correct it is far too expensive. Maybe some commercial plants are using virgin stocks but I don’t really worry about them because I would never be able to buy virgin oil in the volume they do. The energy balance is about 3.2 to 1 which is better than any other biofuel currently in use. Do you have a lawn mower and keep a gas can to fuel it with?? This is about the same danger level as a can of methanol, the lye is a bit dangerous but if you do it properly it is safe. The biodiesel once made is much safer than petroleum diesel it has a higher flash point than petroleum. I have shown in the classes I have taught that when you have an open flame placed directly into biodiesel the flame is extinguished. I fully believe that it is going to be up to individuals to help solve this energy crisis and environmental problems we face if you are waiting for the petroleum , car companies or the government to solve it for you you have a long expensive wait ahead.