Biodiesel - as
easy as ABC...
What is
Biodiesel?
Biodiesel is a
vegetable oil-based fuel that runs in
unmodified diesel
engines - cars, buses, trucks, construction equipment, boats,
generators, and oil home heating units. It's usually made from
canola oil or soy, and can also be made from used fryer oil from
your local restaurant. It can
be blended with regular diesel or run 100% biodiesel.
How do I make
my own biodiesel?
You can produce
your own clean-burning diesel fuel from used vegetable oil and
ingredients that cost only 70 cents per gallon. FuelMeister™
makes it easy to get started. All the equipment you need is
included with this fully assembled and tested system. A
40-gallon batch takes only about one hour of hands-on time to
produce.
How much
money can I save by making Biodiesel?
Your immediate
savings per gallon will be approximately $2.30 (typical
petroleum diesel cost) minus the $0.70 (very conservative) cost
to make your own biodiesel. When multiplied by your
family's monthly consumption, you will know how many months it
takes to recoup your investment in a FuelMeisterII biodiesel
processor with your family as the sole consumer.
How much
will the supplies cost?
Used cooking
oil is widely available for free from your local restaurants.
Racing methanol is about $2.50-$3.00 per gallon, but you only
need 8 gallons for every 40 gallons of biodiesel. Lye is
about $5/lb. at the hardware store but closer to $3/lb. in 50lb.
bulk bags. You need about 1.5-2lbs./40 gal. Methanol
can be purchased from chemical supply companies. Use
beaded or granular, avoid liquid and flakes.
How much
biodiesel can the FuelMeisterII™ produce?
Making only 2-3
batches per week, the FuelMeisterII™
can easily produce 340-516 gallons on ready-to-use washed
biodiesel every month. If you do a good job setting up your
processor you can produce 2 batches every 24 hours which adds up
to 2400 gallons of biodiesel per month!
What other
ways can biodiesel be used?
In most cases
you can safely use up to 100% biodiesel in any device which
currently uses #2 petroleum diesel. This includes cars,
trucks, generators, tractors and even home heating oil furnaces.
How else can
I cut biodiesel production costs?
If you can plan
your production volumes carefully, you could get supplies like
methanol and lye in larger volumes to keep the per-unit costs
down. Setting up to collect and store supplies in larger
quantities will also reduce the labor time and transportation
costs as well.
How should I
treat my own time in making biodiesel?
Most people who
make biodiesel treat their own production time as a hobby, much
like making beer or wine at home for personal consumption.
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