/r/Biodiesel

Photograph via snooOG

The BioDiesel Reddit

Biodiesel - a vegetable oil - or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl (methyl, ethyl, or propyl) esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids (e.g., vegetable oil, animal fat (tallow)) with an alcohol producing fatty acid esters.

Biodiesel is meant to be used in standard diesel engines and is thus distinct from the vegetable and waste oils used to fuel converted diesel engines. Biodiesel can be used alone, or blended with petrodiesel in any proportions. Biodiesel blends can also be used as heating oil.

Wikipedia: biodiesel

The home for anyone interested in the superior internal combustion engine known as the diesel, and biofuel integration. This is where we can discuss diesel vehicles in general, clean diesel advances, biodiesel, straight/waste vegetable oil vehicles, algae oil, and anything diesel related.


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/r/Biodiesel

1,498 Subscribers

3

Biodiesel from crops?

Does anyone know of any good sources that I could look into as a beginner to start learning the process needed to take crops I grow myself and turn them into biodiesel? I'm sure it's a long and complicated process but its something I'd love to spend some time learning I'm just having trouble finding information on how to make it from crops. Most of what I'm finding is sourced from used motor and cooking oil. My goal is to be as close to 100% self sufficient at some point which is why I'm interested in learning about how to make it from crops.

Thanks for any help!

7 Comments
2024/05/13
20:59 UTC

1

Bio Supplies

Can anyone suggest the best place to sell some tanks previously used for small scale bio-diesel production? My dad used them for quite some time but just can't keep up with it anymore and has asked me to try to help him find a buyer for the tanks.

3 Comments
2024/05/11
19:00 UTC

5

Any ideas on how I can get funding to start my biofuel business?

So basically question is in the title. I want to start producing biofuels from crops. I have the equipment to plant and gather the crops, but I need to put up a building to store my biofuel plant plus I need money to purchase a plant. Anybody know how I can go about getting a grant or funding (preferably no loans) to do so? Thanks!

19 Comments
2024/05/04
03:18 UTC

4

Prepping F350 to run on B100

I have a 2005 Ford F350 (6.0 engine) that's in the shop for a blown head gasket. Sometime next year I'm hoping to start making B100 from new clean veggie oil and run the truck on it. While I have it in the shop, is there anything I should modify or change out to get it ready for biodiesel? I'm already adding a fuel crossover / return line for air bubbles and better fuel supply. The main thing I'm concerned about is seals and fuel lines, but from what I've been able to read, the truck should be new enough to have resistant O rings.

Any advice or suggestions?

7 Comments
2024/04/27
03:59 UTC

2

B50 and up in a 1,4 D4D toyota?

I've been thinking about getting a toyota corolla E12 and running it on processed wvo, any problems with that or should i look for a different car?

0 Comments
2024/03/26
18:46 UTC

3

When did diesel motors become incompatible with high percentage biodiesel?

I have a 1984 Toyota Blizzard DL10 with a 2.2 motor and a 1995 Mazda Bongo which is like a Friendee. The Bongo has been running on B99 for a couple weeks. A fuel filter is on the way.

19 Comments
2024/03/23
17:44 UTC

4

Supercritical Biodiesel Plant Production

Hi there!

Does anybody here have experience in supercritical biodiesel plants and production? The lab I'm working at is looking to build an in-house mini plant. We'll be using used cooking oil and/or tallow as the feedstocks. Any recommendations on plant design, equipment, and useful literature?

3 Comments
2024/01/05
18:45 UTC

1

Precipitate glycerine with water and gelatin

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZg6hirk9r0&pp=ygUJQmlvZGllc2Vs

What do you guys think about this method ?

5 Comments
2023/12/31
11:23 UTC

6

What happened to all of the WVO resources?

I recently bought a 78 Mercedes 240D with plans to make it a two tank system and was trying to go to my old resources on the web to buy a kit or get plans for one and it seems like every WVO resource from 10 years ago is completely shut down or they don't offer kits or plans anymore and are just a shell of what they used to be.

Does anyone know what happened to them and why places like greasecar, greasel, frybrid and others are all gone?

It seems super weird that none of them exist anymore.

6 Comments
2023/12/24
16:36 UTC

7

Biodiesel in Texas

Anyone know of spots in Texas where I can fill up on B20-B100?

5 Comments
2023/12/08
16:37 UTC

3

Where can I get a factory plan of a biodiesel plant?

I am planning to construct a miniplant but I cannot find a full factory process of an existing large scale biodiesel plant.

5 Comments
2023/11/14
13:40 UTC

3

Are biodiesel companies around the world selling their biodiesel at a competitive price to diesel?

I'm finding it difficult to make a business model out of this given that the raw material is used cooking oil.

2 Comments
2023/11/11
17:10 UTC

6

How does one get started?

Hey guys, I've been interested in making my own Biodiesel to either run completely off of it or maybe run it B20. The main caveat I find is that most resources out there rely on running it on very old cars. What would one need to check for if you wanted to use biodiesel on a modern diesel. Something like a BMW X5 2.5 diesel or a Nissan engine.

Also, how does one get started? I can easily get huge amounts of waste vegetable oil from restaurants or from what I use at home. I get the basic gist of it. Filter the waste oil, mix it with methanol and sodium hydroxide, remove the resulting glicerin and you're good to go?

I'm planning on buying a Pick-up Truck with a chinese diesel engine ( 1.9 L D20TCIE ) and I'd like to be able to use it either full biodiesel or B20.

17 Comments
2023/11/08
19:25 UTC

3

Glycerin / Glycerol

What are you people doing with your waste glycerin, wash water and unprocessed waste from your biodiesel production runs?

Doing a bit of research on what it could be used for or reworked into. Don’t really want to be putting it through the landfill or anything like that.

1 Comment
2023/10/21
09:33 UTC

6

New to biodiesel

Hi, i am getting into the rabbit hole of biodiesel and i'm seeing a couple different methods.

My plan is to make my own biodiesel, probably with used vegetable oil from restaurants. And using it in a 2000 mitsubishi montero.

My country has quite high temperatures, maybe that is important context.

Which would be the best method for me with these things in mind? should i use KOH or NaOH?

Any sources that you recommend? books, YouTube videos, etc.

Any other tips would be greatly appreciated

14 Comments
2023/09/26
18:33 UTC

2

Vaporising burner issues

Hello!

I have a minor problem to trouble shoot, sorry if this is the wrong forum for it.

I had some well filtered waste veg oil I'd left it at the back of the barn for a while and not used it. Late spring came round so I threw about 120l into the 23 second heating oil tank for the boiler (pressure jet) and Rayburn (vaporising pot burner). The resulting blend was probably about 90% 23 second, and 10% waste veg oil.

As this paper suggests ( I wish I read it beforehand) it would run alright for a day or two before gumming up. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360544209004472

The boiler never seemed to notice the change, but the vaporising pot burner wouldn't run on the mix. No problem I thought, it was late spring and about time to turn the Rayburn off so I thought I'd use enough oil up by Autumn that at the next tank fill I would be back to more or less pure 23 second oil.

Unfortunately I'm now getting close to the time of year I'd like to light the Rayburn but I still have perhaps 1000-1200 litres of the troublesome mix left. Though it seems like an easy question I have failed to find any chart to work out how much petrol or similar would I need to add to the tank to get a mix that would work for the vaporising pot burner without upsetting the pressure jet burner?

Could anyone point me in the right direction for resources that might answer the question? Would adding enough petrol to thin it out be enough or are the polymerisation issues the problem and either I need to dump the contents of the tank or crank the heating up for a month or two?

Many thanks

4 Comments
2023/09/25
17:18 UTC

2

Methanol recovery.

If I don't have distillation equipment at this time, can I store the glycerin methanol byproduct for later distillation?

3 Comments
2023/08/25
22:40 UTC

3

thoughts on turning a mild steel drum into reaction vessel?

I know most people use water heaters, but I figure if I wrap it with insulation, slap a temp controlled heater in it and toss a concrete mixer thing (the two handled paddle mixer, not the rotating drum kind) on top would there be any problems with that? Would the chemicals be too harsh? Has someone done this before? Any insight is appreciated!

2 Comments
2023/08/24
11:46 UTC

1

Alternate method - comments? Experience?

I read a paper from a university in Ethiopia about using Calcium Oxide nanoparticles and Methanol (instead of NaOH/KOH and Methanol) to make biodiesel from Waste Cooking Oil. Anyone tried this? The paper talked about making the CaO from scratch but maybe it can be sourced from Chem Supply house?

5 Comments
2023/08/23
23:58 UTC

3

Grease mechanics for RV

Hey all, I’m looking for someone to help source and install a veggie oil tank and conversion kit for a diesel pusher RV. Doesn’t matter where in the US willing to drive.

1 Comment
2023/08/12
15:59 UTC

2

What is the process to purify crude glycerine after biodiesel production?

1 Comment
2023/06/28
16:28 UTC

5

No Biodiesel options in Philly (metro) area any more... :(

Years ago there used to be a handful of pumps around the Philly metro area, but 1 by 1 they've all disappeared. Self Heating in Horsham was the last holdout, but they were acquired and their fueling business scuttled. Is there anything I'm missing? Anybody know of a retail location selling any mix or Biodiesel? I would even debate getting an above ground oil tank to buy it in bulk and just refuel at home...

3 Comments
2023/05/19
15:42 UTC

2

Biodiesel batch will not pass 27/3 test

For the record, I stupidly did not titrate before reaction, so I don't know how bad the oil was, but it came from a known good supplier that recycles at consistent intervals. I used the same Methoxide values i did last year for their oil and I have had to re-react it twice now as it does not pass the 27/3 test (27mL Methanol to 3mL biodiesel at 70F, watching for fallout). Is it possible that FFAs are still present and are not reacting to the Methoxide making a case for the use of Sulfric acid, or should I just keep pounding it with Methoxide and heat? Or am I past the point of no return and should use this for starting fires in my fire pit?

3 Comments
2023/05/19
00:39 UTC

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