- Is biodiesel an affordable alternative fuel?
When reviewing the high costs associated with other alternative fuel systems, many fleet managers have determined biodiesel is their least-cost-strategy to comply with state and federal regulations. Use of biodiesel does not require engine modification unless the engine was built before the mid-1980s, which means operators keep their fleets, spare parts inventories, refueling stations, and skilled mechanics.
- Can biodiesel be used in existing diesel engines?
Biodiesel works in any diesel engine built after the mid-1980s and requires no modifications to the engine or the fuel system. For engines built before the mid-1980s, only minor modifications are required. Biodiesel has a solvent effect that may release deposits accumulated on tank walls and pipes from previous diesel fuel storage. Precautions should be taken initially to keep filters clean of released deposits. Use only fuel meeting the biodiesel specification (D 6751).
- Can biodiesel be used as a pure fuel only, or can it be blended with petroleum diesel?
Biodiesel can be used as a pure fuel, or it can be blended with petroleum diesel in any percentage. B20 (a blend of 20% by volume biodiesel with 80% by volume petroleum diesel) has demonstrated significant economic and environmental benefits for fleet operations and other consumers. Biodiesel can be blended “at the pump,” and in some countries biodiesel is used 100% at the pump.
- Is biodiesel approved for use in the United States?
Biodiesel is registered as a fuel and fuel additive with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It meets clean diesel standards established by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Neat Biodiesel (100% biodiesel) has been designated as an alternative fuel by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).
- Is biodiesel really better for the environment than petroleum diesel?
Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel to have fully completed the health effects testing requirements of the Clean Air Act. The use of biodiesel in a conventional diesel engine results in:
- Substantial reduction of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter compared to emissions from petroleum diesel fuel
- Almost total elimination of sulfur oxides and sulfates (major components of acid rain) in exhaust
- Near 50% reduction of ozone and smog-forming pollutants
- Can biodiesel help mitigate "global warming?"
A 1998 biodiesel life cycle study, jointly sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, concluded biodiesel reduces net carbon dioxide emissions by 78% compared to petroleum diesel. This decrease is due to biodiesel's closed carbon cycle. The CO2 released into the atmosphere when biodiesel is burned is recycled by plants, which can later be processed into fuel.
- Is biodiesel less harmful to human health than petroleum diesel?
Scientific research confirms that biodiesel exhaust has a less harmful impact on human health than petroleum diesel fuel. Biodiesel emissions have decreased levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and nitrited PAH compounds that have been identified as potential cancer-causing compounds. Test results indicate PAH compounds were reduced by 75% to 85%, with the exception of benzo(a)anthracene, which was reduced by roughly 50%. Targeted nPAH compounds were also reduced dramatically with biodiesel fuel, with 2-nitrofluorene and 1-nitropyrene reduced by 90%, and the rest of the nPAH compounds reduced to only trace levels.
- Is biodiesel storage the same as petroleum diesel storage?
In general, the standard storage and handling procedures used for petroleum diesel can be used for biodiesel. The fuel should be stored in a clean, dry, dark environment. Acceptable storage tank materials include aluminum, steel, fluorinated polyethylene, fluorinated polypropylene, and teflon. It is not advisable to store biodiesel in copper, brass, lead, tin, or zinc containers.
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