← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · JoseyWales
Thread ID: 20048 | Posts: 10 | Started: 2005-09-06
2005-09-06 19:01 | User Profile
[url]http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_make.html[/url]
Costs and prices: Biodieselers using waste oil feedstock say they can make biodiesel for 60 cents US per gallon or less.
I figure that making (1) 50gal batch per month should keep a 2-car house supplied.
2005-09-06 21:43 | User Profile
JoseyWales
You need to find a source of waste vegetable oil. One of the school districts where I live uses corn oil in the buses. I think they get it from a potato chip plant. You need a diesel car also a bet expensive and hard to find.
I do kind of like some of the VWs they get about 50 mpg on diesel. The Jetta has a 15 gal tank and get 50 mpg, so you could drive over 700 miles on a full tamk, add two gas can in the trunk and wow. But I think a new Volkswagen Jetta cost about $20,000. And used one can be very expensive to repair when it breaks down. I read a description by a owner of an old 1980's VW mini pickup. When he moved he put all of his property into boat and back of his truck. And drove across several states towing his boat getting over 30 mpg. I am sure the VW truck was grossly overloaded.
2005-09-06 22:47 | User Profile
JoseyWales,
Here are some books on making your car run on charcoal, and even wood. I have read the French did this some during WWII.
Producer Gas for Motor Vehicles [url]http://www.lindsaybks.com/bks/producer/index.html[/url]
Gas-Engines and Producer-Gas Plants [url]http://www.lindsaybks.com/bks4/mathot/index.html[/url]
Convert Wood into Charcoal & Electricity [url]http://www.lindsaybks.com/bks7/bchar/index.html[/url]
They have lots of over good books too.
Lindsay Books [url]http://www.lindsaybks.com/prod/index.html[/url]
2005-09-07 14:50 | User Profile
I plan on buying a ford truck as my next vehicle, with a diesel engine. Probably an F250. Ahh how nice it would be to pay $0.60/gal again ! I havent seen those prices since I was a kid.
2005-09-07 21:22 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Faust]JoseyWales,
Here are some books on making your car run on charcoal, and even wood. I have read the French did this some during WWII.
Producer Gas for Motor Vehicles [url="http://www.lindsaybks.com/bks/producer/index.html"]http://www.lindsaybks.com/bks/producer/index.html[/url]
Gas-Engines and Producer-Gas Plants [url="http://www.lindsaybks.com/bks4/mathot/index.html"]http://www.lindsaybks.com/bks4/mathot/index.html[/url]
Convert Wood into Charcoal & Electricity [url="http://www.lindsaybks.com/bks7/bchar/index.html"]http://www.lindsaybks.com/bks7/bchar/index.html[/url]
They have lots of over good books too.
Lindsay Books [url="http://www.lindsaybks.com/prod/index.html"]http://www.lindsaybks.com/prod/index.html[/url][/QUOTE]Here are a couple of websites on the subject, one has a free online book.
[url="http://members.tripod.com/~highforest/woodgas/woodgas.html"]http://members.tripod.com/~highforest/woodgas/woodgas.html[/url]
[url="http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/docrep/t0512e/T0512e00.htm"]http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/docrep/t0512e/T0512e00.htm[/url]
[url="http://www.gengas.nu/byggbes/13.shtml"]http://www.gengas.nu/byggbes/13.shtml[/url]
2005-09-07 23:12 | User Profile
6KILLER,
Thanks for the links.
2005-09-07 23:30 | User Profile
I have a gas car, is there a way to convert it so that it can run on biodiesel?
2005-09-08 00:30 | User Profile
BlueBonnet
[QUOTE]I have a gas car, is there a way to convert it so that it can run on biodiesel?[/QUOTE]
Sorry, in a word no. Gasoline to diesel conversions do not have a good history. Everyone remembers the notorious Oldsmobile 350 V-8 diesel. Its head gasket could not hold the pressure. And the other parts did not hold up well either. And that was GM doing it on a production basis.
You could look around for a used VW or Mercedes diesel car. But they can cost a lot to fix when they break. I would not mind having a Volkswagen Jetta diesel, it get 50 mpg.
2005-09-08 03:35 | User Profile
JoseyWales,
Nice truck, but it will eat a lot of Fuel.
2005 Ford F-250 Super Duty [url]http://www.edmunds.com/new/research/ford/f250superduty.html[/url]
The Fuel Economy is 13 / 17 mpg (Turbo Diesel Engine: V8.) even worse in gas.
And more on Biodiesel:
Exploring Biodiesel [url]http://www.edmunds.com/advice/specialreports/articles/102946/article.html[/url]
2005-09-08 05:48 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Faust]6KILLER,
Thanks for the links.[/QUOTE] Here's a link to an article published in Mother Earth News about how to build a dual-fuel carburetor, so you can burn both Wood-Gas and gasoline in your car.
[url="http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/1983_January_February/Build_a_Pair_of_Dual_Fuel_Carburetors"]http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/1983_January_February/Build_a_Pair_of_Dual_Fuel_Carburetors[/url]
Here are some more articles about running your car on wood-gas.
[url="http://www.motherearthnews.com/Alternative_Energy/1974_May_June/How_To_Run_Your_car_On_Wood"]http://www.motherearthnews.com/Alternative_Energy/1974_May_June/How_To_Run_Your_car_On_Wood[/url]
[url="http://www.motherearthnews.com/Alternative_Energy/1981_September_October/Wood_Gas_Update"]http://www.motherearthnews.com/Alternative_Energy/1981_September_October/Wood_Gas_Update[/url]
[url="http://www.motherearthnews.com/Alternative_Energy/1981_November_December/Mother_is_Going_to_the_Races"]http://www.motherearthnews.com/Alternative_Energy/1981_November_December/Mother_is_Going_to_the_Races[/url]_
Even one on how to run your saw-mill on wood-gas.
[url="http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/1982_November_December/Our_Sawmill_Runs_on_Wood"]http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/1982_November_December/Our_Sawmill_Runs_on_Wood[/url]_