VEGETABLE OILS CAN REPLACE DIESEL AS A FUEL.

By: Michael Laity

How much do you pay for fuel? Gas=$2.50 Diesel=$2.35 2002 Suburban – 25 gallon fuel tank,

$2.50 a gallon = $62.50 Honda Civic 16 gallon fuel tank= $40 1987 Mercedes 300TD 16 gallon fuel

tank= $37.60 1987 Mercedes 300TD running off of

waste vegetable oil= FREE

What I learned. The U.S consumes 161 billion gallons of

Gasoline each year, and 64 Billion gallons of diesel each year, but only produces 3 Billion gallons of vegetable oil.

There is not enough vegetable oil to power all of the diesel cars in the United States.

What I learned. Diesel engines do not produce any

Carbon Monoxide (CO). Diesel engines are 30% more efficient at

burning fuel than gas engines, this is shown in the higher Miles Per Gallon of diesel (MPG) engines.

Physical Project For my physical project I converted and

tested a 1987 Mercedes 300TD diesel car. I tested multiple vegetable oils for Miles

Per Gallon, Emissions, and economics. This project relates to my paper because I

am taking the theories and the ideas in my paper and directly testing them.

Test VehicleMake: Mercedes BenzYear: 1987

Engine: 3.0 liter, 6 cylinder Diesel

CatalyticConverter: No

Mileage: 198,000 miles

Test Equipment:

Lovecraft Conversion -Heat Exchanger - Heated Fuel Filter - High Capacity Pump

Secondary Test Tank

Heat Exchanger Heated Fuel Filter Kit

Conversion The diesel engine was designed in 1893

to be powered by peanut oil. To make a newer diesel engine run off of

vegetable oil, the car has to be modified. To convert the car I took it to Lovecraft

Bio fuels. Only three major components are needed

to make the car run off of vegetable oil at a total cost of $550 if you convert it your self.

Mileage testing

Test TankY Valves Spot for scale

To test the mileage, I put the fuel I want to test in the two gallon test tank, and weight how much fuel I use. I then drive an 11.4 mile test course and weight the fuel after to find out how many grams of fuel I use. Then I convert the grams of fuel used to miles per gallon.

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Performance Testing

Distance: 11.4 miles (total)

Laps: 2 laps starting and stopping at the same point

Description: Flat with some rolling hills

Speed: half course 35 mph half course 45 mph

Stop Signs: Total 15 stops

AverageTime: 21:45 minutes +/- 15 seconds

Variation: 2-3% Fuel consumption (gms)Between (better than expected)Runs

11.4 Mile test Course Consistency Achieved

Palos VerdesTest Course

Variables Controlled

Outside Temp: 60-70 F.

Tire Pressure: 34 psi

Weight of 280-320 lbsStudents/Cargo/Fuel

Fuel Temp 80-112 F

Fuel Based onUsage weigh of test

tank in grams. Average

of 5 data points.

Conversion based on 2of Grams Fuel weightings ofto Gallons 500ml beaker

with fuel at average temp.

The performance of the different fuels was compared in terms of miles per gallon.

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Diesel WVO VO B10024.5

25

25.5

26

26.5

27

27.5

28

28.5

29 28.7

27.1

26.5

25.9

Exhibit E: Miles per Gallon

Fuel

MPG

MPG Diesel WVO VO B-99N= 4 4 4 4Average 28.7 27.1 26.5 25.9Std.Deviation 0.60 0.62 0.64 0.60% Change Diesel Baseline -5.6% -7.7% -9.8%

-7.7%

-5.6%

-9.8%

Emissions Testing The emissions testing was done using a

gas stations smog testing machine. The car is put up on rollers so that the

back wheels of the car can spin freely and a tester is put up the exhaust pipe.

The car is then driven at idle, 15 miles per hour, and 25 miles per hour and the data is recorded.

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Diesel WVO VO B100 Gas0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

12.3

24.7 25.0

2.0

14.6

Exhibit A: Hydrocarbons (ppm)

Fuel

PPM

Hydrocarbons (ppm) Diesel WVO VO B100 GasN= 3 3 1 1 8Average 12.3 24.7 25.0 2.0 14.6Std.Deviation 3.1 1.5 NA NA 18.2

Hydrocarbon emissions represent the unburned fuel due to incomplete combustion.

Diesel engines appear to have a greater amount of hydrocarbon emissions and vegetable oils appear to worsen the problem. Bio-Diesel (B-100), however, appears to burn much more completely than the other fuels and is by far the cleanest.

Diesel WVO VO B100 Gas0.00

0.01

0.02

0.03

0.04

0.05

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

0.04

Exhibit B: Carbon Monoxide %

Fuel

%

Diesel produces no CO gases likely due to the higher operating temperature and pressure of the engine. This leads to a more complete conversion of CO to CO2.

In gas cars, the catalytic converter is suppose to drive the conversion of CO to CO2. The CO levels, however, was found to range from 0 to 0.18% based on results from 8 cars.

Diesel WVO VO B100 Gas0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

587

484515

563

81

Exhibit C: NOx (ppm)

Fuels

PPM

Nitrous Oxides, a major contributor to smog, is controlled on gas cars by pollution control equipment… thus the lower emissions.

The vegetable based fuels appear to produce greater amounts of NOx which without the pollution control equipment is noticeably higher.

Historically, the high levels of sulfur found in diesel fuel has prevented the use of emissions control equipment on diesel engines. With the advent of low- sulfur diesel fuels, however, it should be possible to control NOx in the same manner as gasoline cars.

These test results were found to have the greatest variability from one test to the next and will be studied further to validate findings.

Conclusions Environmental Impact (Emissions and Carbon Footprint)

1. Gasoline Cars were found to have an advantage in the control of Hydrocarbons and NOx.

2. Diesel Engines were found to be superior to gasoline engines in the control of Carbon Monoxide (CO).

3. The CO2 emitted from Vegetable Oil and Bio-Diesel fuels is better for the environment .

- closed cycle: CO2 from air to plant to air.

4. Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) is more carbon neutral than Virgin Oil (VO) or Bio-Diesel.

- it is a recycled product requiring no petroleum based fuel in the collection and filtration of the product.

5. Bio-Diesel is the cleanest burning of the Vegetable Oil based fuels . - the least hydrocarbon emissions

- does require 25% by volume of petroleum based methanol. - yields residual glycerin requiring disposal.

ConclusionsFinding a Better Solution1. The US can reduce emissions by shifting more passenger

cars to high-mpg diesel cars.

- High MPG Diesel cars will provide an immediate reduction in petroleum usage and production of CO2.

- The use of Bio-diesel as a substitute for diesel will provide further environmental benefits.

- The potential for Bio-Diesel to be made from Algae Oil is 3-5 years away…..NO MORE FOREIGN OIL IS A REALITY!

Carbon FootprintThe CO2 emissions from Bio-Fuels is recycled by plants to form a “no new carbon” cycle. Fossil fuels unleash new carbon in the environment.

Fossil Fuels Unleash New Carbon to the Environment.Vegetable Oil based fuels Recycle Carbon

Note: Some petroleum based fuel are used to plant,harvest, process and transport vegetable oils to marketwhich does add a certain amount of CO2 to the environment.

How I refuel my car. I have to gather oil from fast food

restaurants, and pump it through a filter and into the car.

The process of filling up the car with fuel takes about 20 minutes and is very dirty. Vegetable oil is not for everyone.

Oil from restaurants Filter and

pump assembly

These are as sticky as they look.

How the senior project has helped me.

Procrastination is bad. Manage time. Prepare me for research papers in

college.

Conclusion Vegetable oils, although they have been

able to cut my dependence on diesel fuel, cannot replace diesel as a fuel.

The demand for diesel fuel is too high to replace with product that is produced in lower quantities.

Algae oil is a viable solution to our energy problem. Algae oil can be produced faster than vegetable oil, and it can be refined into gasoline, diesel, and Jet A.

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Future Research

The Future is……Algae OilAlgae is the fastest growing plant in the world

Algae consumes CO2 to grow…takes it from the air.

50-60% of Algae by weight is Oil

Petroleum is algae that died a million years ago and left its oil.

A state the size of Louisiana can grow all the Algae oil the US needs to replace foreign imports.

Questions?