Filed under: Biodiesel, Green Daily
B20 Biodiesel pumps not delivering what they promise?
Drivers of diesel-powered vehicles, especially those that are still under warranty, might want to steer clear of pumps marked B20 for the time being. As we've reported before, the reason why no manufacturer will currently honor a warranty when using anything greater than B5 is that there is still no standard for B20 fuel. That means they can't validate their engines and fuel systems based on known properties. That standard is currently being developed by a Society of Automotive Engineers technical committee and will hopefully be finalized some time this year.
Currently, buying B20 is a bit of a roll of the dice. Researchers from Wood's Hole Oceanographic institute were testing biodiesel to evaluate the effects of spills on marine environments. They bought samples from a dozen distributors around the country and found the concentrations of biodiesel in B20 (nominally 20 percent bio and 80 percent petroleum) ranged from a low of 10 percent to as much as 74 percent (!). While using more biofuel may be desirable in many respects, if a vehicle isn't prepared for such high concentrations, it might cause serious damage. Homebrew biodiesel or blends are fine if you know what you're getting into, but most people need a reliable source of fuel and don't want to have to pay for expensive repairs. The U.S. Defense Department is a major consumer of biodiesel and of the samples tested only ten percent met their standard which may cause them to curtail purchases.
[Source: World Business Council on Sustainable Development, via EcoGeek]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
rgseidl 5:09PM (3/06/2008)
There are actually standards for the biodiesel itself: EN14214 in Europe, ASTM D 6751 in the US.
http://www.biodiesel.org/resources/fuelfactsheets/standards_and_warranties.shtm
Blending two liquids 80/20 by weight isn't rocket science. The problem is that neither the filling station operator nor the end customer have any way to verify that the blend product actually meets spec.
This is also true of dinojuice but for that, there is a system of inspectors that ferrets out adulterated product and prosecutes offenders. For biodiesel blends to be accepted by the general public, this system would have to be extended to cover that fuel grade.
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eckre 6:13PM (3/06/2008)
Will someone please write (or point to me) a long detailed article on why they are not making engines that can do B100 like my old Mercedes can? I know it costs more because you have to make sure the lines are more durable, but I just don't see why this is so hard, and of course, I think it's a conspiracy with the auto manufacturers in bed with the oil companies, ;) Enlighten me please! I really want to know.
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psarhjinian 9:48AM (3/07/2008)
Your old Mercedes didn't have a fuel rail that ran at 20,000psi, nor did it have to obey anything remotely resembling pollution regulations. Heck, a lot of older diesels weren't turbocharged.
A modern turbodiesel is a very complex, highly stressed piece of equipment, and the tolerances are a lot lower than in a naturally-aspirated gasoline engine or, for that matter, in a hybrid. Commerically refined and certified B100 might work, but backyard biodiesel or SVO is not going to cut it.
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