How does it work?
Reader's Digest version of running a car on Waste Vegetable Oil is as follows:
You have to have a diesel engine. The diesel engine was originally designed to run on peanut oil in the late 19th century. Throughout most of the 20th century fossil fuels became cheap enough to where a variant of gasoline was a more economical choice. Somewhere in the late 20th century and early 21st the diesel community remembered the idea and spurred on by rising gas prices and the specter of climate change started tinkering with their vehicles to make them run, once again, on biofuels.
The primary impediment is that vegetable oil is much more viscous than diesel fuel and would clog up certain parts if run through them for sustained amounts of time with no modifications. The veggie-car community gets around this by heating the oil. My car uses the hot engine coolant to heat up the vegetable oil before it goes through the injector pump. Because of this it's necessary to start the car on diesel fuel (from here on referred to as dinosaur diesel or simply dino), let it heat up before switching to vegetable oil and then before turning the car off switch back to diesel.
The second problem is that vegetable oil bought from the store is much more expensive than dino diesel. Greasers collect used vegetable oil and filter it. This used vegetable oil has food particles and little bits of water trapped in it so filtering it is a major issue. It requires some messy work before it goes into the car and an expensive marine filter under the hood.
The final issue is a point of contention. If you burn vegetable oil cold it creates soot and other byproducts which can damage the engine. However, hot vegetable oil does not. The precise temperature necessary to avoid this is fiercely debated in online communities, but just to be on the safe side before it gets to the engine I heat the fuel lines to about 212* Fahrenheit.
You have to have a diesel engine. The diesel engine was originally designed to run on peanut oil in the late 19th century. Throughout most of the 20th century fossil fuels became cheap enough to where a variant of gasoline was a more economical choice. Somewhere in the late 20th century and early 21st the diesel community remembered the idea and spurred on by rising gas prices and the specter of climate change started tinkering with their vehicles to make them run, once again, on biofuels.
The primary impediment is that vegetable oil is much more viscous than diesel fuel and would clog up certain parts if run through them for sustained amounts of time with no modifications. The veggie-car community gets around this by heating the oil. My car uses the hot engine coolant to heat up the vegetable oil before it goes through the injector pump. Because of this it's necessary to start the car on diesel fuel (from here on referred to as dinosaur diesel or simply dino), let it heat up before switching to vegetable oil and then before turning the car off switch back to diesel.
The second problem is that vegetable oil bought from the store is much more expensive than dino diesel. Greasers collect used vegetable oil and filter it. This used vegetable oil has food particles and little bits of water trapped in it so filtering it is a major issue. It requires some messy work before it goes into the car and an expensive marine filter under the hood.
The final issue is a point of contention. If you burn vegetable oil cold it creates soot and other byproducts which can damage the engine. However, hot vegetable oil does not. The precise temperature necessary to avoid this is fiercely debated in online communities, but just to be on the safe side before it gets to the engine I heat the fuel lines to about 212* Fahrenheit.
What's the affect on the environment?
When running on WVO my car does not affect the environment in any way. When plants are grown to make more vegetable oil it takes out of the atmosphere the same carbon that was put in by the car. This is called a closed cycle. The grease was going to be used in a way that would release the carbon in the atmosphere anyway. So the car is carbon neutral.
What is Waste Vegetable Oil used for otherwise?
From what I understand 85% of women's lipstick is used fryer oil. Primarily though it goes into dog food, cat food and any animal food that comes in a pellet.
Does it hurt the car?
Again, this is a point of contention. In theory, done properly it shouldn't hurt the engine. In practice I have reason to suspect it's taken some life off of my engine, but we're talking about a difference of 400,000 miles and 300,000. It's not going to affect me. At the same time my vehicle is not the most meticulous example of how to run a car on vegetable oil. It's partly a matter of my M.O., partly that the 1980s Mercedes diesels are really tough and those of us who run them on WVO can be a little sloppy in our practices. The VW guys tend to be vastly more careful from my understanding.
Done improperly there are two areas where there can be problems. The first is that it can alter the spray pattern of the injectors and the engine won't run nicely. The second is the injector pump. This is a finely honed and extremely expensive part on the old Mercedes. Luckily if you aren't running vegetable oil they rarely go bad and they can be had at the junkyard for about $50. If one has the testicular fortitude and time to tackle the job it isn't a huge deal on my car. I can't speak to the other popular diesel engines.
From my experience, if Mercedes or Ford wanted to make a car that ran on vegetable oil instead of diesel they would be more than capable of doing so.
My short answer to that question is: "it isn't doing the engine any favors".
Done improperly there are two areas where there can be problems. The first is that it can alter the spray pattern of the injectors and the engine won't run nicely. The second is the injector pump. This is a finely honed and extremely expensive part on the old Mercedes. Luckily if you aren't running vegetable oil they rarely go bad and they can be had at the junkyard for about $50. If one has the testicular fortitude and time to tackle the job it isn't a huge deal on my car. I can't speak to the other popular diesel engines.
From my experience, if Mercedes or Ford wanted to make a car that ran on vegetable oil instead of diesel they would be more than capable of doing so.
My short answer to that question is: "it isn't doing the engine any favors".
Where do you get your vegetable oil?
At home it's best to have one or two restaurants who change their fryer oil regularly and pick it up from them with consistency. On the road I don't have the capability to filter my own oil so I rely on a vegetable oil networking website, fillup4free.com
How much does it cost?
At home, in theory free. In practice you have to purchase filters and other accouterments. If you're really trying to keep expenses down in the long run it won't be too bad. You'll have to get back to me when my father and I stop with the project(s) for an accurate assessment.
On the road people are charging between $1 and $1.50 a gallon. But I filled up for free at home and in Chattanooga. At the same time, there are parts relating to the veggie system that need maintenance. Again, for a per mile cost you'll need to get back to me when the trip is over.
On the road people are charging between $1 and $1.50 a gallon. But I filled up for free at home and in Chattanooga. At the same time, there are parts relating to the veggie system that need maintenance. Again, for a per mile cost you'll need to get back to me when the trip is over.
Does it affect the mileage/power?
Imperceptibly. I got the car to an honest 110mph measured by GPS at night in BFE Kansas and have been climbing some pretty steep mountains on WVO. On dino my best MPG in the Veggiewagen was 31.3mpg (flat roads, at night, no a/c, pegged at 60mph). Generally it gets 28/29 and WVO is about on par with that. Because I don't fill it up with a pump that measures precisely my mpg calculations are pretty general.
Why doesn't everyone do this?
On a micro level it takes time, effort, mechanical know how and might be bad for the engine. Most Greasers treat it as a hobby and overspend on their equipment. It's easy to spend money on tools if you're a driveway mechanic because they're essentially toys. Ultimately the costs balance out for those that aren't constantly on guard about spending money on WVO related expenses.
On a macro level all of the waste vegetable oil in the country would cover less than 1% of our diesel needs and diesels make up a small amount of the North American automotive market. Ultimately the solution to cover our diesel needs is biodiesel.
On a macro level all of the waste vegetable oil in the country would cover less than 1% of our diesel needs and diesels make up a small amount of the North American automotive market. Ultimately the solution to cover our diesel needs is biodiesel.
So what's biodiesel?
Biodiesel takes the vegetable oil, combines methanol or ethanol and through a chemical process creates a fuel which can go into a new diesel engine without any modifications. On older diesel engines it's necessary to change a few natural rubber fuel lines to synthetic rubber. There are very efficient ways of producing biofuels such as this which are not being utilized. Algae is a prime example.
I want to do this, how do I get started?
Mazel Tov. Running WVO is a great way to do your part to ween the west off of foreign oil and mitigate climate change. The most important aspect of it, IMO is that the Greaser community is blazing a path for future biofuels by building a body of knowledge and making visible the fact that there are options to dino fuels.
First you need a vehicle with a diesel engine. The most resilient are the Mercedes OM617 and the Ford 7.3 liter Powerstroke. The Cummins is a great engine as well, but indirect injection is your best bet.
Second you need my email address: [email protected]
First you need a vehicle with a diesel engine. The most resilient are the Mercedes OM617 and the Ford 7.3 liter Powerstroke. The Cummins is a great engine as well, but indirect injection is your best bet.
Second you need my email address: [email protected]