When it comes to biodiesel production one of the easier methods involves the use of algae. Not only is it easier, it is also very efficient. There have been studies carried out that have shown that algae produces up to 30 times more oil than using the other different crops that are currently used for production for every acre.

The other advantages of using algae include the need for very little land to grow your crop. Also it seems that the sulfur content is non existent, they are no toxins and the fuel generated will be highly biodegradable. There are actually some special species of algae that are grown specifically for production. These contain higher levels of oil than normal, often up to 50% and they also grow really fast.

There are now many companies that use this natural resource in the production of biodiesel. Aquaflow Binomic Corporation (ABC) is based in New Zealand. They harvest their algae directly from the settling ponds of standard effluent management systems and other nutrient-rich water. Their process can actually be adopted for many other industries.

There is also Aquatic Energy, LLC which was started in 2006 to pursue their vision of producing renewable energy bio fuels in Louisiana, which is located in the Gulf Coast of the United States. Aurora Biofuels has successfully been operating a relatively small plant since August 2007 and this plant has consistently produced high quality biodiesel. They expect to have their first commercial scale facility in operation by late 2012.

Lastly I would like to mention Blue Marble Energy, which is based in Seattle in north eastern United States. Their main focus is on using wild algae and plant material to make biodiesel. However they have developed a very interesting production process that churns out fertilizer and other chemicals as a by-product.

Unless you have been living on Mars in last couple of months, you definitely have noticed the high gas prices. The gas prices may no longer be as high as they where in the summer months of 2008, but they are still relatively high as compared to years gone by. As a result there has been rapid biodiesel expansion.

What exactly is biodiesel expansion? This is simply put a rapid increase in biodiesel manufacturing facilities mainly due to encouragement from the central government. The goal is to expand fuels to in cooperate the use of bio fuels too. Europe was one of the manly continents that experienced this expansion in high levels.

Besides the high prices, concerns for the environment have also contributed to this movement. Not a singe day goes by when we do not hear about going green in order to save the earth we live in, because we have been slowly killing it over the years. It uses renewable materials to create fuel to run your vehicles so it is considered environmentally friendly.

The governments of numerous countries worldwide have therefore been are changing their policies to include the increase in production. This also includes improving fuel technology, raising the awareness of their people, building larger biofuel networks and increasing the output and also use of biodiesel in their respective countries.

It has been predicted that production may expand by up to one hundred times more by the year 2050. In fact with the implementation of all these new policies, production has been slowly growing with every single day. Remember, it is way cheaper to produce than the diesel fuel that is already widely in use by our vehicles such as trucks and tractors.

Biodiesel is produced from animal fat as well as plant and vegetable oils. These plants include algae, sunflower, canola, soybean, and jatropha.

Biodiesel is obtained through the process of transesterification. This process involves the chemical reaction of vegetable oil, in rare cases animal fat, and an alcohol in the presence of a catalyst to form a product called fatty acid alkyl esters or biodiesel. The alcohols used in the process may be ethanol which would then produce ethyl esters or methanol which would produce methyl esters. The catalyst that is utilized is usually lye. Glycerin, also known as glycerol, is released as a byproduct of biodiesel transesterification. Glycerin is also a type of alcohol.

The process of biodiesel transesterification is a recent discovery known to make the vegetable oil less viscous. The viscosity of the vegetable oil is very important in making the biodiesel because this affects how the biodiesel would be used. Because the transesterfication process produces a biofuel with less viscosity, this biodiesel may be used for car engines, thus replacing petroleum diesel in a diesel-dependent vehicle.

Since most of the fossil fuels are used for cars, biodiesel manufactured through transesterification is just what the world needs right now and for many generations to come.

Just recently, it was explained that certain bioreactors which are needed for mine water treatment for the sulfate-reducing bacteria they contain. These sulfate-reducing bacteria feed on certain carbons, particularly glycerol. Thus, a theory sprung that it may be possible to utilize the biodiesel glycerol byproduct to feed the sulfate-reducing bacteria in order to reduce the sulfate found in mining waste. If this is possible, not only is the liquid from mining drainages treated but biodiesel waste will also be consumed. Both of these wastes will therefore be reduced and consequently, the environment will have less pollution.

So, a project was carried out to prove the theory. A number of laboratory columns containing sulfate were fed with reagent-grade glycerol while the rest of the laboratory columns were fed with the glycerol from biodiesel waste. The goal was to reduce fifty percent of the sulfate in the columns. The project proved a success since the glycerol from biodiesel waste reduced fifty five percent of the sulfate while the reagent-grade glycerol reduced fifty percent.

This proved that the glycerol from biodiesel production waste was more effective. Aside from this, the biodiesel glycerol byproduct is cost-efficient since it is technically waste material and hardly costs anything at all. Other tests show that biodiesel waste is also capable of reducing concentrations of acetic, formic, lactic, and propionic acids and the organic carbon found in the biodiesel waste was even converted to carbon dioxide.

Biodiesel production waste may be rubbish but it serves as a wonderful component of decreasing one of the largest sources of pollution.

Being that biodiesel has its share of operability problems, biodiesel fuel additives are incorporated to reduce problems, including making this fuel more stable. The stability of biodiesel, specifically B100, is essential to avoid the deterioration of engine parts. Fuel additives are important for decreasing the oxidation and acid formation in engines. B100 can be destructive to an engine due to the some factors that were used in its production.

A factor which is capable of causing a destructive biodiesel product is the type of manufacturing process that was performed in order to come up with the biodiesel. Another factor would be the type of oil that was used in the biodiesel production. One of the most harmful oils to an engine is animal fat because it forms polymeric gums and other such byproducts which cause deposits and plugs in the engine. Fuel additives are included in the fabrication of biodiesel to counteract all these problems.

Biodiesel fuel additives work to improve the quality of the B100 biodiesel to make it more efficient as a fuel for diesel-powered vehicles.

Due to the state of our economy and the fact that are non renewable resources are depleting we must find many alternatives to the many things that we do in our every day lives. Biodiesel is an alternative that has been created using natural products so that we could put fuel in our cars.

Rapeseed is just one of the many resources that is now used. Rapeseed which is also known as rape, oilseed rape, rapa, rapeseed and canola, is a bright yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae. We can use biodiesel in its pure form in newer engines without creating any damage to the cars engine.

It is however frequently combined with fossil-fuel diesel in ratios varying from 2% to 20% biodiesel. There are so many processes that need to be done when making biodiesel from rapeseed, there are a lot of costs that go into using rapeseed as biodiesel.

Some of these costs include the costs of growing the rapeseed, crushing them, and refining rapeseed biodiesel. So although we are causing less pollution to the environment, rapeseed derived biodiesel costs more to produce than standard diesel fuel.

Presently the prices for rapeseed are quite high and for this very reason this natural resource is in great demand. Rapeseed oil is the preferred oil to use for biodiesel production in most of the European countries. The reason for this is partly because rapeseed produces more oil per unit of land area compared to other oil sources, such as soy beans.

So as you can see although there are many positives and benefits in using rapeseed there are also negatives that need to be taken into account. This industry is booming every year. Who would have thought that they would be able to make fuel for your car out of something like rapeseed. It will be interesting to see what they come up with next in the not too distant future.

Cars are one thing on this planet that cause a lot of pollution especially because of the fact that there are so many of them around the world. It is destroying the environment and affecting the air that we breath. Because of this biodiesel has been created as an alternative fuel source.

It is made from the natural oils of organic matter, such as vegetables, seeds and beans. The main benefit that we receive from biodisel is that it is produced from renewable resources that are biodegradable, non-toxic, and naturally free from sulphur. This means that it is 100 percent friendly to the environment, however there are a few disadvantages.

Biodiesel is more expensive to produce than conventional diesel, which is why it is not in wider use. Especially when you consider the current state of the world’s economy, right now. One of its main drawbacks is that it starts to solidify at zero degrees centigrade this means that it cannot be used in countries with cold climates.

Its properties are similar to those of normal diesel, so it can be used in existing diesel engines with modifications, and can replace it in most applications. Unfortunately it is not recommend for you to use pure biodiesel without any modifications to the standard engine, and using those fuels will invalidate any warranty.

There is a Japanese environmental equipment manufacturer and supplier called Fuji Energy Co. who have created a compact processing device used to transform used engine oil or other waste oils into fuel oil.

What this device does is it mixes already used engine oil and Type A fuel in a 40 to 60 ratio, heats it up to 60 degrees Celsius and then it takes away the solids using a centrifuge. After this process, the oil goes through a precision filter roughly six or seven times, which breaks it down to micron-sized units. When these units are emulsified, you then get an alternative fuel for boilers with basically the same composition as Type A fuel oil.

There has already been a model of this processing device built by the company Fuji Energy and they are testing it at a hot bath facility in Ehime Prefecture. The company states that the device gets rid of exhaust gas regulations. This machine can process around 100 liters of oil a day and costs around US $8.70 a month to operate.

The compact version which is priced at $48 000 is 80 x 80 x 130cm and can be installed beside and connected to a Type A fuel oil boiler. Fuji Energy is trying to ship fifty of these a year to transportation companies and food factories, using the selling point that this device has the ability to reduce fuel expenses by 30%.

Companies keep creating new unimaginable ways to help the environment hopefully soon all companies will take part and use these devices to help save the environment and make our planet a better place.

Biodiesel sounds great, but what could you use it for around your home? The obvious answer is as a replacement fuel for your diesel powered automobile. Another important usage around your home could come as a replacement for home heating oil. Since diesel fuel and home heating oil are very similar, if not essentially the same, biodiesel could be used as a replacement in heating oil powered furnaces, boilers, or hot water heaters. At most, the change to biodiesel in these appliances should be a relatively straightforward and inexpensive task.

Another use would be as a fuel for a diesel powered electrical generator. If you’ve ever seen a Lister engine, you know that many of these are attached to generators. These engines, and diesel engines in general, are very reliable, efficient, and can provide large amounts power when needed.

While it may not be a complete solution, and you shouldn’t rush out to buy a biodiesel processor, you should think about integrating biodiesel into your overall energy plan. Diversification isn’t just for the stock market. The more options you have, the easier it is to adapt in the event that any one of them fail.

About Author

D.R. Smith is a proponent of off grid living, alternative energy, and green power solutions. He’s been building and designing solar and wind components for over 20 years. Click here for DIY Solar Cell and Wind Generator Plans

The plant produces approximately 7000 gallons of biodiesel each day. As mentioned in the video, making biodiesel from soybean is a very long term approach to relying less on oil for energy.

For as long as crops can still be grown, so will we still be able to make biodiesel at plants like these.

You can watch the video below…