What is Biodiesel?
Biodiesel, while equivalent to a petroleum diesel, is derived from biological sources. Biodiesel is a completely natural, renewable fuel applicable in most any situation where conventional petroleum diesel is used. Even though "diesel" is part of its name, there are no petroleum or other fossil fuels in biodiesel. Biodiesel is 100% vegetable oil based. This includes soybean, canola, palm, as well as, used cooking oil (also known as yellow grease).
Northern Biodiesel believes that in the future, biodiesel feedstock's will be from other sources such as algae. We are currently working with partner companies to explore and develop these potentials. In fact, experts believe in the comparison that algal is to biodiesel as cellulosic is to ethanol.
What can I use biodiesel for?
Biodiesel has many applications which include:
- farming
- heating fuel
- trucking fleets
- passenger vehicles
- school and transit busses
Some applications can utilize biofuel directly, while some require a mix of petroleum and biodiesel. Still, some may require small modifications to the unit in order to utilize the product.
What are the environmental advantages for using Biodiesel?
Biodiesel is the only renewable alternative diesel fuel that actually reduces major greenhouse gas components in the atmosphere . It is also biodegradable and non-toxic.
Biodiesel has higher octane rating than petrodiesel, which can improve performance and clean up emissions compared to crude petrodiesel.
The use of biodiesel will also reduce the following emissions:
- carbon monoxide
- ozone-forming-hydrocarbons
- hazardous diesel particulate
- acid rain-causing sulfur dioxide
- lifecycle carbon dioxide
- aromatic hydrocarbons
New Developments in Biodiesel
Extracting biodiesel from algae is a fantastic possibility for resolving the energy crisis in our nation. Current research into efficient algal-oil production is primarily being done in the private sector. Using algae to make biodiesel may be the only possible way to produce the necessary quantity of automotive fuel needed to replace the existing gasoline usage in the world.
Compared to land based agricultural crops, microalgae grows significantly faster. Algae can feasibly yield 5,000-20,000 gallons of oil per acre of algae annually. This is 7 to 31 times greater than the next best crop, palm oil (635 gallons).
The process of creating biodiesel from algal-oil is comparable to that of land-based crops. The methods used to extract oil are similar, if fact, to those used in the food-industry.One such method, hexane extraction, is what makes the production of algal biodiesel efficient. Finding an algal strain with a high lipid content, as well as a rapid rate of growth, is currently an issue. A cost-effective cultivation system (i.e., type of photobioreactor) that is particularly suitable for the specific algal strain will also be important.
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