Community Biodiesel Plant To Open In Chaing Mai

[george]

PM to open nation’s first community biodiesel plant

CHIANG MAI: -- Thailand is to get its first community biodiesel production plant on Saturday when Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra officially opens the project in the northern province of Chiang Mai.

The project represents a cooperative effort involving the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency and several other bodies currently conducting research into the use of biodiesel as an alternative fuel.

A pilot scheme for the project has seen the production plant combine used oil from a potato chip factory with conventional diesel fuel at a ratio of 2:98.

Able to produce 100,000 litres of the fuel each day, the plant will cost the fuel Bt0.50 (50 satang) per litre below the price of diesel.

According to Mr. Boonthong Ungtrakul, head of Chiang Mai’s biodiesel research project, tests on over 1,000 vehicles have shown that the biodiesel does not harm vehicle engines, and in fact reduces emissions.

Biodiesel is already on sale in two Chiang Mai petrol stations, and will be sold in another three stations in the province by the end of this month.

Once the project has been officially opened by the prime minister, research will begin into formulas which use proportionately more vegetable oil – much of it derived from local cafes - and less diesel.

Glycerine, a by-product of the production process, will also be used to make soap and shampoo in the future, when the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency hopes to expand the project to other areas.

--Bangkok Post 2005-06-09

[PeaceBlondie]

I've been eating a lot of Lays potato chips lately. Will I explode if I get too near flames?

[chownah]

Biodiesel is 98% diesel and only 2% veg oil???? Well I guess its a start.

[PeaceBlondie]

Biodiesel is 98% diesel and only 2% veg oil????  Well I guess its a start.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm probably 4% vegetable oil myself. Plus several % 'animal fat.' I'm a fat animal myself.

[Thetyim]

I suspect a huge error in the accuracy of that report.

Adding 2percent veg oil to diesel does not make bio-diesel

Glycerine is a by product of making true bio-diesel when methanol and veg oil are combined . This can be used by any diesel engine and does not need to be mixed with normal diesel fuel.

[chownah]

I suspect a huge error in  the accuracy of that report.

Adding 2percent veg oil to diesel does not make bio-diesel

Glycerine is a by product of making true bio-diesel when methanol and veg oil are combined .  This can be used by any diesel engine and does not need to be mixed with normal diesel fuel.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So are you saying that methanol and veg oil are processed together to make bio-diesel and it can be used without dilution?

Many years ago I thought I read that some veg oils can be used as is as diesel fuel. Do you know about this? Specifically I think I remember them saying that sunflower oil would work straight.

[Thetyim]

Yes. Proper bio-diesel can be used straight.

Any vegetable oil can be used to run a diesel engine if it is heated first.

Bosch and Denso injection pumps can be used as is, some other makes may need modifications.

The original design of the diesel engine was for vegetable oil fuel.

[chownah]

Yes.  Proper bio-diesel can be used straight.

Any vegetable oil can be used to run a diesel engine if it is heated first.

Bosch and Denso injection pumps can be used as is,  some other makes may need modifications.

The original design of the diesel engine was for vegetable oil fuel.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So why go to the trouble of making bio-diesel....why not just use the oil? If you used oil that had been used to cook french fries would your exhaust smell like french fries.....could you buy boutique fuel with different scents....like onion ring....or squid?

[maerim]

About 18 months ago in Wales UK the customs and excise department were called into a supermarket to investigate the huge increase in sale of cooking oil.

It turned out it was being used in diesel vehicles but it was illegal as it is the same offence as using "red diesel" used in heavy plant etc. i.e. unrebated fuel.

What you are doing is avoiding the tax on fuel, they can confiscate the vehicle and fine you an awful lot of money, must stop now getting homesick.

[Ajarn]

I've been eating a lot of Lays potato chips lately.  Will I explode if I get too near flames?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

PB, maybe enough of those chips will do the trick without needing a flame...

I'll let you know

[Kringle]

There is a lot of great things with using this as a fuel. Do a search on ANY search engine and you'll learn a LOT more. Way too entailed for me to post here. I think there was a translation problem in this OP.

[Ajarn]

Biodiesel is 98% diesel and only 2% veg oil????  Well I guess its a start.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I thought it was the other way around, with vegie oil being the main ingredient, and the touch of diesel being some sort of catalyst?

Able to produce 100,000 litres of the fuel each day, the plant will cost the fuel Bt0.50 (50 satang) per litre below the price of diesel.

Only 50 satang per litre in savings? Sounds like a nice profit for investors. A couple of years ago, there were some stations in the South sellling a coconut/kerosene mixture, and I seem to recall that they said the production costs came out to under 12 baht per liter.... I think they said that they added approximately one tablespoon of kerosene per liter of coconut oil.

[Thetyim]

So why go to the trouble of making bio-diesel....why not just use the oil?  If you used oil that had been used to cook french fries would your exhaust smell like french fries.....could you buy boutique fuel with different scents....like onion ring....or squid?

Yes the exhaust will smell just like cooking.

Straight veg oil can be used if heated to over 70C and there lies the problem.

An electrical heater would drain the battery so it has to be done by running the engine on normal diesel and using the cooling system to heat the SVO.

This takes several minutes.

[Thetyim]

So why go to the trouble of making bio-diesel....why not just use the oil?  If you used oil that had been used to cook french fries would your exhaust smell like french fries.....could you buy boutique fuel with different scents....like onion ring....or squid?

Yes the exhaust will smell just like cooking.

Straight veg oil can be used if heated to over 70C and there lies the problem.

An electrical heater would drain the battery so it has to be done by running the engine on normal diesel and using the cooling system to heat the SVO.

This takes several minutes.