3/4s SVO + 1/4 unleaded blend - discussion

I just ran across this Colorado State research this morning, a search here didn't turn up much discussion of this blend:
http://source.colostate.edu/csu-researchers-put-home-brewed-diesel-biofuel-test/

Any existing discussion here? I'm trying to view the "Fuel" journal article, but DNS isn't resolving for me this morning. And "The Big Squeeze" is keeping a very low profile on the Internet.

(PS - not sure I ever updated my profile, but my TDI is a 2000 Beetle with 260,000 miles, owned for 3 years, 40,000 miles. I've used B20 and B100, but both are a drive out of my way and cost more, so a rare luxury)

Kind of grumpy here, with diesel at 3.45, RUG at 2.35 and E85 at $1.35.

Thanks for posting this research. Its interesting.
I've run blends of 85% WVO and 15% RUG on a couple occasions.
RUG really does thin the WVO well, roughly like B100 biodiesel.
So I'm not surprised it works short term.
It has a louder diesel knock than blending with diesel or kerosene, but similar to 100% diesel to my ear. Cold starts have little or no smoke.

Not a lot of people doing just blends, ie w/o conversions or modifications.
And I have read of only a couple TDI's using > 25% SVO in a blend.
http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/frm/f/9751014871

Observations:
1. They are using tractors, not TDI's. Results won't directly applicable.
2. Simply adding a $150 coolant heated flat plate heat exchanger in the fuel supply ahead of the filter could be done in an afternoon and will yield far greater long term results. heating will reduce the viscosity. It is so easy, quick and reliable that there is no reason NOT to do it, and take on the significant added risk of running a high percentage unheated blend of VO and a thinner.
3. If you want to try this, and you get more smoke at start up or when warm, you probably will get deposits long term. Going above 15% RUG is unknown cetane, at least for us.

SVO in converted tractors has been tried before with the '100 tractors program' by Elsbett.
http://task39.org/files/2013/05/Rapeseed-oil-for-farm-tractors.pdf

PS. Your 2000 TDI is well suited to run up to a 25% unheated blend of WVO and diesel. Or maybe 40% WVO, 50% diesel and 10% RUG.

For your TDI the limiting factor is not technological these days.
WVO has become hard to find for free, many are paying $1/gallon.
I pay $2/gallon for 'amber' pre-filtered.

I'd make sure I could locate good quality canola or soy WVO from a Japanese restaurant before I did anything.

E85 at $1.35 sounds like the best choice!

Maybe get yourself a mid-90s E85-compatible Ford Taurus for $CHEAP and run that until fuel prices tip in the other direction. This big gap between gas and diesel is only temporary.

I should also mention that unheated blends of WVO will contain a small amount of fat.
When temps fall below 50*F (?) the fat will form a thin barrier in your fuel filter and you won't get much fuel. Tractors running on virgin SVO wont have this problem. Another reason for the f.p.h.e.

Assuming $1.35 E85 is 25% lower mpg, its adjusted price would be $1.80/gallon.

If Boing can fly the new 787 with Diesel (85% Kerosene + 15% Bio Diesel - Testflight about 2 or 3 weeks ago) we should be able to drive nearly anything what is close to Diesel.

TDI smile said:

If Boing can fly the new 787 with Diesel (85% Kerosene + 15% Bio Diesel - Testflight about 2 or 3 weeks ago) we should be able to drive nearly anything what is close to Diesel.

Click to expand...

Yes, because small high-speed piston diesel engines are exactly the same in every way as jet turbines.

Interesting post. They are using virgin oil, not WVO, so they get a much more consistent finished fuel. I wonder why they opted for gasoline instead of diesel for mixing? I'm especially curious about how that effects gel point and potential gunking/deposit buildups in the engine. I'm definitely not going to experiment with anything like this on my car, but curious whether it is a possibility that bypasses some of the issues with either grease or even biodiesel. I wish there was more "research" on long term use in TDIs.

I ran a 50/50 mix wvo/diesel or jet a or kerosene with a Vegtherm for well over 100k in my Tdi, until the supply of free oil dried up, still running strong with over 200k on it now.

Ran the same in my 01 Cummins, still running strong over 260k now.

Never had the guts to try any RUG mix.

SVO?

I run gasoline and ATF in my truck. 4 gallons gasoline, the rest ATF in a 20 gallon tank. I don't run vegetable based oils because of the water issues along with the crusty junk they dry into.

Little harder starting and a bit less power, lower cetane rating does that. I figure it's worth the issues to get 50 MPG on gasoline in a big F350.

VeeDubTDI said:

Yes, because small high-speed piston diesel engines are exactly the same in every way as jet turbines.

Click to expand...

turbines are pretty cool, they'll burn anything from cow farts to methyl ethyl ketone

TDI smile said:

If Boing can fly the new 787 with Diesel (85% Kerosene + 15% Bio Diesel - Testflight about 2 or 3 weeks ago) we should be able to drive nearly anything what is close to Diesel.

Click to expand...

Ahem....

"Green diesel is chemically distinct and a different fuel product than "biodiesel," used in ground transportation."

Its more in line with a 2nd generation fuel, Biodiesel (1st Generation) cannot work in any jet engine due to the instability of the fuel and gel point.

"Biodiesel" was used purely as a marketing tool, the version used in the 787 has nothing in common with the stuff you buy at the pump.

You learn who's who in threads like this one....


Bill

Whatcha say'in?

Love the paint job on the DreamLifter!

Bill

Drivbiwire said:

Whatcha say'in?
]

Click to expand...

He's prolly referring to me, or any of the others running anything other than pump fuel along with whatever snake oil of the day fuel additive.

Hah! That Dreamlifter paint job is sweet!

I worked in that plant for 5 years. Don't miss it in the slightest! Much prefer being on the other side of the radio with the pilots

BioDiesel' said:

E85 at $1.35 sounds like the best choice!

Click to expand...

That's what I'm thinking ... apparently Ford has a glut of 2014 Focus ($3000 rebates). I'm trying to get over there this weekend.

Oh, the current E85 price at the station on my commute is 94 cents. I was reading on e85prices.com forum that the prices will go up slightly Friday. There has been a marketing program called Yellowhose where stations agreed to sell E85 for $1 less than RUG. That changes to 70 cents less in 2015.

Other prices here are:
RUG 1.89
Diesel 3.16
Organic milk 6.90

I wanted to get into Meijers to check the price for a gallon of water. Isn't it about $1.50?

BioDiesel' said:

PS. Your 2000 TDI is well suited to run up to a 25% unheated blend of WVO and diesel. Or maybe 40% WVO, 50% diesel and 10% RUG.

For your TDI the limiting factor is not technological these days.
WVO has become hard to find for free, many are paying $1/gallon.
I pay $2/gallon for 'amber' pre-filtered.

I'd make sure I could locate good quality canola or soy WVO from a Japanese restaurant before I did anything.

Click to expand...

I've never been too hot on the idea of collecting WVO. It just seemed like a lot of bother. And even worse now that is is more valuable. That was why I was attracted to the process in my original post, on farm creation of SVO and an easy mixing process. (I live on acreage)

It sounds like I should wait for warmer weather before getting too experimental. Did you mean the FPHE might allow me to run SVO with just one tank? I'll do more reading at the links you supplied. thanks