Biodiesel becoming popular alternative

Leslie Schelat
October 10, 2005

There are many ways for automobile drivers to conserve gas.

Co-workers carpool, service garages encourage drivers to maintain their vehicles for maximum fuel economy and automobile manufacturers sell hybrid gasoline-electric vehicles.

Unfortunately, many semi-truck drivers, schools and companies with large fleets of vehicles, all of which consume large amounts of petroleum diesel, do not have many ways to decrease fuel intake.

An option that is becoming more popular is to use an alternative fuel, such as biodiesel, which decreases pollution and increases efficiency.

According to studies conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, biodiesel is beneficial to the environment in comparison to petroleum diesel. Biodiesel creates 78 percent less carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, which contribute to smog. It also decreases the amount of sulfur oxides and sulfates, major causes of acid rain.

Pure biodiesel is made of refined animal fat or vegetable oil. It can be used in its pure form, B100, or mixed with petroleum diesel.

Biodiesel blends are identified by the letter B and a number. The number tells consumers what percent of the blend is biodiesel. For example, B20 is 20 percent biodiesel, 80 percent petroleum diesel.

After weighing the risks and benefits, some universities, public schools and government agencies are using biodiesel in their vehicles.

Kent State does not use biodiesel in its fleet of vehicles. Since the takeover of Campus Bus Service by PARTA, the university owns only five diesel vehicles.

“We haven’t done much research, but I think it’s a good idea,” said Mike Flanagan, senior business manager at Campus Environment and Operations. “We don’t use a lot of it, but if there’s an opportunity for us to use less diesel, we’ll look into it.

Another problem for Kent State is that the university tries to use state contracts to purchase its fuel. The nearest distributor for biodiesel that is under state contract is in Maryland.

In Ohio, biodiesel is available to Ohio consumers at 15 locations. The closest location to Kent State is in Salem.

Most of these locations sell B2 biodiesel blends, which are 2 percent biodiesel, 98 percent petroleum diesel.

In 2003, The Ohio State University experimented with biodiesel in eight of its Campus Area Bus Service buses. They found that while biodiesel costs 15 cents more per gallon, the buses had better gas mileage with fewer repairs.

The Ohio Department of Transportation began using biodiesel in 1999. Most recently, Gov. Bob Taft asked the state government for an increase in the use of biodiesel to 1 million gallons. ODOT is developing a program to purchase $1 million in alternative fuels, including biodiesel.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that a 200 million gallon increase in demand for biodiesel per year could add $5.2 billion in cash crop revenue by 2010. It also had the potential of driving the price of soybeans up 17 cents per bushel.

Not everyone is aware of biodiesel as an alternative fuel option.

Sophomore marketing major Lauren Connelly drives a 1992 Mercedes 300D and her family in New Jersey drives only diesel Ford, Volkswagen and Mercedes vehicles.

After learning the basics of biodiesel, Connelly showed interest in the fuel, but the higher price made her unsure of whether she would use it.

“I know (biodiesel) is good for the environment, but I’m worried about gas prices,” Connelly said. “Diesel is around $3 a gallon. Maybe if it went down, I’d try the biodiesel.”

Before switching fuels, consumers should be aware of their automobile manufacturer’s recommendations concerning biodiesel use.

Cummins diesel engines are recommended to have a 5 percent maximum blend as well.

“Ford recommends less than 5 percent,” said Tom Alcorn, service manager at Klaben Ford. “If you put too much in, the truck wouldn’t start.”

There are disadvantages to using biodiesel. The fuel itself can dissolve some paint and its quality degrades over time. Therefore, biodiesel has a 6-month shelf-life and can spontaneously combust.

Another risk of using biodiesel is that it is affected by temperature differently than petroleum diesel. Its pour, cloud and plugging points are two to 10 degrees higher. This means that higher temperatures can affect the fluidity of the diesel which prevents it from flowing through the fuel system and may clog filters.

Over time, biodiesel can also soften fuel hoses and fuel pump seals. The lower the percentage of biodiesel in the blend, the lower this risk becomes. Pure biodiesel cannot be used with any natural rubber.