- Biodiesel is a substitute or extender for traditional petroleum diesel and you don't need special pumps or high pressure equipment for fueling. In addition, it can be used in conventional diesel engines, so you don't need to buy special vehicles or engines to run biodiesel.
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Scientists believe carbon dioxide is one of the main greenhouse gases contributing to global warming. Pure biodiesel (100 percent biodiesel) reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more than 75 percent over petroleum diesel. Using a blend of 20 percent biodiesel reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 15 percent.
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Biodiesel also produces fewer particulate, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide emissions, all targeted as public health risks by the Environmental Protection Agency. Biodiesel contains only trace amounts of sulfur, typically less than the new EPA standards that will go into effect in 2006 for diesel fuel.
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Since biodiesel can be used in conventional diesel engines, the renewable fuel can directly replace petroleum products; reducing the country's dependence on imported oil.
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Biodiesel offers safety benefits over petroleum diesel because it is much less combustible, with a flash point greater than 150°C, compared to 77°C for petroleum diesel. It is safe to handle, transport, and store, and has a higher flash point than petroleum diesel. It can also be stored in diesel tanks and pumped with regular equipment except in colder weather, where tank heaters or agitators may be required.
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Biodiesel mixes readily with petroleum diesel at any blend level, making it a very flexible fuel additive.
- Biodiesel is an oxygenated fuel, so it contributes to a more complete fuel burn and a greatly improved emissions profile. The more biodiesel used in a blend, the higher the emission reductions. One of the unique benefits of biodiesel is that it significantly reduces air toxic that are associated with petroleum diesel exhaust and are suspected of causing cancer and other human health problems. NOx emissions are an exception to the rule, since biodiesel tends to increase NOx emissions. Recent research has shown a number of ways to mitigate this problem.
Engine performance (fuel economy, torque, and power) is less than that of diesel by 8% to 15%, because of the lower energy content of the biodiesel (121,000 Btu compared to 135,000 Btu for diesel fuel).
Nevertheless, the Environmental, emissions, enhancement of Engine life, Enhancement of Lubricity far outnumbers the above points.
Engine performance with B20 is virtually the same as with petroleum diesel. At a blend of 25% -35% Biodiesel, Diesel cars give a minimum of 10% Extra mileage.
Even very low amounts of biodiesel (1% to 2%) can provide substantial lubricity benefits to premium diesel fuels.
Every liter of biodiesel replaces 0.95 liter of petroleum-based diesel over its life cycle. It is also very energy efficient. For every unit of fossil energy used to produce biodiesel, 3.37 units of biodiesel energy are created.
Additionally, biodiesel reduces the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) being released into the atmosphere. It releases less fossil CO2 than does conventional diesel, and the crops used to produce biodiesel absorb large amounts of CO2 as they grow. And because biodiesel is nontoxic and biodegradable, it is an excellent fuel for use in fragile environments such as estuaries, lakes, rivers and national parks, Hospitals and Industrial units using HSD (High Sulfur Diesel).
Biodiesel has many environmentally beneficial properties. The main features & benefit of biodiesel is that it can be termed as "Carbon neutral". Biodiesel reduces serious air pollutants such as particulates & air toxicity.
Due to its less polluting combustion, biodiesel provides a 90% reduction in cancer risks & neonatal defects.
- Biodiesel is biodegradable & renewable by nature.
- Biodiesel can be used alone or mixed in any ratio with conventional diesel.
- The preferred ratio of mixture-ranges between 5 & 20%.
- Biodiesel enhances the life of diesel engines.
- Biodiesel could be cheaper than conventional petrodiesel.
- Biodiesel has good potential for rural employment generation.
