Biodiesel Advantages & Disavantages
Created by: Ruth Moore & Halie Krohe
Advantages
Positive Energy Balance
net energy balance 2.8
Cheap Feedstocks
Biodiesel can turn used oils, greases, and fats into fueling product
examples: cooking oil and greases- these are fairly inexpensive
GHG Reduction
GHG stands for greenhouse gas; it is a gas located in the atmosphere that absorbs solar radiation (ex: carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and fluorocarbons)
This is the reason for the greenhouse effect.
The reduction of GHG can reduce hydrocarbons by 20%, carbon monoxide by 11%, and particulate matter by 10%
Biodegradable
nontoxic and biodegradable
Small biodiesel spills have very few environmental impacts
Economic Benefits
More money would be acquired because of the uses of greases, fats, and oils
Home Heating
Biodiesel can be used in homes for heating which environmentally friendly
Third World Benefit
Because of the location of many third world countries in warm climates, palm and jatropha trees are built. These crops are high in oil
Their large supplies would increase exports to developed countries and they would also have enough oil for their own country
This would spark their economies financially
Disavantages
Gelling
Biodiesel can gel and thicken in cold weather conditions
Automotive Breakdowns
Many filters have been clogged by biodiesel because of the release of deposits that are attached to previous pipes into biodiesel.
When old deposits of the fuels are released, then the clogging no longer occurs
Poor Quality
Producers struggle to meet ASTM 6751 quality when making biodiesel because of the difficulty to remove all impurities and water during the washing and refining processes.
Reduced Fuel Efficiency
Fuel efficiency is the capacity of an engine to obtain energy from fuel
According to the EPA, the use of biodiesel can reduce fuel efficiency by 1-2%
More expensive
Biodiesel blends are more expensive than diesel because of the lack of biodiesel.
Unavailable
There are only about 1,000 filing stations that carry biodiesel in the United States. The main sites these filling stations are located in the Midwest, especially through Illinois, Indiana, and Minnesota
Highly Combustible
- highly flammable because of the chemicals used to create it.