Bio-diesel and the hybrid cars
“The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today, but such oils may become, in the course of time, as important as petroleum and the coal-tar products of the present time.” The above text is a brief from the speech made by Rudolf Diesel, on his innovative diesel engine which was powered by bio-diesel and won the award at World Fair in Paris in 1900.
The new hybrid technology proved Diesel’s words exactly true. With a greener fuel available to replace the non-renewable diesel and petrol, the car manufacturers are working day and night exploring innovative technology to offer maximum efficiency with the environment-friendly recyclable fuel.
What is Bio-diesel? How is it used as an automobile fuel? These are the intriguing questions from the consumers all over the world. Biodiesel made easy - click here!
Bio-diesel is an alternative fuel made from the vegetable oils or animal fats, and it can be used as fuel in automobiles, alone or in a combination with other fuels. Bio-diesel was first produced by English scientist in 1853, and since its inception, it has been tried in many applications. But the auto manufactures had not been really serious about the bio-diesel till recently when the world faced new challenges like global warming and scarcity of fossil fuels that have taken many nations to the war front.
How does the bio-diesel solve the new challenges faced by the environment? Being an easily biodegradable fuel, any vegetable oil or animal fat does not offer any threat to the atmosphere or water into which it is disposed. Moreover, it does not contain any chemical elements such as sulphur or lead which is normally found in the fossil fuels. Moreover, the bio-diesel production is a biologically reversible process. The exhaust, i.e., the CO2 which is emitted by the combustion of these fuels can be reutilized for the production of these crops. Thus the cycle is repeated without causing any harm to the environment.
The reports show that more than 75 million gallons of bio-diesel were consumed in the US, in the year 2005. The consumers include the RFTA hybrid buses, which altogether contributed to a reduction of 10% of the total fuel consumption by its improved hybrid technology using the bio-diesel. The national Environmental Protection Agency has confirmed that bio-diesel contains 67% less unburned hydrocarbons, which are responsible for the pollution hazards such as smog and also contributes to the increase of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere. However, it contains up to 10% more nitrogen oxides, a concern for smog.
The bio-diesel powered hybrid car Volkswagen Jetta TDI was set as an example by AutoWeek magazine for its best fuel economy under real-world driving conditions. Jetta TDI achieved an approximate 50 miles per gallon in the test drive by AutoWeek with its B20 bio-diesel (20% vegetable oil + 80% diesel), leaving behind the much talked about Toyota’s Prius, a gasoline-electric hybrid, with a 42 miles per gallon.
Alternative Energy Secrets! The Absolute Best Method Of Making Biodiesel At Home And Much More
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