If you are sick of rising gas prices...

[WakeCarver]

Yeah, I actually first saw the land speed diesel in Diesel Power Mag. They are coming around. There are also many diesel getting into drag and rally racing. Let me know if you are interested in more links. I just wish U.S. law didn't make it so hard for manufacturers to bring diesels to market here.

 

[eric]

Everybody buy a diesel and run it on used veg oil, then gas prices wouldn't matter. Diesels are better for other reasons also. VW diesels are getting 40+ MPG, much better than most gas burners right now. Just think if someone made a diesel electric hybrid, you could get much higher mileage than any gas hybrid. Just my 2 cents.

of course you've got a plan on where all this used vegetable oil would come from, or what to do with the soot produced?

a diesel hybrid does make a lot of sense though, since you're already using very little fuel, a little particulate in the exhaust wouldn't be quite as bad.

or you could just run a small generator on diesel (or a turbine on kerosene/propane/etc) and use electric motors at the wheels.

 

[WakeCarver]

of course you've got a plan on where all this used vegetable oil would come from, or what to do with the soot produced?

Veg oil doesn't produce soot, soot in diesel comes from the sulfur that is added as a lubricant in No. 2 diesel fuel. Also regular diesel has taken a dramatic reduction in sulfur recently, down to 15PPM from 500PPM, and with improved particulate traps new diesels have lower emissions than their gas burning cousins. Out of all the millions of fast food restaurants in the U.S. I think we can come up with enough used oil to supplement or fuel usage. Diesel can also be synthesized from coal.

 

[eric]

i don't know, i've heard in a few places it does produce soot. i'll have to try to figure out where that was...

oh, and coal? really? i thought we were trying to save the environment.


i do like veg oil's renewability, but if we really had to make enough of it to make a dent, we'd kill even more of the gulf of mexico from the nitrogen run off and/or simply use more fossil fuel on the farms and in the production/distribution of the "safer" fuel. i think the more infrastructure we can change, the more efficient and economical the shift towards renewables will be. hopefully by that time, driving vehicles like the hummer will be about as cool as driving a fuscia escort.

 

[WakeCarver]

The coal part was more of a point to free us from dependence on foreign oil. My F250 produces no particulate exhaust when running on straight veg oil or Ultra Low sulfur diesel but it does produce some when running on Low sulfur diesel.

 

[eric]

i'd still like actual proof on the soot thing, not just "it doesn't"

when i find articles like this, this, this, or this, that say it simply produces less soot than diesel, i'm wary - plus i've seen the insides of some dirty kitchens.

still seems a better idea than corn-based ethenol though.

 

[raptorkid700]

didnt read all 8 pages, but sounds good to me.
premium aint cheap especially when i burn a 2 galon tank in 4-5 hours

 

[eric]

2 gallons in 4-5 hours... nice. i wish my car went through gas so slowly!

 

[raptorkid700]

haha lol. i wish quads were street legal in ny...

 

[eric]

just get it up on two wheels and call it a motorcycle.

 

[WakeCarver]

i'd still like actual proof on the soot thing, not just "it doesn't"

when i find articles like this, this, this, or this, that say it simply produces less soot than diesel, i'm wary - plus i've seen the insides of some dirty kitchens.

still seems a better idea than corn-based ethenol though.

I don't see anything about SVO producing soot in those articles, some of them are about biodiesel which will produce soot because it is mixed with regular diesel in most cases. In any case the particulate trap should trap any soot in modern diesel engines.;D I agree about the corn, there is no way we can grow enough corn to feed us and fuel our vehicles. There is a guy who has an interesting idea to get oil from algae and convert it into biodiesel. Here a link if you are interested.

http://www.unh.edu/p2/biodiesel/article_alge.html

 

[eric]

all those articles seem to mention burning canola oil and that it produces less soot than diesel (and in some cases other oils that produce different toxins, soot levels, and power).

wired has an article this month about switchgrass, i've yet to read it, but am looking forward to it. algae seems promising also.

 

[steven11]

I just got back from a road trip out to Taos, NM (My old home). I took my car on its first "Fossil Fuel Road Trip". I packed up the dog and the honey and we went out west for 2 weeks. Check out the Mts!

GREASE CAR TRIP!!

 

[hughvane]

If you are sick of rising gas prices, then consider this:
If all of those [forum] members did not go to the pump on May 15th 2007, it would take $2,200,000,000.00 (that's BILLION) out of the oil companies' pockets for just one day ... lets try to put a dent in the Middle Eastern oil industry for at least one day.

Those are staggering figures. Down here in lil' ol' NZ, we're too stuck in our comfort zone to get any sort of national unity on the fuel price issue. Everyone moans about it, but what we, and probably Americans & Brits, need, is a national folk hero or heroine who can spur the great majority of people into a one-day fuel boycott.

The problem is that it hits the retail fuel outlets hardest, and their margins are slim enough as it is. One of NZ's biggest profit takers is the government, with fuel taxes, which they call excise, or duty, or levy, or surcharge - in order to bewilder and confuse the public!

 

[EGGO]

OP can't be serious.

 

[harryb2448]

Correct Hugh. Would mean absolutely nothing to oil companies. What does not sell today will sell tomorrow.

 

[iMac-Knight]

To answer the original question, Yep, tired of the price gouging, when big fat CEO's get rich off of all of us.

 

[skaheadpunk]

2. The average car takes about 20 to 30 dollars to fill up.

Hahaha, that's cheered me up . I'd be doing a right jig if I could fill up my car for a tenner. 30l tank = £35 - near enough $70.

 

[Nor Cal Nomad]

If your sick of gas prices...ride a bike, that's what I do . And yes I know that you still have to have a car but there are a lot of times where it would be much cheaper to ride your bike somewhere.

. The average car takes about 20 to 30 dollars to fill up.

what...not even 20 is like 1/2 a tank now

 

[gary61071]

what...not even 20 is like 1/2 a tank now

Keep in mind, this thread was started in April 2007.