Have you ever made a nice batch of french fries, and been left with the leftover oils? Have you thought about what happens next after you use that oil? The disposal of grease is very important, and if done incorrectly, down the drain, it can cause major blockages in a city’s sewage system.
Here is where biodiesel comes into play, if the name itself isn’t enough, it is literally a cleaner version of regular diesel, that instead of petroleum, uses leftover fats. Not only is it from leftover fats, but you can also use recently deceased plants and animals. Recently, a push for using soybeans has erupted.
The great thing about biodiesel is that you already have most of the supplies needed. Biodiesel can be made right at home using two ingredients: oils/fats and alcohol, primarily methanol or ethanol. Not to get into the exact science of it, but once left out for 24+ hours a layer will separate being your biodiesel.
Not only would this be a very convenient way of obtaining fuel if cities worked together, but it could be a leading source of transportation fuel. Biodiesel has many other features that make it very eco-friendly, one being that it burns cleanly, but it also improves air quality and is a safer fuel.
As we all know, air quality is heavily influenced by the emissions from cars, and their resulting carbon footprint. Burning fossil fuels releases very large amounts of carbon dioxide. Studies show that by using soybean-based biodiesel, carbon emissions can be reduced by up to 74%. This would be significant because not only could this be used on cars, but it can be used on planes and trains as well and result in a positive impact on the environment.
One additional advantage on the safety side of using biofuels that I would like to highlight is the reduced risk of fire in vehicles. As I understand, conventional petroleum engines have been considered to be unsafe in certain scenarios where they have low flashpoint temperatures, around 52 degrees Celsius (152 F), which increases the risk of catching fire. This problem is practically erased with biofuels, which allow the flash point to be increased to 130 degrees Celsius (266 F) and reduces the chances of a fire incident.
So think next time before we throw that used cooking oil in the drain. A video linked below says “if all the grease that New Yorkers throw away in one day is converted to jet fuel, it would be capable of powering several hundred flights”. Something for all of us to keep in mind…
SOURCES:
https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/biofuels/biodiesel-rd-other-basics.php
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