Saving the environment by using other resourses

Biodiesel and ethanol are poised to help ease the nation’sreliance on foreign oil.

For motorists concerned about high fuel costs, there is reason to be optimistic.Alternative fuels and new vehicle technology present hope for lower fuel costs andincreased fuel efficiency. Although supplies are somewhat limited, biodiesel and ethanolfuels are both currently available, and they are poised to eventually supplant traditionaldiesel and gasoline fuels.

Due to cost restrictions and limited production and distribution, experts say alternativefuels will not immediately replace petroleum. However, alternative fuel development iswinning support from high places, including President Bush and American TruckingAssociations. Bush’s goal is to replace 75 percent of the nation’s Mideast oil importswith ethanol and other energy sources by 2025. Many individual states offer incentivesfor using alternative fuels, including special traffic-lane privileges, alternative fuel pricedeductions and grants toward flex-fuel vehicle purchases.

Biodiesel

Biodiesel is composed of diesel fuel mixed with vegetable oil, animal fat or recycledrestaurant grease, and it can be used in almost any diesel engine. According to theNational Biodiesel Board in Jefferson City, Mo., biodiesel is being produced in 53 plantsin 26 states, with more plants in development. Meanwhile, diesel-electric hybrid vehiclesare showing promise as a technology of the future, with overnight carriers such asUPS reporting positive results with the technology.

According to the Department of Energy (DOE), only pure biodiesel (B100) is consideredan alternative fuel by government standards, but lower blends such as B20 (20%biodiesel and 80% regular diesel) are gaining popularity in heavy-duty vehicles such asrefuse haulers and military support vehicles.An advantage of B20 is that it generally doesnot require engine modification, while B100“may require certain engine modifications toavoid maintenance and performance problemsand may not be suitable for wintertimeuse.”

According to Mike Frailey, a project engineerat DOE’s National Renewable EnergyLaboratory in Golden, Colo., owners of olderfleets of vehicles should exercise cautionwhen switching to biodiesel because it can dissolve the sediments in diesel fuel tanks and cause filter plugging issues. These problems usually occur during the initial transition from conventional diesel fuel. In addition, the Union of Concerned Scientists reports that B100 requires special additives or heating systems to flow as well as petroleum diesel in cold temperatures. To avoid congealing problems, fleets using biodiesel in cold temperatures often switch to blends with higher levels of kerosene.

Ethanol

According to DOE, ethanol is an alcoholbased fuel that is derived from fermenting and distilling starch crops such as corn, barley and wheat or trees and grasses into simple sugars. It is used to power cars and light trucks designed to run on E85 (85% ethanol and 15% gasoline), but its most common lower concentration is E10, which can be found in many gas stations but is not considered an alternative fuel by government standards. Consumer demand for flex-fuel vehicles is on the rise, and manufacturers have been increasing their offerings of vehicles capable of running on E85. Demand is also driving up production of ethanol, with 95 plants now producing the fuel and 30 more in development.AMSOIL synthetic motor oils and diesel oils offer unsurpassed protection and performance for all vehicle investments, extending equipment life and improving fuel economy.

Biodiesel is composedof diesel fuelmixed with vegetableoil, animal fat or recycledrestaurantgrease, and it can beused in almost anydiesel engine.

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