Is Diesel Alternative Fuel The Way Of The Future?
When looking to the future, diesel alternative fuel appears to be one of the brightest new ideas on the horizon. Ever since the energy crisis of the seventies, people have known that it is just a matter of time before the non-renewable fossil fuels run out. Could renewable, organic substances do the same things we have always looked to petroleum products to do?
Researchers have found that plant and animal fats can be used in the same way as diesel fuel, hence the name "biodiesel." The good news is that biofuels are created from renewable sources. For instance, if your car runs on the leftover soybean oil from the doughnut shop down the road, new soybean oil can be processed from the soybeans in the field outside of town.
An important thing to understand about alternative fuels, however, is that these biodiesel fuels can only be used in diesel engines. They will not work in engines designed to be powered by regular gasoline.
Because diesel alternative fuel is made from vegetable oil, it is biodegradable. One of the most harmful aspects of fossil fuels is the disaster left behind when there is an oil spill. If there is an accidental spill involving biodiesel fuel, it will simply decompose over time, unlike petroleum products. Another positive thing about biodiesel fuel is that it produces fewer harmful substances when it is burned than traditional fuels. Widespread use of biofuels in the future could provide much relief in the area of air pollution as well as reducing greenhouse gasses. While the environmental impact of a shift to biodiesel would be staggering, the effect it would have on the politics and economy of a nation like the U.S. are equally staggering. Dr. Rudolf Diesel actually designed the diesel engine to run on different fuels, including vegetable oil. In 1900, at the World Exhibition in Paris, he displayed his engine running on 100 percent peanut oil. Modern diesel vehicles will run on vegetable oil or waste cooking oil, but it helps if it is blended with something to thin it down. It is likely, however, that if an engine has been running on traditional fuel, it will have some buildup inside, which might be loosened up by the biofuel. For this reason, if you try making the switch, you should check your fuel filter often in the early weeks of using it. Some 2008 diesel fuel cars available in the United States include the Mercedes E320 CDI, the Volkswagen New Beetle, Jetta, and Jetta Sportwagen, and the Jeep Liberty 2.8 Turbo Diesel. In addition, there are a variety of larger pickups that have diesel engines. Diesel engines have a reputation for being longer lived as well as more efficient. Many European cars run on diesel. One option for obtaining a car in which you could use diesel alternative fuel is to buy a used foreign car with a diesel engine. An older Mercedes could be luxurious and prestigious, as well as capable of using biofuels.
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