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Biodiesel or SVO?
12 January 2005
Although biodiesel is drawing increasing attention from automakers, policymakers and farmers, there is another biofuel that can be used in diesel engines: straight vegetable oil, or SVO.
The two approaches, although apparently similar, are operationally and philosophically quite different. Broadly stated, you can either modify (refine) plant oil to create biodiesel to run in an unmodified diesel engine, or you can modify an engine system to allow it to use unaltered vegetable oil.
Journey to Forever, a terrific resource on multiple aspects of sustainability, puts it this way:
Does the SVO option work? Yes—IF you go about it the right way. It’s not quite that simple a choice. For one thing, if you want to use waste vegetable oil, which is often free, you’re going to have to process it anyway, though less so than to make biodiesel. And it still might not be a very good fuel.
The main problem is that vegetable oil is much more viscous (thicker) than conventional diesel fuel. It must be heated (thinned) so that it can be properly atomised by the fuel injectors. If it’s not properly atomised, it won’t burn properly, forming deposits on the injectors and in the cylinder head, leading to poor performance, higher emissions, and reduced engine life.
Nonetheless, experience is showing that SVO systems are a practical proposition with a lot of advantages to offer, not least of all that using SVO can be cheaper than turning it into biodiesel and uses less energy than making biodiesel does.
But you have to be willing to take on the modifications. For those inclined to a D-I-Y project, there are a number of resources and kits available.
I will start including SVO on the site, including product news and lifecycle and emissions studies.
A few SVO links and online resources
Neoteric Biofuels—established in 2000
Elsbett—one of the best established European conversion companies
Biodiesel Discussion Forum—follow the links to the SVO forum
January 12, 2005 in Biodiesel, D-I-Y, SVO | Permalink | Comments (28) | TrackBack (2)
Comments
Posted by: Ankur | July 19, 2007 at 02:58 AM
Actually interesting site. Thanks to you for info. You are good that, remain so. 1288769312
Posted by: pay per click | August 04, 2007 at 11:45 PM
hi sir/mam
I am an IIT student and have done my masters thesis on performance of IC engine using biodiesel from different oil sources. in that i prepared biodiesel from jatropha oil and waste cooking oil. now I am further want to do research on oxidation stability of biodiesel and its effect on IC engine. can you provide me some good ideas related to that.
regards
Posted by: siddharth jain | December 15, 2008 at 12:49 AM
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Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Biodiesel or SVO?:
» Biodiesle versus SVO from B100 Fuel, living on BioDiesel
Green Car Congress is on top of it again: Green Car Congress: Biodiesel or SVO? Good analysis comparing BioDiesel to Straight Vegitable Oil. I still like Biodiesel. Less potential problems with clogging and no heating required, use it straight in... [Read More]
Tracked on Jan 18, 2005 1:32:49 PM
» Re: Question about veggie oil from tribe.net: www.greencarcongress.com
I found this on http://www.greencarcongress.com/2005/01/biodiesel_or_sv.html
... [Read More]
Tracked on Jul 24, 2005 11:13:24 PM
Sir,
I want to know that , though for using Biodiesel no major modifications are required but still whether we can modify the engine for its better performence.? for this what are the steps to be taken.? In modern scenerio what are asspects of biodiesel.? Plz reply....