| WVO: Waste Vegetable Oil As An Outstanding Fuel Alternative |
| Written by Razel Kilmer | |
| Monday, 10 May 2010 | |
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Waste vegetable oil, or WVO, is a biodiesel that can be used to run converted traditional diesel cars. Vegetable oil is a good fuel and is good for the environment as well. Folks who have converted cars usually obtain their oil from restaurants which is good for both parties.
Waste vegetable oil, or WVO, is a biodiesel that can be used to run converted traditional diesel cars. Vegetable oil is a good fuel and is good for the environment as well. Folks who have converted cars usually obtain their oil from restaurants which is good for both parties. There are many different kits available for converting diesel vehicles into biodiesel vehicles that will run on vegetable oil. Kits can cost anywhere from $150 to $4000. Depending on how much you spend, quality can vary significantly. Mercedes and Chevy Suburbans are the most popular vehicles to convert to biodiesel. Kits are usually made for self installment and are pretty easy to do in a couple weekends. Any vegetable oil that is used for fuel must be filtered before being put in the tank. Any particles or water will cause the engine to become blocked or seize up. When the car starts it is run on diesel and when it is shut off it switches back to diesel. This keeps the vegetable oil at the proper temperature to run the car and keeps the fuel lines free of oil while the car is not running. The viscosity of the oil can clog the lines if it gets too cold. People who have converted their cars to run on vegetable oil say they see no significant decrease in power during acceleration. There is also no difference in the fuel economy compared to regular diesel fuel. Vegetable oil leaves less carbon build up and residue in the engine too. Even though converted cars run on a completely different fuel, there is actually very little extra maintenance needed. The only extra cost is filter changes which usually cost about $10 a pop. The other big expense is that of the kit itself, but drivers can expect to see a return on investment in as little as a year and a half from the time of installation. Waste vegetable oil is usually obtained from restaurants after they have used it. This is a symbiotic relationship that benefits both the restaurant and the driver. Restaurants are usually happy to give away their used oil because they usually have to pay a disposal fee. Any type of vegetable oil can be used in a biodiesel car but it has to be free of water, bacteria and particles before being put in the car. The best places to get oil are Asian restaurants which usually use pure soy or canola oil which has a lower gel point and is easier to filter. A general rule of thumb is the better quality the restaurant, the better quality oil they will have. Fast food restaurants usually use hydrogenated oil, which can still be used, but is not ideal. When biodiesel kits are installed the main diesel tank lines are left intact. If you can't get vegetable oil you can still run your car on diesel. This transformation of a vehicle can be great for people who want to reduce their environmental impact and don't mind putting in a little extra work to obtain and clean WVO. Emissions are lower, fossil fuel is not being consumed, and a waste product gets recycled. This can be a great step forward if you want to reduce your carbon footprint. |
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