DIY Hybrid

In Germany I had a 1961 Beetle with what I think was a 25HP engine, it was a hybrid of the US and German versions that had been kicking around Army bases for years, and unlike the Germans we could freely swap engines. Flat-out on a level road like the Autobahn north of Basel it could reach 62MPH / 100KPH after about 15 minutes. It wasn't so bad on the back roads I preferred.

The substantially less aerodynamic Model T could do 40 - 45MPH on

jsw

Ah! Biodiesel! Somewhere on this NG I posted something about biodiesel, wondering why somebody hasn't already jumped on it?

Used deep-fry oil is free - in fact, the way I understand it, restaurants currently have to pay somebody to haul it off for disposal - what's keeping somebody from going around, talking to restarateurs, offering to haul away their used oil cheaper than the garbage/hazmat people are doing it, doing some filtration, and selling it for, say, two bucks a gallon?

Politics?

Thanks, Rich

Well, except for a few little technical details, isn't oil, pretty much oil?

But I don't think I'd want to eat french fries that were cooked in kerosene. ;-P

Thanks, Rich

Hmmm - sounds like a niche market; might be viable if Obammy the commy wasn't making war on small business.

Thanks, Rich

Nope, they get paid for the waste oil. They have big tanks ~500 gal they collect it in and the recycling company stops by to pick it up each month.

Already being done. Don't think it's going to bio-diesel though, probably used as feed stock for some other oil based stuff.

I got curious about it and asked a handful of fast food managers. They all said that a company comes and takes it away, prepaid from the corporate office. You can't seem to buy it here. I'll bet the small fast food restaurants give/sell it to their trucking buddies.

-- "A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government." --Edward Abbey

I seriously doubt any trucker is going to put straight WVO in their $150k truck, nor will they have enough spare time at home to run a bio-diesel processor.

Nah, diesel _pickemup_ owners.

-- "A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government." --Edward Abbey

My dad has a battery powered push mower from this company:

Yet uni joints are actually very reliable, and cheap and easy to replace if necessary.

"Battery powered push mower?"

Isn't that kind of an oxymoron, like "military intelligence?"

Thanks, Rich

These Zeons look pretty neat. I'd like one for my birthday in August, please.

-- "A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government." --Edward Abbey

No, dumb ass. Push, as opposed to a riding mower or self propelled.

The reason women call you 'babe' is they mistook you for Paul Bunion's Ox, moron.

I'll get right on that, as soon as there's complete peace in the Middle East, and Tom gets his atomic powered flying car. :)

'Smatter, can't take a joke?

Thanks, Rich

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Well, no. A quick glance at any industrial chemistry book will show you the difference between petroleum oils and seed oils. And "waste" cooking oil and fat isn't useless, just useless for cooking food. Has a lot of industrial uses from soap-making to pet food. People are willing to pay to get it. And there isn't enough waste cooking oil in the world to replace gasoline or diesel fuel for everything. Biggest thing the waste oil burners are doing is evading the road taxes on fuel. And if they're esterifying their oil, the sodium hydroxide and methanol isn't cheap or free, either. Production of sodium hydroxide isn't exactly green, either, it's a product of the electrochemical industry.

My decades old diesel design manual mentions that while diesels can be run on vegetable oils like peanut oil, the oils tend to gum up everything and the engines need tearing down and refurbing long before they are worn. I know that my sister's diesel Jetta forbids using biodiesel right in the warranty. Whether it's because of the gum-up problem or another reason, I don't know.

Stan

This is what hot vegetable oils eventually turn into:

jsw

Seems like for best efficiency (and to protect some transmissions from turning without lubricant) you would need a drive shaft disconnect at the differential.

Linoleum, eh? You think you can just walk all over your equipment, do you, Jim?

-- "I probably became a libertarian through exposure to tough-minded professors" James Buchanan, Armen Alchian, Milton Friedman "who encouraged me to think with my brain instead of my heart. I learned that you have to evaluate the effects of public policy as opposed to intentions." -- Walter E. Williams

I had the same thoughts, the web sight claims no modifications are made to the existing drive train. The normal engine has to be running even when using the electric drive to provide AC, PS, PB etc.

Best Regards Tom.