Admiral Valdemar wrote:Biodiesel allows for various fuel replacements and the creation of plastics in the event fossil fuel peak production is reached (and some argue it already has been).
The problem with biodiesel is it's lack of viscosity. IIRC, a military base once used biodiesel to power it's generators on post and their fuel filter lasted something like 1/3rd as long as they typically do. it has a tendency to...break up deposits on fuel lines and junk and all that shit gets in the filter...or somesuch
Found it. I think this will be more of an issue during initial implementation of biodiesel and biodiesel blends.
In a study at a U.S. military base, a biodiesel blend was used as a replacement for heating oil at housing on the base. Due to the solvent power of biodiesel, residues that had been present in fuel tanks for decades were dissolved. The particulate component of the residues caused repeated clogging of fuel strainers, requiring repeated replacement, cleaning, and in some cases installation of higher capacity filters. Due to the relatively smaller surface area and service life of fuel tanks in motor vehicles and mobile equipment, filter clogging is less prevalent but still a factor to be considered.
