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Bean There Done That

This paper describes how the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority/ Metro (SORTA/Metro) was one of the first transit systems in the country to experiment with biodiesel. In 1993, the National Soybean Council approached SORTA/Metro to test soybean based biodiesel fuel. The tests were performed in conjunction with the Soybean Council and special Alternative fuel grants. In 1994, the first tests were run and Metro’s fleet was 393 buses powered by 6V92 Detroit engines, both mechanical and electrically controlled. The goals of the test are: (1) requirements to use the fuel; (2) reliability of fuel and equipment; (3) percentages of blends and performance; and (4) effect on engines and the buses. The soy-fuel performance in regular service was as we had experienced in the tests. Changing the blend to meet the seasonal changes worked out well and functioned well at 17 degrees. The community accepted the use and made comments that buses did not stink anymore and there seemed to be less smoke. Metro has been using soy-fuel since September of 2005 and continued into 2006. Metro uses 3.3 million gallons of fuel per year and used 1.7 million gallons of soy-fuel in 2006.

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: CD-ROM
  • Pagination: 3p
  • Monograph Title: Bus and Paratransit Conference and International Bus Roadeo, 2007

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01051489
  • Record Type: Publication
  • ISBN: 1931594252
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Jun 14 2007 3:14PM