ARE YOU CONSIDERING A CHANGE TO BIODIESEL?

Officials at the city of Yuma, Arizona Equipment Maintenance Division have been looking into alternative sources of fuel, which has led them to biodiesel. Although there is a cost difference, the decrease of emissions, odor, and noise is well worth it. Beyond its eco-friendly attributes, regulated fleets can acquire Energy Policy Act (EPAct) credit by purchasing biodiesel. Biodiesel is made by chemically reacting alcohol with oils and can be found in two forms; B20 is 80 percent diesel and 20 percent biodiesel, whereas B100 is 100 percent biodiesel. B100 has many positive aspects but it has its downside too; it requires anti-freezing precautions, it loosens and dissolves sediments in storage tanks thus creating plugs in filters, and because it is a solvent it has been known to cause rubber components to fail in vehicles made before 1994, but B20 can diminish all these problems. Biodiesel prices are expected to go down with the expanding market, new EPA rules and improvements in the biodiesel technology, which will include more plants and efficient production. B100 has completed the Tier one and Tier two Health effects testing requirements of the Clean Air Act and proved that it is non-toxic and poses little to no health risks for humans and B20 proved less harmful than regular diesel but not as promising as B100. Biodiesel's environmental benefits include fewer emissions of hydrocarbons, particle matter, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Although, nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are a little higher, recent research of additives, which reduce NOx are a promising prospective.

• Record URL:
  http://www3.apwa.net/Resources/Reporter/Articles/2002/8/Are-you-considering-a-change-to-biodiesel
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1789483
• Corporate Authors:

  American Public Works Association

  2345 Grand Boulevard, Suite 500
  Kansas City, MO  United States  64108-2625
• Authors:
  • Caudill, C
• Publication Date: 2002-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 16-17
• Serial:
  • APWA Reporter
  • Volume: 69
  • Issue Number: 8
  • Publisher: American Public Works Association
  • ISSN: 0092-4873

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternate fuels; Cost effectiveness; Diesel fuels; Pollutants
• Subject Areas: Energy; Environment; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00963484
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: UC Berkeley Transportation Library
• Files: BTRIS, TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 2 2003 12:00AM