Vegetable Oil Motoring

[T-Bag]

With the other thread about car engine innovations I thought I'd show people what I've been doing for a few years now, Running on Vegetable Oil.
It's fairly straightforward depending on your car, and here's a little something I'm hoping to sell in the not too distant future running on a Land Rover Discovery 2.5TDi.

LINK (CLICK HERE)

It's my dads voice on there, I don't sound that old.

Comments?

[Dr Sadako]

Unfortunately not a long term solution as it would be impossible to grow enough plants to support the cars that we have around today even.

Generally speaking I am against using biofuels e.g. ethanol that have been produced from plants that could be used as food.

Good effort though on reducing the exhausts.

[Gandalf]

Unfortunately not a long term solution as it would be impossible to grow enough plants to support the cars that we have around today even.

Generally speaking I am against using biofuels e.g. ethanol that have been produced from plants that could be used as food.

Good effort though on reducing the exhausts.

I agree. For the near future, fuel cells are the most viable alternative. Shame the oil economy is too powerful for them to gain any serious ground.

[Dr Sadako]

I agree. For the near future, fuel cells are the most viable alternative. Shame the oil economy is too powerful for them to gain any serious ground.

It is getting better actually. In the coming 10 year period the EU will invest €200 Million Euro into fuel cell research.

[Penfold]

€200 eh? If they come to me and ask, I'll double it for them

PEN

[Dr Sadako]

â,¬200 eh? If they come to me and ask, I'll double it for them
 
PEN

million ... lost the million. :roflmao:

[T-Bag]

We're very much aware it's a stop gap. But in just the UK there are over 33 Million cars. If Fuel cells came out tomorrow firstly not everyone could afford to buy a new one, and secondly they can't make 33 Million cars in a year. So between release and it being generally accepted there will still be Diesels on the road.
As for Biofuels, without very strict controls on where they come from (i.e not from rainforest land thats been cleared to grow it etc) At the moment there is more land growing Tobacco than there is growing Biofuels (which is obviously not a food but taking up land which could be used for food). Also GM is looking into making crops which are inedible, but make oil. These will grow in places where the land won't support regular crops so there isn't the moral choice...then again these might never happen, I don't know what sort of speed these guys work at.

Fuel cells are promising but I'm doubtful they'll turn into a viable alternative before oil becomes scares. I belive there will be a range of alternatives come forward at the same time to fill the gap ranging from combustion which just burns a wider range of things to electric (which I think is the solution for journeys of less than about 30miles) and Compressed air and other whacky ideas.

[delanvital]

The gap you mention is what the inventions in the article I mentioned earlier was meant to narrow.

I agree with Mats on generation 1 bio fuels because I feel that a supply increase in food for ppl are more important right now, considering the effects on price increases.

I can't help but fancy the idea of generation 2, which with the proper enzymes can work with a lot more different types of biomass, but... I know... a long shot. I do however know of a few people doing research into this, so there is some funding out there for that....? :g:

[Dr Sadako]

I have nothing against running cars on non food plants but it is not a viable option but for a small number of cars. The area needed for a plant per produced litre fuel is the main problem. Just looking at a small country like Sweden the problem becomes quite clear. Say that you want to run all of Swedens cars on bioethanol or biodiesel then you couldn't support it even if you used all the area of Sweden to just grow plants for fuel. I don't see biofuels as a viable solution even now.
 
The problem is that oil companies try to counteract any other option that could replace the oil. Fortunately the common man recently wants more environmental friendly solutions which have forced the car manufacturers to look at other options. Another reason for hybrid cars and electric cars appearing now is that the newer generations of batteries have become much much better in a short time.
 
The combustion engine is inefficient in comparison to an electrical engine. Just take a look at he Tesla and you will see that it not boring or slow. Tesla Roadster

[Aquilifer]

The combustion engine is inefficient in comparison to an electrical engine. Just take a look at he Tesla and you will see that it not boring or slow. Tesla Roadster

Yes. It just doesn't sound as good as V-8

Anyway, I would like to see the change to electric cars too. With them the problem isn't the polluting cars, but electric plants. How do you produce your electricity. I really don't want to see million wind mills. They look awful (ruin the landscape) and make terrible woosh woosh sounds nearby :sideways: We would need clean(er) power plants too. Solar power is still too ineffecient (actually I read about some invention which should multiply the effeciency) and no sign of fusion power.

Using anything which is away from food production as a fuel, is bad. It looks like it increases food prices, inflation, poverty and poverty is one of the reasons for cutting down forests. Also increses riots and conflicts, which leads to destruction and human suffering. Wars are known to cause lot of pollution. So I am not sure at all it is nature friendlier

[Dr Sadako]

I think research in solar cells, wind energy and fuel cells/electrolysis cells are quite promising. With all power plants you have the problem that people say "not in our back yard" but we need to face it. We need to accept having wind mills and nuclear power plants if we want to live with the current standard of life. Because round the corner we have 2 billion chinese and indian that want the same as us. If we don't plan for that we need to accept not having power 24/7.

[Thulsa Doom]

I wouldn't say Solar power is inefficient.
I'd say it's currently expensive