Cost comparison BD v's pump fuel.

[Prem Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close Prem]

Hi, everyone just stumbled across this forum on BD fuels and i have to say its a great thing to have as an option. i dont know much about it, onl from what ive read so far.
I do have one question though which i havent found the anser to looking through many pages.

What is the cost of making BD compared to normal pump diesel?

How much BD fuel does the 1 litre vg oil and 250ml methanol make?

Economy bad or better?

Im very interesting to see these figures.
I might even make my own one day if its worth it.

Cheers

[darren leonadas Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close darren leonadas]

Re: Cost comparison BD v's pump fuel.

Economy-- Depending on the content of total reacted methyl esters, BD can range from having a higher cetane to a lower cetane than Fossil diesel. BD from animal fat , from my experience always has a higher cetane to fossil diesel. So therefor better economy.
At the end of the day any diesel beats hands down the economy of petrol or gas. otherwise freight engines wouldn't be diesel.
CO$t$.??
Newbys of late always want the answer to this one, and yet most avid BDers do it out of environmental concern, not hip pocket concern.
So here it is . I'll give you the facts you do the Math.
20% percent of the volume is in Methanol at a cost of around $180 per 200 litres.
0.7% to as much as 1.6% of the volume is KoH at a cost of around $2 per kilo.
Most people on this site have a good supply of WVO, waste oil which costs Nothing, just your labour, so you do the math on your labour. but say 0 zero. I mean who calculates the labour costs of Self serving yourself fossil fuel.?!.
I have it from the horses mouth of a Farmers Steering committee, that they need 40 cents in the litre at the gate for virgin canola oil. However a have heard of someone in western Victoria paying 30 cents a litre for Virgin canola oil.
Then there's the costs of embodied energy. The electricity bills rendered from the heating elements and propulsion pumps of the reactor.
Some say this is negledgable but if your a purist it must be counted in.
According to Prof. Martin Mittelbach of Grazz University in Austria the energy coefficient of producing BD is 1 to 3. That means you burn one kilowatt of energy to get out of it a fuel which will yield three kilowatts of energy.
The energy coefficient of fossil fuel is 10 to 8. We spend 10 kilowatts of energy producing a fuel which yields 8 kilowatts. Go figure that one!!!!
Then at the end of the day you have to divide the whole Math calculation by the end result yield. In the MBDC we found an average yield of 80 percent. That means after the gross volumes had been reacted we only had 80 % BD and 20% Glycerine waste product or SOAP.
Then there's the evil excise. Add ontop 38 cents in the litre, IF YOU CHOOSE TO PAY IT. That goes to the coffers of little Johnny and his bum chum Costello. If your a pro and can meet spec. little johnny will give you your money back and call it (to quote Costello) an investment in biofuels.!

So there's the facts ... You do the Math.

[hdj80 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hdj80]

Re: Cost comparison BD v's pump fuel.

Take all that into account and roughly 45 cents per litre
Here's my break down.

To make 100litres

wvo free
methanol roughly $33
Caustic soda roughly $3
electricity $4 roughly
other stuff $5 roughly
= $45/100l roughly

Why roughly well Methanol can be purchased in Australia for $180 / 220litres to $300+ and if you buy it by the 20litre drum make that $60/20litres

Caustic will again depends on where you buy it and how much you need.

Electricity well take a guess, I did.

The other stuff #6's after the process is completed or for stuff.

So I think 45cents a litre is fine but then add on that 38cents so top dollar is 83cents a litre.

And who on earth puts a price on a Hobby anyway? I sure as hell don't.