I just got wind that due to more stringent emissions control here on the Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, we're gonna start up a bio processor of some sort. I'm trying to jump on board so they don't mess it up. They plan on using the yucky grease and cooking oil from the many chowhalls on base, but to meet the demand for ground power equipment, they're gonna need an outside source to supplement the high use of fuel. While I love what they want to do, it still ticks me off when someone says "we gotta convert the vehicles" GRRRRR.....

 

I don't know about greener, but definetley sounds like a different kind of green. If you understood it then you would be an O-7 instead of an E-7 and we probably wouldn't listen to you because you didn't make any sense.

I think it's a nationwide thing. They had a big article in last Sundays paper talking about how Dyes AFB was burning methane gas from a near by landfill for powerl, solar panels, etc.

By the way, I thought MCAS was El Toro, not Pendleton. Did they change that?

 

El Toro was closed down in I think 1999 or so. I know the base motor pool fuel stations are using what I would think is B5 or so. But the Air Station (on Pendleton) is proposing I believe B100.

 

And to think all those poor grunts will now miss the 48 hop up to Toro just so they can sit on the Tarmac next to a 130 waiting on the call to come in.

Have you thought of checking with the greasemonkeys to see how they plan on dealing with gelling issues when they change over? That might answer your other question.

 

Did he just saying gelling issues and talking about Southern California in the same posting?

 

Uh, yeah he did LOL. It does get cold here- this morning it was about 40! hehe

 

Think I need to send my insluated coveralls so that my sister Paris won't freeze to death? I mean 40 is down right frosty in Southern Calfornia.

 

It sounds like they are talking about processing the used cooking oils into bio diesel. I wouldn't expect there to be any Gelling issues in SoCal. It's not like they are running straight grease. A marine base with multiple chow halls would be the perfect place to recycle cooking oils we already payed for into fuel.
On newer vehicles I don't believe there is any conversion required. As I understand it Older vehicles require some conversion as bio diesel is tough on rubber seals.


On the other hand I could be completely full of crap.

 

You're right gen1driver- older vehicles w/rubber fuel lines will over time deteriorate, hence the necessecity to replace them with viton or whatever you use for modern diesel fuel/

 

a company in Chico CA (they make biodiesel processors) was using straight lard to make bio and it worked fine but they found on cool days they started to starve a bit for fuel under a load and found that the bio was actually starting to gel at around 60F. Someone told me the melting point of your stock -50F is roughly what your gel point is for the bio you make from it. The the grease will work, just be aware you may want to start out incrementally (B20 - B50 - B90), I am certain your demand is far greater than your supply will be. You don't want someone to complain that the were stranded because of the Bio and they kill the program!

Are they planning on getting a commercial sized (1000/day) or a smaller type of unit? (I am just curious)

 

If you guys had been looking around much you
might of bumped into this one:

http://www.ybiofuels.org

They are probably 600 miles north and fifteen
degrees cooler than you. They have produced
as much as 25.000 gal of bio diesel a month from
wvo.... they've also got an exceptional blog!

Hey I'm looking for some of that dollar a gallon
soy oil. I think I'd have no problem reselling
it for $5..... :<)

 

How would you re-sell it for $5 a gal?? Let's swap secrets here....

 

yeah...I want to hear this one too... I was just thinking of running it straight in my pickup (not for cooking my food)

 

www.biodieselmagazine.com/plant-list.jsp

Check the above out... Look at the individual plants
are they running?? why not..its mostly the price of
soybeans.. I checked one out - thier march 07 newsletter
says" we sent the huge piece of equipment(our consultant)
said we needed back to Pittsburg mfg cause they
couldn't get it working on site..." we'd love to have it
back so someday we can go into production and get
some return on our (very large ) investment!!

I'm currently using one gallon a fillup of new soy oil
in my 6.9 idi na account lubricity issues.. I feel its
cheap insurance ( 2 bucks more for a gallon of it than
a gallon of dino!)it might significantly extend the life
of my ip. elsewhere posted recently on this forum is
a www reference to Chevrons documents on diesel ,
biodiesel and engine issues. Its' 116 pages long
and certainly worth the reading. there are several
other documents on thier site worth the reading also.

I posted ybiofuels site and suggested you check thier'
blog... They have storage capacity for 30,000 gal of
methanol..should they be able to get a pretty good
price. Has it recently zoomed upwards uhh I wonder
what petroleum industry is responseable for that!

Biodiesel (made at home?)not ethnol is the future!!

 

[QUOTE=lowell75]
I'm currently using one gallon a fillup of new soy oil
in my 6.9 idi na account lubricity issues.. I feel its
cheap insurance ( 2 bucks more for a gallon of it than
a gallon of dino!)it might significantly extend the life
of my ip. ...
[QUOTE]

I can purchase new soy bean oil in 35# (~4.6gal) cubes for $12-15 (costco, sams club, smart and final...and others) Right now it is about the same price as dio-diesel, I can't see paying $5/gal... but I am sure with the right marketing you could get people to pay that price.

I was trying to find it in bulk and it seems it is still about $1.60-2.20/gal.. but I have to buy 20 Metric Tons minimum (~6000 gal) in a 40ft container. So, $1/gal was looking attractive.