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what happened to running cars on veg oil

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what happened to running cars on veg oil

dave

dave

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years ago people were happily running diesel cars on chip fat. then car manafactures changed all the seals on diesel cars to ones veg oil would destroy, was this just to stop people using cheap fuel with no govenment control over it?
So why has reserch into running cars on veg oil stopped but billions being spent on electic cars, most electric is still coming from fossil fuel.
is there really more Emissions and Health Risks from Vegetable Oil Burning or is it because the worlds rich wont have control over it?
 
I work in the oil industry... so I work for those trying to cover it up...

However. Modern diesels run very, very high pressure injection systems, which rely on the lubrication properties of diesel to stop wear on the pump, in particular.

The injectors are also high-precision items - they have a very carefully designed spray pattern, with holes smaller than the size of a human hair.

Vegetable oil is very 'sooty' - this clogs the injectors and causes running problems, additionally, the soot causes issues with EGR systems and DPFs.

Diesels are very clean these days - and keep getting cleaner.

Some markets have moved to GTL diesel (Gas to Liquid), which has huge emissions benefits - but it's still quite expensive to make and only available in limited quantities.

Veg. oil is more likely to end up in bio jet fuel, as jets are less fussy than a modern direct injection car engine.
 
What happened to running cars on vegetable oil? (chip fat). - In a word, well two actually. Common Rail. For all the reasons, and probably more, knowledgeably detailed above by Schumi.

As he says, modern diesels are very very clean devices when compared to even a few years ago - which in my opinion have been unfairly pilloried by ignorant politicians - and the development of ever cleaner burning fuels and oils continues. You don't hear them saying anything much about particulate emissions from modern DI petrol engines do you? So why are VAG now fitting particulate filters to their DI petrols? (others may be doing this too but I only know about the VAG ones)
 
Also..

The crop prices were supposedly pushed up by the additional demand.

So a grocery shop got dearer..

And this is just with 'niche use'...

Dont forget ethanol is also becoming more prevalent ( it is a by.product of industry..) but comes with its own issues.

FCA shouldve been onto a good thing.. ditching battery for hydrogen.. but their timing was lousy..

At least the hybrids are actually happening now.
 
varesecrazy said:
At least the hybrids are actually happening now.
Click to expand...

I'm intrigued by hybrids for the strange reason that I like driving automatics but am scared rigid by the possible repair costs. I've looked at a second hand Prius on a couple of occasions because their gear train is really quite simple. Although I think the latest iteration now incorporates a CVT with a push belt which I wouldn't want - but that's not part of the equation as I couldn't raise the money for a new one! Of course there's still a petrol engine and some extra electric/electronic gear so maybe just as risky? Taxi drivers seem to like them a lot though and they report starship mileages without failure.
 
The Toyota hybrid doesn’t have a conventional gearbox, it’s not even a CVT, so no belt issues.

It’s a very clever planetary power splitting device.

I ran a Mk2 Prius company car for 80k miles. It was super reliable and incredibly refined. T-Spirits even came with self park. In 2005!
 
Schumi2001 said:
The Toyota hybrid doesn’t have a conventional gearbox, it’s not even a CVT, so no belt issues.

It’s a very clever planetary power splitting device.
Click to expand...

As the Yanks say "Now that's what I'm talkin' about" I've watched some quite detailed video on you tube about this powertrain and I like what I see. Am I not right though that the very latest one has now gone to a Push belt type CVT? I'm sure I've seen something somewhere about it?
 
I think the new CVT is replacing the auto boxes in non hybrids. Hybrids have a new generation power split device.

Ref veg oils... the circa 10% bio content in pump diesel can be derived from rape seed crops. No wonder we see so many fields of yellow these days!
 
Schumi2001 said:
I work in the oil industry... so I work for those trying to cover it up...

However. Modern diesels run very, very high pressure injection systems, which rely on the lubrication properties of diesel to stop wear on the pump, in particular.

The injectors are also high-precision items - they have a very carefully designed spray pattern, with holes smaller than the size of a human hair.

Vegetable oil is very 'sooty' - this clogs the injectors and causes running problems, additionally, the soot causes issues with EGR systems and DPFs.

Diesels are very clean these days - and keep getting cleaner.

Some markets have moved to GTL diesel (Gas to Liquid), which has huge emissions benefits - but it's still quite expensive to make and only available in limited quantities.

Veg. oil is more likely to end up in bio jet fuel, as jets are less fussy than a modern direct injection car engine.
Click to expand...
but why make the high presure systems, why not keep the old systems and just change the fuel, grow crops on the land being destroyed to make lithium batteries to use as fuel.
 
dave said:
but why make the high presure systems, why not keep the old systems and just change the fuel, grow crops on the land being destroyed to make lithium batteries to use as fuel.
Click to expand...

Because burning rape seed or veg oil produces silly amounts of particulates.

Have you seen the smoke you get from a chip pan fire?

You can push 10-20% bio in diesel, but the soot is only kept down by a combination of common rail injection and additive packs.

We need to invest in small modular nuclear reactors in combination with electrolysis to produce and store hydrogen.

5kg hydrogen equates to 3-400 miles range and tanks just a few minut s to refuel. Makes batteries look clunky and ancient tech!
 
So why hasnt Hydrogen production in the UK really moved forward in the last 20 years.

Castrol have been plodding along for ever..

FIAT gave up after battery cars didnt do well from 1980 to 2000..and pinned their hopes on hydrogen.. which isnt really getting anywhere yet.

Lack of government subsidies..??
 
Last edited:
varesecrazy said:
So why hasnt Hydrogen production in the UK really moved forward in the last 20 years.

Castrol have been plodding along for ever..

FIAT gave up after battery cars didnt do well from 1980 to 2000..and pinned their hopes on hydrogen.. which isnt really getting anywhere yet.

Lack of government subsidies..??
Click to expand...

Probably along with the electric costs in the UK making hydrogen refining costly
Should be pushing solar panels for every new build house in the UK at least 500w of capacity
Or a something like 300 per person it can sleep
 
Within the industry there’s a belief that battery is a stepping stone to fuel cell.

Most of the tech. is the same, you just replace half a tonne of batteries with a 5kg hydrogen tank and a fuel cell.

We have the first on site electrolysis plants in, I believe, Europe.

Expensive at the moment, but Germany, Japan and S. Korea are very much behind hydrogen being the long term solution.
 
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