Author: Pamella Neely
Our world is experiencing a proliferation of choices, and now those diesel car owners who wish to save money while helping the environment have a choice also: whether to use biodiesel or straight vegetable oil. Here we will discuss the points on either side of this debate.
What is the difference between biodiesel and SVO?
Straight vegetable oil, often given the acronym SVO, is just what it says it is. Any type of vegetable oil can be used, though used cooking oil must be filtered before use as fuel. Biodiesel is a chemical ester produced by a chemical transformation of vegetable oil, which optimizes the fuel for use in the engine.
What are the functional differences between biodiesel and SVO?
The prime difference in the physical properties of biodiesel and vegetable oil is viscosity: biodiesel and petroleum based diesel are much less viscous than vegetable oil (i.e., they flow more easily). As a result of this, modifications should be made to a diesel engine to permit it to run optimally on SVO.
Among the problems caused by the viscosity of SVO are difficulties with fuel injection: the thick fuel can cause a great deal of wear to the fuel injection system. Starting an engine on SVO during cold winter weather can be problematic due to the fact that the oil becomes significantly more viscous yet in the cold, making it nearly impossible to feed into the engine.
Engine modification
The addition of a preheater to heat the oil prior to injection into the cylinder is the key modification that is made to adapt a diesel engine to vegetable oil. In addition to easing the problems of starting in cold weather, this reduces the fuel injection issues related to the high viscosity of oil. Other modifications may be made, including an optional second tank for vegetable oil and different high-pressure fuel injectors.
Fuel mixtures
It is much more sensible to mix biodiesel with other fuels than vegetable oils. Though mixing SVO with additives like gasoline does reduce the viscosity of the mixture, there are also differences in the combustion characteristics of the fuels to consider; while biodiesel is similar to petroleum diesel in this regard, biodiesel is not.
Ease of Use
A factor in favor of SVO over biodiesel is the relative simplicity of using vegetable oil. While the process of making biodiesel involves a chemical reaction involving additional chemicals which must be purchased, all that may be needed to use vegetable oil is to filter it, if it is used cooking oil — once the needed modifications have been made to the engine, that is.
Conclusions
Naturally, only you can answer the question posed by the title, however we hope to inform your decision with this information. Whichever choice you make, there will be a conversion involved: either the engine is adapted to use SVO or vegetable oil is converted into biodiesel. Either choice will provide savings of money and environmental benefits over diesel fuel.
About the author: Pamella Neely writes about how to start a trucking company and how to start a trucking business.