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Ideal Farm’s ideal fuel: homemade biodiesel
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The largest used equipment inventory in the Mid-Atlantic is only a click away. Visit our website by clicking here or visit us at one of our 11 locations throughout MD, DE, VA and PA.
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12.01.2006
By Tamara Scully
AFP Correspondent
Lafayette Township — Ben Jorritsma’s homemade brew is potent stuff.
It is, after all, fueling the family’s farm equipment and pickup trucks.
His biodiesel — made from waste vegetable oil (WVO) collected from the nearby Chatterbox Restaurant — is created in a makeshift laboratory adjoining the family’s barn.
Jorritsma explained that the process of making one’s own biodiesel involves several steps.
Filtering the WVO, checking the ph, heating it, mixing it with methanol, atalyzing a chemical reaction by adding lye, allowing the resultant glycerol and biodiesel to separate, washing the fuel and finally filtering it for use are all essential parts of the process.
The process isn’t an exact science, Jorritsma said.
It does involve about one gallon of methanol/per pound of the grease and a varying amount of lye needed to acidify and to catalyze the reaction.
Use the wrong amount, and you could end up with a batch of soap.
“There are a lot of different techniques,” Jorritsma said. After several months of researching options and a few more of trial and error, he has concluded that making biodiesel isn’t rocket science. “It’s simple now. It becomes second nature.”
With several tanks, tubing and connections of various types, Jorritsma’s lab is capable of producing 50 gallons of biodiesel per batch.
Better yet, he can have multiple stages of the fuel-making process occurring simultaneously.
The end product of all this chemistry is a fuel ready to use in any diesel engine — no conversion or modification needed.
The biodiesel, Jorritsma said, is “more environmental. There is no sulfur in biodiesel — no particle emissions. It has lubrication effects.”
The carbon in biodiesel is from plant sources, and biodiesel is considered a carbon-neutral fuel. The carbon is recycled through the plant and the air in a continuum.
Carbon dioxide released by burning biofuels is recaptured by plants as they photosynthesize.
In contrast, the carbon from fossil fuels has been locked in the earth for millions of years.
Releasing it into the atmosphere adds large amounts of carbon dioxide into the environment.
In addition to the environmental benefits of biodiesel, its lubricating properties also have beneficial effects on engine life, cutting down on repair costs from wear and tear.
This additional lubrication helps to reduce the labor time needed to maintain the farm equipment.
Jorritsma estimates that the cost of producing his biodiesel is about $1.50/gallon.
Because the biodiesel can be readily made on-farm and stored on-site in large batches, it is more efficient than running to the gas station for fuel.
“If you are making it yourself, you can easily control how much you have on hand,” he said.
During the colder months, due to concerns regarding the gelling that can occur at low temperatures, Jorritsma is running a mix of 70 to 80 percent biodiesel and the remainder petroleum-based diesel.
There is also a slight loss, about 8 percent, in BTUs, Jorritsma said, noting that “most people don’t notice it.” Biodiesel still has more energy than gasoline. The decrease in BTUs results in slightly less horse power or slighty lower fuel mileage, depending on driving style, he said.
It takes about five hours of work to make one batch — no matter how large or small — of biodiesel.
For much of that time the process can be unattended, Jorritsma said. The investment in time is more than outweighed by the practicalities of making your own earth-friendly, engine-lubricating cost-effective fuel, Jorritsma opined.
“You almost get back as much biodiesel as you start with grease,” Jorritsma said, adding that the WVO is not costing him anything. Restaurants have to pay for disposal, and are generally glad to have someone haul it away for free.
Jorritsma chose to experiment with making his own fuel as a realistic, environmentally-friendly alternative to petroleum products.
After only several months of use, he is now ready to fully commit to using biodiesel.
“I’m trying to eliminate all of the gas vehicles and have them all diesel,” Jorritsma said of his future plans.
Making his own fuel has proven to be a wise investment for Jorritsma, in more ways than one.
“I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t good for the environment. I couldn’t do it if it wasn’t economical,” he said.