BioPro 190: At-Home Biodiesel Production

Toolmonger has discovered this killer biodiesel machine that's small enough to be used at home and runs on regular household 110-volt power. It costs $7,500 and requires you keep methanol and sulfuric acid on hard (and source oil, of course), but once you get it all cooking you can make up to fifty gallons of high-grade diesel every two days for less than a dollar a gallon.

Biodiesel for Dummies [Toolmonger]

[#1 posted by Anonymous , September 4, 2007 3:05 PM]

Fuel for a buck a gallon -- but don't forget that you still owe the feds 25 cents a gallon, and another quarter or so on average to your state, for excise taxes.

With diesel going for $3 or so at the pump, you might save $1 a gallon. So your $7500 investment pays back in 7500 gallons, maybe 5000. At typical fuel economy that's maybe 150K miles. Worth it?

And what will you do with the glycerin?

[#2 posted by Anonymous , September 4, 2007 9:38 PM]

make soap! or nitroglycerin.

[#3 posted by Anonymous , September 5, 2007 3:42 AM]

Take the glycerin, make soap wioth it and sell at local craft fayres. This will make the payback happen sooner than 5000 gallons.

And your calculations presume that people will actually pay all of the taxes which I would be surprised if everyone did (Don't break the law kids)

[#4 posted by ChuckyG , September 5, 2007 6:23 AM]

If you've got oil heat, I believe you would recoup your costs back even faster, and no worries about paying the government the taxes (since home heating fuel isn't taxed).

[#5 posted by Evan Rappaport , September 5, 2007 6:45 AM]

You need to add methanol, sulfuric acid, source oil and a catalyst? On top of that you have to plug this in to your house power? This thing can't run on it's own fuel? Sounds like alot of energy input just to get out bio fuel.

[#6 posted by Anonymous , September 7, 2007 1:18 PM]

I think you need to look at the regs. There is no tax for producing your own (i.e. not for resale) up to a certain amount per year (I think it is 3000 gals)per producer.

[#7 posted by Anonymous , September 14, 2007 4:16 PM]

Most older diesels (those with a mechanical pump) will run, like mine does, quite happily with 30% vegetable oil, 70% diesel.

You lose about 5-10% HP but it runs much smoother and you get less emissions, too.

Tell me again why you would bother with all the noxious chemicals?

If you add a simple heater to your fuel line (yes, it's safe, it doesn't get that hot) you can run on 90% veggie, even in a temperate winter.

Prius owners eat your hearts out!