>To: biofuels-biz@yahoogroups.com >From: Keith Addison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 13:47:53 +0900 >Subject: Re: [biofuels-biz] Fuel Quality Test for Small Producers > >Hello Jim > > >Keith & Randall: > > > >There are several good reasons for testing per D 6751: > >Only if you're producing for sale. If you're producing for your own >use there's no need, no point, and it's expensive. There are other >ways of ensuring and testing quality for home-producers. That's why I >asked Randall whether he was selling or not. Please don't tell >homebrewers they need ASTM D6751 testing, they don't unless they're >selling, which most don't do, and even then it's only needed for >on-road use. > > >1. Product liability. If you do not test, some guy will sue you > >for the cost of rebuilding his diesel because you sold him "bad > >fuel". Not testing is not worth the risk. > >2. No commercial company and very few private persons will buy your > >fuel unless it has met D6751. Your market for untested fuel would > >be quite small. > >Legally, I think, it would be zero. > > >3. If a bunch of small commercial and home brewers sell their > >untested biodiesel and some or much of it is bad, biodiesel will get > >a bad rap and this misuse of the technology will hurt the entire > >biodiesel industry. > >That's the mythology, yes, especially among the industry folks, >complete with apocryphal tales that turn out to be just that - >mythology, without substance. Graham Noyes, now VP-Sales of World >Energy, a member of both our lists, said this in one of his early >postings here: > > >The big fear of the biodiesel industry is that homebrewers > >are going to destroy the market. I have seen home-brewed biodiesel > >cause problems in multiple locations and it has taken significant > >efforts to undo the damage. One region of the country in particular > >had large quantities of homegrown off-spec fuel that was being sold > >and distributed. The use of biodiesel was substantially delayed in > >this area until trust for the fuel was re-established. The biodiesel > >industry has gone to major efforts and expenditure to make progress > >with the engine manufacturers and to establish the ASTM standard. > >Frankly, I don't know what percentage of homegrown fuel is in spec > >but I do read about a lot of goo being produced. Everytime off spec > >fuel causes a problem, it causes a problem for everyone. > >Graham subsequently withdrew that statement, after he was put under >considerable pressure to substantiate it and couldn't. He then >admitted he knew of no instance of homebrew causing problems. I think >there's a good chance that "industry" (with some or many exceptions) >still believes this BS, and propagates it. Graham earned our respect >by showing himself capable of coming off it and changing his tune >when he learnt better. Other industry people might not be so capable >of that. > >So please be careful about promoting this myth. Of course promote >quality, we all do that (except some of us), but this isn't the best >reason for it. In fact, ironically, it's not small commercial and >home brewers selling untested biodiesel but the biodiesel industry >itself that's been found distributing sub-spec fuel and causing >problems, with several quite recent cases in California and elsewhere >which the industry should perhaps have seen coming and been able to >prevent. > >See: >http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?view=25291&list=BIOFUEL >Bad quality at World Energy? what's that again about >"Now what's that again about homebrewers, quality, and out-of-spec fuel, >and the quality control standards that only industry can provide??" > >http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?view=2888&list=BIOFUELS-BIZ >Re: even more shady quality control in commercial biodiesel > > >4. The test profile is there for a reason -- you do not truly have > >biodiesel unless it passes the test. You may have a compound which > >will burn, but to mis-lable it as "biodiesel" would be illegal. > >Civil liability could follow. > >It's easy to make standard-quality fuel, no excuse not to, >homebrewers very much included. > > >5. EPA requires the test in order to use in most air quality > >control districts and in non-attainment areas. Use of mis-branded > >(untested) biofuel could lead to civil prosecution, criminal > >prosecution and fines of up to $10,000 per incident. California > >requires certification of diesel fuel for use in California. Other > >states are likely to follow. > >6. I am told (but cannot prove) that US Department of > >Transportation has a certification requirment for motor carriers > >using diesel. I am trying to research this issue, but so far it has > >eluded me. Any help out there will be appreciated. > >What we know follows the work done on this forum and by forum members >following the "EPA hassle", where small producers were required to >pay exorbitant fees of various kinds for access to the National >Biodiesel Board's Health Effects Data under the EPA's Clean Air Act >before they could register as fuel producers. This hassle has been >resolved, though AFAIK it still needs a test case (upcoming) - small >producers no longer have to pay those fees, BUT they do have to >produce attested ASTM D6751 standard quality fuel. For more detail, >see this previous message: >http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?view=27488&list=BIOFUEL > >There's also the matter of taxes, federal and state. > >Jim, if/when you find out more about these issues you've mentioned, >please let the list know. > > >Thanks to this forum and its participants for keeping this issue alive. > >Indeed yes, thanks to all, and to you Jim. > >Best wishes > >Keith > > >Jim Miller > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > >Keith Addison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > >Greetings, > > > > > >I would appreciate learning if there is a fairly simple and affordable > > >Fuel Quality test system for the home producer of biodiesel. > > > > > >Randal Son > > >"Resist Convenience" > > > >Greetings Randall > > > >Why do you need to test it? Sorry - the title says for Small > >Producers, which often means small commercial producer, for sale, but > >you also say for the home producer, which usually means for own use. > >(And Biofuels-biz is a business-oriented list, supposedly.) If you're > >producing for sale the fuel will have to meet the standard quality > >specs, ASTM D-6751 in the US, according to established test > >procedures, as Todd explained in his reply to Chris. > >http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?view=3762&list=biofuels-biz > > > >But if you're producing for your own use and just want to be assured > >that it's good fuel you're putting in your motor, there are some > >tests here: > >http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_vehicle.html#quality > >Quality testing > > > >Two really useful quick tests are what Todd calls the "Frog in a > >Blender" method (DON'T ask him why he calls it that!! LOL!) and > >reprocessing. Todd describes the reprocessing test at the "Quality > >testing" link above. It tests the conversion rate - if the > >reprocessing produces any more glycerine then it's not quality fuel > >and your processing needs improvement. > > > >For the "Frog in a Blender" method, put 150 ml of your biodiesel in a > >half-litre glass jar, add 150 ml of water (preferably distilled water > >if you have it, or just tap water if not), screw the lid on tight, > >and shake it up and down violently for 10 seconds or more. Then let > >it settle. The biodiesel should separate from the water within half > >an hour. If it turns into mayonaisse and won't separate, or if it > >only separates very slowly, with a thick white layer sandwiched > >between water and biodiesel, again, it's not quality fuel and your > >process needs improvement. This test can be used with either washed > >or unwashed fuel - with unwashed fuel it should separate just as > >quickly but the water will be white, not clear, the biodiesel also > >won't be clear, and there might be a thin white layer between the two. > > > >Anyway, if you're an own-use homebrewer you'd be better off at the > >Biofuel list than Biofuels-biz. > > > >Best > > > >Keith
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