Please respond to biofuel@yahoogroups.com
To: biofuel@yahoogroups.com
cc: (bcc: Joseph Martelle/US/GM/GMC)
Subject: [biofuel] Economy of Scale-or-Smaller is Better...Maybe
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I've had the pleasure of reading along with all of you for a number
of months and believe now I can add something useful. Feel free to
toss a cabbage if you don't agree. :-)
I'm making small batches (3gallon) of biodiesel as I learn the
processes involved. I'm slowly gearing up to produce at least the 20
gallons per month I burn in my VW Passat TDI. I'd like very much,
tho, to begin a much larger processing operation and retail sale.
The comment: There are a number of Volkswagen Diesel enthusiasts
that are buying commercially-produced biodiesel. These folks are the
type that go out of their way for the best fuel, the highest cetane,
etc. to burn in their 'babies'. Those that live near a production
facility are happy to pay a premium for a better, cleaner fuel, and
that it's green is all the better. All the other folks that want the
fuel can't afford to have quantities of it shipped across the country.
An example: A Portland, Oregon manufacturer sells fuel for $1.50
per gallon (US) in 55 gallon drums. It costs approximately $180 per
drum to ship to Michigan. Now the fuel costs $5.10 per gallon.
So...drive out and buy 10 drums and drive them back home. Just adding
the price of fuel to make the trip (in other words, free driver and no
'32 cents per mile' to cover expenses for the vehicle) brings the
price up to $2.50 per gallon. These rough numbers do not figure in
sales taxes, road use taxes, fees incurred shipping motor fuel across
state lines, etc.
Distributed processing seems to be the way to go. Every town that
has a couple of fast food stores and a Krispy Creme donut shop could
support small-scale production and sell biodiesel in large lots for
fuel, small lots as a lubricity additive.
It seems that, just as centralized computing went out the window in
the past, and commercial power has to move to decentralized production
in the present, that the small decentralized biodiesel processing
plant would be the most cost effective, commercially viable model.
Bring on those cabbages!
Andy
~~~~Michigander eh? Me too and there is a Krispy kreme about a mile and a half
from me. I joined the list a couple of weeks ago and find this very interesting.
I drive a Chevy Suburban w/ a 6.2 L diesel. Have not tried to make BioD yet, but
am working on it. I've gotten 2, 55 gallon drums for storage (MeOH, WVO, and/or
BioD, but they are poly-propylene, so they will not be used as a reaction
vessel, but hey, they were free!). I've contacted a propane supply company about
getting some old propane cylinders (that can't be filled any longer) and he said
come and pick them up, and I can have them. A 100 pound cyl. is about 30 gallons
(US, for all you metricians out there) and a 200 pound cyl. is a bit more than
60 gallons. There is a valve on top and a round collar but if you turn it over
and cut off the bottom, then you've got a nice reaction vessel w/ a drain
already in the lowest part of the bottom. Let me know how you are doing. I'm a
bit concerned about cold weather gelling of BioD, but am thinking of mixing w/
kero or DinoD for the winter months. I would also like to market it as well.
Contact me off list if you would like. Joe
Biofuel at Journey to Forever:
http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html
Please do NOT send "unsubscribe" messages to the list address.
To unsubscribe, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Biofuel at Journey to Forever:
http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html
Please do NOT send "unsubscribe" messages to the list address.
To unsubscribe, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
