brian eiland
Guru
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2013
- Messages
- 930
- Location
- USA & Thailand
- Vessel Name
- RunningTide
- Vessel Make
- 37 Louisiane catamaran
I just did a search for this subject and ran across an interesting discussion thread over here,...BUT it had been closed ??, so I needed to start a new one.
...from that other thread
http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s3/biodiesel-fuel-7089.html
I've seen several references to the aircraft industry seeking out a 'biofuel' resource for fueling their planes. Here is one of the latest I've run across.
A question arise in my mind Are there enough similarities between this aviation biofuel and biodiesel fuel that it could be utilized in our yachts??
Brian
...from that other thread
http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s3/biodiesel-fuel-7089.html
Marin said:Biodiesel use is on a rapid rise in China. There it is made from feedstocks that don't compete with food in terms of land, crops, or water. Their goal is to have all commercial aircraft in China flying on sustainable biofuel by the year 2030 and a good percentage of their trucks and diesel farm equipment run on biodiesel today.
Conversely, after a burst of interest in biofuel in the Puget Sound area the interest seems to have died away. There are people who " cook" their own for their own use but any efforts at large-scale production seem to have faded away. I've never met a boater who used it.
A friend bought a VW made for biodiesel and ran it that way for awhile. But biodiesel at the time was more expensive than other fuels and the places he could get it were few and a long ways away. So after a few months he gave up and switched to regular diesel.
In terms of commercial production the objectives in places like China, the Middle East, Australia, etc. seem to be near term feedstocks being trees like jatropha and soapberry as well as used cooking oil. The long term solution is algae.
I've seen several references to the aircraft industry seeking out a 'biofuel' resource for fueling their planes. Here is one of the latest I've run across.
...making use of desert areas and salt water....WOWDesert plants to be put to the test for aviation biofuel production.
A discovery by the Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SRBC) that desert plants fed by seawater can produce biofuel more efficiently than other well-known feedstocks could help alleviate such concerns......
Desert plants to be put to the test for aviation biofuel production
A question arise in my mind Are there enough similarities between this aviation biofuel and biodiesel fuel that it could be utilized in our yachts??
Brian