Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2002 01:00:17 -0400
Reply-To: Wade Shen <swade@UMIACS.UMD.EDU>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Wade Shen <swade@UMIACS.UMD.EDU>
Subject: Re: Turbo Diesel Power and Economy - global efficiency Q?
In-Reply-To: <AIEFIGCNNANNIHLNFBPEEEIHGIAA.vanagon@volkswagen.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
I think the problem with bio-diesel has been one of production capacity,
although I'm not sure about this. The questions to ask are:
1) How many arable acres of land would be required to supply the
required canola/corn? Assume that recycling fry oil isn't enough.
2) What would the scaled cost per gallon of bio-diesel be if it were
mass produced?
3) What effect (economically) would the production of bio-diesel have on
the cost of corn/canola/seed oil-based products?
It would be interesting to know if bio-diesel if feasible on a large
scale. I've heard humors that there are places in the bay area where
you can gas up with treated, recycled fry grease, I've never seen it.
wade
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
Of David Marshall
Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2002 12:17 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Turbo Diesel Power and Economy - global efficiency Q?
I have been doing some reading on this very subject for quite a while as
the Diesel bug has bitten me very hard this year. I have a 1.6TD Golf
and a 1.9TD Syncro 16 Multivan - both have given me a lot of trouble
free and inexpensive operation.
I live in a town where they cut down trees to make a living and every
third vehicle on the road is a heavy truck of some sort that has a BIG
turbo Diesel motor that belches out the black smoke when they are under
load. Local air pollution in Quesnel is quite high and since I have
moved here in 1992 my breathing health is not as good as it used to be.
Seeing how Canada has signed the Kyoto Accord (and the USA didn't) we
are supposed to reduce our green house gas emissions by x% by such and
such a date (still learning about this stuff). I'm doing my part by
switching to Diesel powered vehicles and getting set up for Bio-Diesel
production (more on that later). Based on the EPAs findings the TD /
TDI is a great solution to reducing our GHGs by producing almost 50% as
compared to an equivalent gasoline engine. As you pointed out the
particulate (soot) levels of a Diesel motor (not JUST the TDI as most
other gas engined car manufactures want you to think) is almost 6 times
of that of an equivalent gasoline motor (1.9 Turbo Diesel vs 2.0
Gasoline) - These figures are true *IF* you use petroleum based Diesel
fuel. If you use Bio-Diesel (canola or soya based) the levels of soot
drop considerably and the particles that are released are not not toxic
and will biodegrade in about 30 days. Why are we still subsidising our
western farmers to grow wheat that mostly gets shipped to another
country where it usually goes to waste? Why not put that same money
into developing canola production and bio-Diesel production instead?
This way we keep our population employed, mobile and healthy. At the
same time we keeping our environment cleaner and healthier too. We also
lessen our dependency on oil from the Middle East and keep our money
locally to benefit everyone.
Just a thought!
1985 Golf 1.6TD soon to be intercooled
1986 Syncro 16 Multivan 1.9TD
1988 Syncro Double Cab 2.0 Gasoline - soon to be TDI
David Marshall
Fast Forward Automotive Inc.
4356 Quesnel Hixon Road
Quesnel BC Canada V2J 6Z3
http://www.fastforward.ca mailto:sales@fastforward.ca
Phone: (250) 992 7775 FAX: (250) 992 1160
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