I’ve been starting to think about what I’ll need to make running waste vegetable oil work. I figured having some decent-sized tanks would be handy in case I happen to find a restaurant that has more oil to give away than my car’s tank can hold. Dave found a great deal on craigslist for once-used metal 55-gallon barrels with bungs for $5 each.
I figure I’ll have one to store ready-to-go, filtered oil in, one as a bulk storage, and two I can haul to sites to collect large amounts of oil in as needed.
I need to find a decent pump and filter setup now.
When your fuel conversion project fails, we can use these barrels out on the paintball field.
On a semi-related subject, Time had an article in which they explained how bio-fuels were actually causing global warming to accelerate. Apparently, now that GM and other makers have made cars running on bio-fuels a reality, it has driven the price of corn and soy beans up to the point that it is finally cost-efficient to cut down all those pesky trees in the rain forests of South America to make room for crop fields. Way to go tree-huggers!!
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1725975,00.html
Jonathan, you suck.
Matt, I’ve heard the same things… but keep in mind that I’m going to use 100% waste product… stuff that has already been used for it’s purpose!
I agree ethanol isn’t the answer to our energy problem. Solar, wind, water flow, might be though.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not being critical of your project. I’d like to see it work, personally. I’m just pointing out that even alternative fuels can have a negative side to them. Re-using waste materials is much better than creating an entirely new form of fuel from virgin products (for those not from manufacturing, the use of ‘virgin’ in this context refers to a material that has never been recycled before; it is not referring to the unsexed state of Brian’s cat prior to Dave Fowler’s first visit to the Gallimore house).
HEhehe. I’m amused at the hybrid car drivers, feeling all good about themselves for being green. Those batteries wear out after a few years, so that adds to the environmental impact, plus having a car with two drive systems means more energy and materials went into making it.
If I told you how much fuel I use driving back and forth to work, you would hate me… but that will change soon.
We should all ride bicycles to work I guess.