Derecho, Edjierson John Ongbit

2013-41509

Section THY

Individual Project

Used Cooking Oil-Powered Cars

The disposal of cooking oils had been a big problem in the society and is still so until today. Some people just dispose their used cooking oils on bodies of water and some just dumped these used oil in their sinks which could result to blockage. Oil could affect the oxygenation process of water if it is dispose to bodies of water and this could harm the organisms that are living in that specific body of water. Because of the problem on improper waste management, a magnificent solution was developed. Science was able to create cars and other engines that are able to burn cooking oils, especially vegetable oils. And this is what we called as biodiesel.

Biodiesel is the fuel that is derived not only from vegetable oils and can also be from animal fats. The vegetable oil that will be used to make the biodiesel, is of course, needs to be processed first. You do not just pour the oil right into your tank immediately. Just like the diesel, biodiesel performs just the same as the diesel. The use of biodiesel has many advantages, however it also has some disadvantages.

Biodiesel has many advantages. First, biodiesel is made from renewable resources and it also does not emit and contain harmful substance which is found on gasoline and diesel thus making it safer to use and more friendly to the environment. Second, this biodiesel has a lubricating property which prolongs the lifetime of the engine thus making it more practical to use. Third, biodiesel could lessen the surplus of the excessive production of soybeans because biodiesel can be manufactured from these soybeans.  The use of biodiesel is an efficient way to help the world from the environmental problems it is currently facing.

There are several disadvantages of biodiesel. First, production of biodiesel is not really great so it more expensive compared to gasoline and diesel. So it is usually the people belonging to the upper middleclass that can afford the said fuel. The high price set is still reasonable though. Second, diesel freezes and gels at cold weather. Biodiesel also gels during cold weather and could result for the biodiesel to be unpumpable. To make the fuel pumpable again, it needs to be at a temperature above the gel point. The disadvantage of this to biodiesel is that biodiesel has no specific temperature to gel, it depends on what was used to make it, so the user must always be aware what was used to create the oil. Third, it contains lower fuel power. It is not really wise to buy such product sold at high prices with low fuel economy. There are still other disadvantages about this biodiesel, all things that are created for the good mankind has its own bad side.

The discovery of this new technology may lead to a more progressive future. Wastes of cooking is really hard to get rid of and most of them are not properly disposed, so this new technology will try eliminate this problem. If ever in the future, all the cars are powered by this kind of fuel, the emission of carbon dioxide will be reduced temporarily. The biodiesel is a good option in slowing greenhouse gas emission and global warming.

Works Cited

Ambalkar, Lavanya, 2010. The Disadvantages of Biodiesel. Bhopal,Madhya Pradesh,India. http://www.biodiesel-energy-revolution.com/disadvantages-of-biodiesel.html. February 12, 2014.

anonymous author, 2010. Biodiesel, the Cleaner Choice. Las Vegas, USA. http://www.biodieseloflasvegas.com/biodiesel-benefits.aspx. February 12, 2014.

anonymous author, 2006. Advantages of Biodiesel Fuel for Transportation, posted in Biodiesel, Biofuel, Public Transit, Transportation. USA. http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/advantages-biodiesel-fuel-transportation/. February 12, 2014

anonymous author, 2014. Your Ultimate Bio-Diesel Guide. http://www.berkeleybiodiesel.org/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-biodiesel.html. February 10, 2014

anonymous author,  n.d. Fossil Fuels, Ethanol, and Biodiesel. Michigan, USA.           http://sitemaker.umich.edu/section7group6/conclusions. February 19, 2014.

anonymous author, n.d. Biodiesel. USA. http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/biodiesel.shtml. February 13, 2014.