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Re: [RC] Biodiesel, numbers - April Allison

http://www.biodiesel.org/resources/fuelfactsheets/
everything you ever wanted to know about biodiesel
----- Original Message -----
From: "Truman Prevatt" <tprevatt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "April Allison" <aallison1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, April 07, 2006 8:02 PM
Subject: Re: [RC] Biodiesel, numbers


Counting the energy that goes into the production and transportation of
fertilizer required to grow the beans? Fertilizer is very energy
intensive to produce. I suspect it will be a long time before we have a
complete picture of the cost.

Truman

April Allison wrote:

Lots of numbers are already in. And they are in favor of Biodiesel.
Thousands of acers in the midwest are lying fallow. There would be no
problem with keeping up with production. I may live in MS now, but I grew
up
in IL practically in the department of agriculture offices.
April
Byhalia


The National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that B-100 has a net
energy
gain of 220% over inputs.  Petroleum diesel (similar to #2 heating oil),
has
a net energy loss of 17%.  Therefore, a B-20 blend has net energy ratio
of
2%.*  Another study by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance found that
the
ratio for B-100 can be as high as 251%.**  A study by the United States
Departments of Energy and Agriculture found a 3.2 to 1 positive life
cycle
energy balance, beginning with bare ground and counting all inputs for
growing, harvesting, processing and transportation.


*"An overview of Biodiesel and Petroleum Diesel Life Cycles," NREL, May
1998**"How Much Energy Does It Take to Make a Gallon of Soydiesel", by I.
Ahmed, J. Decker, D. Morris.  Institute of Local-Self Reliance,
Washington
DC, January 1994.







I don't think the environment impact of commercial biodiesel has been
fully analyzed. For to plant enough beans to make much a dent in would
require a large amount of fuel to plant and harvest. If the energy
required to plant, fertilize, spray for bugs, etc. and then harvest and
process the beans into biodiesel is less than is available in the fuel
then there is a net gain to the environment. Factored into that has to
be the impact of weather on crop yield a bad year it will take a lot
more gallons of fuel to produce a gallon of biodiesel than a good year.
If it takes more energy to produce biodiesel then the environmental
impact (at least for greenhouse gases) would be a negative.

At some point we will see the numbers - all the numbers but as of yet
I've not seen anyplace that where the full analysis has been done.

Truman






--

"Mathematics may be defined as the subject in which we never know what
we are talking about, nor whether what we are saying is true."  -
Bertrand Russell




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--

"Mathematics may be defined as the subject in which we never know what
we are talking about, nor whether what we are saying is true."  -
Bertrand Russell




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Replies
Re: [RC] Biodiesel, Zephyr Arabians
Re: [RC] Biodiesel, Truman Prevatt
Re: [RC] Biodiesel, numbers, April Allison
Re: [RC] Biodiesel, numbers, Truman Prevatt