17 Jul 2006
Do-it-yourselfers turn diner grease into biodiesel fuel

Now this is an enterprising fellow - and he illustrates perfectly the correct way to approach biofuels. Not as a panacea, but as a component of a program to cut energy use and increase efficiency.

In his two-car garage, Kevin Newman is pouring used French fry oil from local restaurants into a pair of General Electric household water heaters - his version of the giant petroleum cracking towers found at an oil company refinery. He deftly moves hoses around, scrubs the impurities from the oil, performs chemical tests, and, voilą, a week later, he is filling-up his pickup truck with biodiesel. He figures his home refinery saves him and his business, which has six trucks, about $1.75 a gallon.

(link) [Christian Science Monitor ]

18:13 /Technology | 0 comments | permanent link