Rudolph Diesel in known for the engine that bears his name. The diesel engine had no spark plugs, used less fuel than petrol engines and was designed to run on vegetable oil diesel. However, petroleum was cheaper than oil made from plants, and so the diesel engine was developed to run on diesel fuel.
In a speech to British manufacturers in 1912, Diesel made it clear that he believed the time may come when vegetable oil sources of fuel might one day become as important as petroleum products.
Throughout the 20th century, there was some interest in vegetable oil diesel by car enthusiasts, who experimented with the fuel. There was also official research carried out, but mainly in response to petroleum shorages at the time. Throughout this time, biodiesel was usually preferred because it could be used without any modifications to the engine.
Used or waste vegetable oil is fairly easily available and is the most-used vegetable oil for diesel fuel. This waste oil can be collected from restaurants, food processing plants and food stores after it has been used to cook food. New or straight oils are harder to come by in sufficiently large quantitiies.
The most commonly used plant for vegetable oil diesel is the rapeseed, also called canola. There is research into using sunflower oil because of its lower freezing point. There are island nations in the South Pacific that use coconut oil diesel fuel, because of the ready availability of coconuts and the desire to be independent of the oil-rich countries. Coconut oil only works in warmer temperatures; above 17 degrees Celsius.
Vegetable oil diesel is not without its problems. Because of its thickness or viscosity, it may cause damage to the engine, especially in colder climates. Engine conversions and kits are available to make it possible to use the fuel safely and efficiently, and blends of regular diesel and vegetable oil diesel are also used.
The response from government, on the subject, varies from country to country. Some governements allow the fuel to be used, other have legislated against it, some have formal trials operating but there seems to be more concern over lost revenue in fuel taxes than in the fuel itself.
There continue to be many issues to be resolved before vegetable oil diesel becomes a common fuel, including availability of supply and a united approach to making the oil more suitable for diesel engines.
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