Veggiecar123 polution concerns
QUESTION:
Hi Larry, It's great that you can run your car on used veggie oil, but I have to say that I was in your neighborhood walking the other day and you drove past me. I have a real problem with your car because of the smoke and the smell were enough to gag me, I can't see this helping our planet with respect to the air and smell polution that comes from that car. Sorry but you need to fix the polution problem. Jim
POSTED BY JIM :: FLORIDA USA :: 10/20/2008 11:53 AM
LARRY'S ANSWER:
Thanks for your comment about pollution.
I am working to reduce the smoke from the vehicle by using a new filtration system for the oil.
That said, older diesels do put out more visible smoke than gasoline cars. The smoke from a veggie oil powered car is much less toxic than diesel fuel exhaust. The white smoke mainly comes minute particles of water suspended in the oil. So what you are seeing is mostly steam.
Since you saw me driving on my street, it was probably right after starting up the car, when there is the most smoke. This is not the amount of smoke produced after the engine is fully warmed up.
There are studies that indicate that vegetable oil exhaust is cleaner than diesel fuel because it contributes no sulfur as diesel fuel does, so it doesn't contribute to acid rain. There is a great article on comparisons of emissions at Greasecar: Emissions Comparison
The exhaust from gasoline and diesel powered cars smell a lot worse than vegetable oil exhaust! At least to me.
It's not perfect, but it is a new system and certainly seems better to me than the petroleum system, which has had 100 years to control their pollution.
Any kind of combustion is going to produce by-products. At least vegetable oil is starting with a nontoxic fuel.
Larry