(bigwords.com is converting a 60 foot long diesel powered metro bus to run on vegetable oil in one week, and we're writing about the experience)
Monday 9/13/04: An interview with Joel Woolf
Yesterday morning, we had a chance to talk to Joel for a few minutes while he was on his way from the welder's to the marina. He's a really interesting guy, or shall I say character, who is doing some cutting edge stuff with some very basic technology.
BIGWORDS: Joel, what got you interested in vegetable oil power in the first place?
JW: It's like this. I'm a diesel mechanic. I've been doing this for 10 years. About a year or so ago, my wife and I took the RV cross country, and we were paying $2.68 a gallon! It made me sick. Then I'm doing a presentation for a local elementary school about diesel fuel, and I did some research, and found out that Rudolph Diesel designed the diesel engine to run on peanut oil. I was floored. I went out to my truck and poured a bottle of Wessen into it, and was jumping up and down like a maniac screaming "It works! It works!" I felt like I had re-invented the wheel.
So then I went home, and got on the Internet, 'cuz I figured if I was doing it somebody else was, and that's when I hooked up with this other company (he didn't mention the name -ed.). And they're really good at mercedes. I mean they know that motor inside and out. But I'm a big-engine guy. That's my specialty.
My mom told me that maybe I couldn't change the whole world, but I could definitely concentrate on one the thing that I could make better.
BIGWORDS: Joel, to the best of your knowledge, has anybody ever converted a double long articulated metro bus to run on vegetable oil?
JW: Boys, I think we're making history here. Oh, man, you guys are going to be so happy. You don't even know what you've got here. This engine was actually built in the same plant that Rudolph Diesel built his engines. If I could pick an engine to convert, this would be it.
BIGWORDS: So what's the difference between biodiesel and vegetable oil?
JW: They add lye and ethanol to vegetable oil in the biodiesel refining process, for one thing. Another is that a lot of so-called biodiesel vehicles run what's called B20, which is 20% vegetable oil and 80% diesel.
BIGWORDS: Does it run clean? I mean, will it screw up the engine?
Naw. This stuff runs clean! If you get a bad batch, or if you put some really low CTANE veg in there, there might be some buildup. But that's why you still have the other gas tank with diesel in it. Basically, what I tell my customers is this: If you notice any strangeness in the way the motor is running, switch it over to diesel, and run for 15 or 20 miles. The diesel will burn off whatever buildup or residue you might have. But basically, as long as you use good, filtered vegetable oil, it runs great.
BIGWORDS: I'm still not totally clear... What exactly are your going to do to this bus?
JW: OK, here's the system. Diesel engines will burn vegetable oil. The only issue is that you have to heat the oil, OK? You can't just put cold vegetable oil into the engine, or it won't burn. So what we do, which is so simple and effective, is we put in a new fuel tank, and we're going to weld a heater in the tank, and we run the coolant lines through the tank, too. So the engine heats the oil using the coolant lines. The oil will run about 160 degrees, since that's what the temperature of the water in the radiator will be.
BIGWORDS: So can we use any kind of vegetable oil, or are some kinds better?
JW: Oh, some kinds have more CTANE - that's like octane in diesel terms. So, peanut and palm are really good, and corn is fine, too. Linseed oil can't be used, however.
BIGWORDS: Where do we get it?
Restaurants have to pay to get rid of vegetable oil, just like you have to pay to get rid of motor oil. So a lot of restaurants are happy to just give it away. This is a whole new industry that we're trying to create. There are several companies that sell waste vegetable oil, too.
BIGWORDS: And can we put any old used veggie oil in there, or do you have some recommendations?
JW: You don't want to use grease from places that hardly ever switch out their grease. See, the problem is, like fast food restaurants... They add vegetable shortening, which is hydrogenated vegetable oil which is toxic to both humans and diesel engines, to the oil to keep it going. That stuff will burn in the engine when the oil is really hot, but it separates out and hardens up when the oil is cold, so it'll screw up your motor. You want to get used vegetable oil, but not so used that it's all used up. And you want to filter it before you put it in the tank. This system has fuel filters, but you'll get 300 to 500 gallons per filter if you do it right, and 10 gallons if you put in that hydrogenated, gunky oil.
BIGWORDS: All right Joel! Thanks so much for talking to us. Would it be OK if we put your name and number on the site, so people can contact you if they want to do a conversion?
JW: I'd be honored.
Joel Woolf
Veg Powered Systems, Inc.
Ojai, CA
805-525-4515
805-391-0315
http://www.vegpoweredsystems.com/ (under construction)
(If you'd like to talk to us at BIGWORDS about our experience, call Jeff at 410-267-6434)