> In all this discussion of biofuels, I haven't heard
> anyone mention that the current primary attractant to
> biodiesel for the appropriate consumer is that most of
> the feed stock (used fryer oil) is next to free.

That's only an extremely small part of the overall biodiesel 
initiative and forms essentially no part of the commercial 
justification for its use.

"The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant 
today but such oils may become, in the course of time, as important as 
petroleum and the coal-tar products of the present time."
                                                                       
              Rudolf Diesel, 1912.

In 2003 when I travelled through Europe I noticed biodiesel (usually 
95% petroleum based / 5% bio based) was available in many locations. 
As noted in the article below, Renault and Peugeot have certified 
truck engines for up to 30% content and suitably designed engines 
should run propely on 100% biodiesel.



                    Russell


______________

From:        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiesel

Throughout the 1990s, plants were opened in many European countries, 
including the Czech Republic, Germany and Sweden. France launched 
local production of biodiesel fuel (referred to as diester) from 
rapeseed oil, which is mixed into regular diesel fuel at a level of 
5%, and into the diesel fuel used by some captive fleets (e.g. public 
transportation) at a level of 30%. Renault, Peugeot and other 
manufacturers have certified truck engines for use with up to that 
level of partial biodiesel; experiments with 50% biodiesel are 
underway. During the same period, nations in other parts of world also 
saw local production of biodiesel starting up: by 1998 the Austrian 
Biofuels Institute had identified 21 countries with commercial 
biodiesel projects.



As I
> see it, biodiesel's attraction is that it converts
> somebody else's trash/disposal problem into cheap
> energy, not that it might effectively supplant our
> current gasoline/diesel consumption.
>
> .....
>
> It would be interesting to calculate how much land
> area would be required to produce half of the US's
> fuel consumption in the form of biodiesel.
>
> .....
>
> Using vacuum distillation, could you simultaneously
> brew/distill your mash to allow the yeast therein to
> consume all of the mash's sugar without achieving
> toxic levels of alcohol in the mash?  It would be a
> shitty way to make beer, but maybe an efficient way to
> brew ethanol.
>
>
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