Good news for us northerners. Link.
Protect Soy Biodiesel In Winter Months
12/4/2007
As the holiday season approaches and the mercury starts falling in
thermometers across the country, taking precautions to ensure your
biodiesel fuel is protected is a smart move. Just like petroleum
diesel, biodiesel will gel in very cold temperatures. That's why the
soybean checkoff works with the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) to
determine best management practices for biodiesel in cold weather.
Blends of B2 to B20 (2 percent biodiesel to 20 percent biodiesel) can
be used successfully all year -even in the coldest of climates. Take
similar precautions and fuel-management techniques you would with
petroleum diesel. These include blending with kerosene, using block and
filter heaters and storing vehicles indoors. It is best to purchase
biodiesel pre-blended from your petroleum distributor rather than
trying to implement these techniques on the farm.
"Soy biodiesel is a great fuel in any weather," says Chuck Myers,
United Soybean Board (USB) Domestic Marketing chair and a soybean
farmer from Lyons, Neb. "As with petroleum diesel, you just have to
take precautions in extreme winter conditions to make sure biodiesel
continues to perform at the level you have come to expect from soy
biodiesel."
While some fuel additive suppliers claim to have products that work
with biodiesel, it is more likely that these products impact generic
diesel's or heating oil’s cold flow characteristics and not neat
biodiesel's, but NBB is overseeing checkoff-funded research on
additives that will help improve the cold flow properties of neat
biodiesel.
To manage winter challenges, it is important to know how the cold
affects biodiesel. On average, a 20 percent blend of biodiesel will
impact the finished fuel's cold-weather operational temperatures by 2
degrees F to 10 degrees F. B20 blends have enjoyed a successful track
record nationwide when these instructions have been followed.
Petroleum distributors should store B100 blends at temperatures at
least 5 degrees F to 10 degrees F higher than the cloud point. Storage
temperatures of 45 degrees F to 50 degrees F are acceptable for most
B100, although some B100 fuels may require higher storage temperatures.
Most underground storage facilities are adequate, but above-ground fuel
systems should be protected with insulation, agitation, heating systems
or other methods depending on the climate. These precautions should
also be taken with piping, tanks, pumping equipment, vehicles or any
other equipment used for transport.
"If you follow the recommended storage and handling procedure during
the winter months, you should be able to realize the benefits of using
soy biodiesel, like increased lubricity and reduced emissions," says
Myers. "The bottom line is if you take care of your biodiesel, it will
take care of you, even in harsh winter conditions."
To read what cold weather users have to say, and for handling and use guidelines, visit www.biodiesel.org. For more information on how the soybean checkoff is supporting biodiesel efforts, visit the "Farmers" link at www.unitedsoybean.org.
USB is made up of 68 farmer-directors who oversee the investments of
the soybean checkoff on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers. Checkoff
funds are invested in the areas of animal utilization, human
utilization, industrial utilization, industry relations, market access
and supply. As stipulated in the Soybean Promotion, Research and
Consumer Information Act, USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service has
oversight responsibilities for USB and the soybean checkoff.
