Using cooking oil as fuel

[Twinkle]

Here in the UK there are plenty of people trying to be greener by using cooking oil (new or used) in their vehicles. I know it is possible with a diesel rather than petrol engine, question is would you try it with your mower?

 

[TedBeal]

Don't you have to do something to it to process it before you can use it to power an engine? I didn't think you could just pour it straight from your deep fat fryer! How difficult is it to process, anyone know? We always have a load of oil left after we deep fry a chicken.

 

[carla6]

Wow. This is a really good question. What kind of cooking oil are you speaking about. Is it some kind of kerosine ? I've never heard of such as thing !

 

[173abn]

I saw a guy on tv from Lawrence ,Ks. running his beat up old Mercedes with used cooking oil,he would go to the various eatries in Lawrence and collect the oil.I think the only thing he did to it was run it through some cheesecloth to get the little bits of stuff out.He said the exhaust smelled kinda like popcorn.Don't think I'd do it on a new Benze. russ

 

[KennyV]

Yes you can run most diesel engines on vegie oil... fresh or used... but not during the winter without pre heating it while using it... it tends to gel and get too thick to pump.

My tractor and ZTR mower are both diesel so...
I mix bio diesel with regular petroleum diesel... It is the best lubricant additive you can use now that we have ultra low sulfur pump diesel... I try to keep it at least 5 percent bio, :smile:KennyV

 

[Mr.McGinty]

Wasn't there a TV show where a few people took a road trip in a car fuelled by cooking oil? I think they may have had to beg old stuff along the way. Is it any cheaper in the long run? It definitely seems to be one thing more of us could think of for the future, regardless of any cost saving.

 

[Mac 624]

They use plantoil. Sunflower, Rape or similar. Itｴs the kind of oil, You need to make french fries.

You have to install a preheater and some other features to a Diesel engine, to make it running by this kind of fuel. Gasserｴs will not work by using plantoil.

Ok...they name it vegetable oil:

ELSBETT Engine - Elsbett AG

 

[Harriet]

I think it would be excellent if you could. It would be excellent if restaurants and hospitals and such could make their used stuff available somehow. I wonder if it would be best to use Canola and Olive oil to keep your system clean (you, know, like keeping your arteries open....)!

 

[KennyV]

It would be excellent if restaurants and hospitals and such could make their used stuff available somehow.

Most all oil using places have collection services that make it around to collect used oils, it is then recycled...
The type is not so much a factor... it is filtered and processed to remove water and other undesirable contents... You then have WVO (waste vegetable oil) suitable for animal food, biodiesel and other uses...... :smile:KennyV

 

[AndyMan]

If you can use vegetable oil in a diesel engine, why would so many people still be using diesel fuel? That stuff is way pricey. Do you use it full strength, or add so much per gallon of diesel?