In Biodiesel fuel, what are the key differences among SVO, B100, and B20?

Question

Mainly, I want to know things like:
Do I have to buy/make an extra fuel tank/ engine conversion? How much will that cost?
Are there engines that can run two of the above or all three?
What steps do I have to take to obtain the fuel (I live in Sacramento)? How much will the fuel cost? Will I be saving money, or just the environment?
How much pollution do any of these fuels create?

Answer 1

This is not a simple question. As the state of California is now investigating with its Low Carbon Fuel Standard, you must look at the lifecycle GHG impact of a fuel. It's a work in progress, although you can get an insight into what they've found at www.arb.ca.gov. Search for the LCFS as spelled above.

SVO is straight vegetable oil while B100 and B20 indicated the percentage of biodiesel mixed in the diesel fuel. Not all diesel engines can run on any of these fuels. Pre-1994 engines have issues with high percentage biodiesel fuel affected hoses, seals, etc. The big problem with these fuels is the lack of a consistent national standard for quality, combined with the fact that you're dealing with an organic product that can change its composition over time--not something that you necessarily want in a combustion engine. That's why no diesel engine manufacturer will warranty a current engine for B100 and most are wary of B20 (Dodge will warranty its Ram pickup engines only if the military spec B20 is used). Most manufacturers are comfortable with B5 at present but still would like stronger specifications.

That's a quick overview. I'd contact your local biodiesel folks in Sacramento. Google "biodiesel Sacramento." They will undoubtedly give you a more upbeat appraisal of the fuel's prospect, but should also include some of the warnings mentioned above.

Another aspect to consider is the criteria pollutant impact of biodiesel. According to some studies, high concentrations of biodiesel increase the NOx emissions of your vehicle, which increases smog-forming pollution.

Michael Coates
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Answer 2

B100 is 100% biodiesel. SVO is straight vegetable oil. B20 is a mixture of 20% biodiesel and 80% regular petrodiesel. B100 will gel at low temperatures while B20 does not need any treatment in addition to what is already taken with petrodiesel.