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  • From: Don Bowen <don.bowen AT earthlink.net>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] gas prices
  • Date: Wed, 06 Jun 2007 09:03:35 -0700

At 6/6/2007, you wrote:

Soybeans 48 gal/acre
Sunflowers 102 gal/acre
Peanuts 113 gal/acre
Rapeseed 127 gal/acre
Avocado 282 gal/acre
Florida Aspen 689 gal/acre

Subtract from the above the energy cost of production (tilling, planting,
fertilizing, harvesting, and processing). To make bio Diesel you need to
add the costs of production of about 10% methanol. Methanol in the best
facilities returns about 15-20% over the energy invested. BioDiesel from
Soybeans costs about $2-3 a gallon in facilities of 3M gallons or less. In
larger facilities the cost can be driven down to well under $1.

I did a little more research into the oil process because I did not really know how it worked. As it turns out it is an energy intensive process. This is not to say that a home experimenter could not come up with an economical home process.

Oil used to be pressed out of the beans but the pressing precess generated heat that partially broke down some of the oils. In the late 30s a process using Hexane, a refined crude oil product, was developed. The washed, cleaned, and dried beans are rolled into flakes then treated with Hexane. Steam is then used to evaporate the hexane from the flakes and separated oil. The oil is separated from the flakes and sent for further refining. The flakes can be used for animal feed.

It is all a very energy intensive process. The DOA says that if all soybean crop land is used for BioDiesel, we would supply about 6% of our transportation needs. The same agency says that ethanol can supply a maximum of 20% of our motor fuel needs. Both are true only if external energy sources such as coal are used for process steam.


Don Bowen Awl Knotted Up KI6DIU
http://www.braingarage.com
My travel journal
http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/Journal.html

I am omnivagant.
From lurine AT softcom.net Wed Jun 6 12:39:51 2007
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If it is just a small operation, then your best bet is to do recyled waste oil. *Most* places haven't discovered this and thus you can get the oil free for the taking. I know you aren't out here in CA, but you might contact the folks in Hopland and see if there is anywhere else that has classes on how to set up your own processor. Or, if you're looking for a nice vacation, you can take the two day class in December out here in SF <g>

Lynda
----- Original Message ----- From: "VAN DELL JORDAN" <vdjor AT yahoo.com>


I asked about bio diesel when I first got on this
line. Someone responded with a good, but not rel
event argument about why that was not a practical
alternative to gasoline. But my question was and
still is: is it feasible for a small farmer or
homesteader to have his/her own bio diesel plant?
When I googled it I didn't find a site that addressed
that issue in terms I was comfortable with.
Van Dell





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