187 



AARC 



AKemative Agricultural Research & Commercialization Center 



Multi-State Team to Set 

 'Biodieser Standards 



With the deadline nearing for com- 

 pliance with the stringent emis- 

 sions standards of the 1990 Clean 

 Air Act. "biodiesel" is gaining support as an 

 alternative fuel. But what is biodiesel? 

 That's the question the not-for-profit 

 American Biofuels Association seeks to 

 answer with a S 1 40,000 award from the 

 Alternative Agricultural Research and 

 Commercialization (AARC) Center, a branch 

 of the U.S. Department of Agriculrure. 



Biofuels can include a wide variety of 

 fuels and fuel blends containing various per- 

 centages of petroleum diesel fuel, soybean- 

 derived oil, or oil obtained from other 

 oilseed crops and animal fats. The Biofuels 

 Association seeks to estabUsh standards 

 and clarify terminology 



In the research project made possi- 

 ble by the AARC Investment, a standard 

 diesel engine will be tested with various 

 concentrations of soy-based biofuels. 

 Levels of emissions for unburned hydro- 

 carbons, carbon monoxide, particulate 

 matter and oxides of nitrogen will be 

 determined. In adchtion, engine durability 

 testing will be carried out to determine if 

 new engine lubricants need to be developed 

 for use with biodiesel. 



Along with the American Biofuels 

 Association, research partners for this project 

 include the National SoyDiesel Development 

 Board, a trade organization committed to the 

 development of biodiesel fuels based on soy- 

 beans; and the Southwest Research Institute, 

 a private, ERA-approved research facility in 

 Texas that will conduct the actual emissions 

 tests with soydiesel in a Detroit Diesel 6V92 

 engine that is standard for city bus fleets. 



Developing new fuels that make it possi 

 ble for today's standard diesel engines to meet 

 Clean Air Act emissions requirements is con- 

 sidered the quickest and most cost-effective 

 way to generate environmental gains. This 

 approach promises to reduce air pollution in 

 die nation's major cities without the major 

 investment that would be needed to redesign 

 engines. As a bonus, the switch from petrole- 

 um-based diesel to an increasing use of renew 

 non-renewable petroleum. 



USDA-AARC CENTER • 12th & C St. S.W. • Washington, DC 20250 

 Telephone: (202) 401-4860 • Fax: (202) 401-6068 



Pnnted on fecyded paper using soybean-based tnk. 



American Biofuels Association 

 National SoyDiesel Development Board, MO 



Sponsor's Contact: Earle E. Gavett, (202) 554-1025 

 Raw Material: Soybeans & Tallow 



Product: Set Standards Jor Emissions 



& Engine Performance 



AARC: $140,000 



Cooperators Contributions (est.): $130,000 



able biodiesel fuels will reduce the nation's bill for importing 



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