First, we now have a webpage up for our Biodiesel Group here at UNH, started by myself and Professor Ihab Farag from the Chemical Engineering Department. The website is at http://www.unh.edu/p2/biodiesel/ . It's still under development, and because of provisional patents on some
of our projects, we can't give out too many details freely - so, there isn't a large amount of information there, but there are some nice things in the "Articles" section.
Next, a couple pictures of our TDIs
My 2003 Jetta Wagon GLS TDI sitting behind my office at UNH
Another angle of my wagon
Emily's Vortex Blue Beetle TDI at the Rhode Island get-together
VEG-therm and auxillary pump photos
Picture of the engine of the Jetta with the VEG-therm installed
The Jetta's engine, showing the auxillary pump. Look at the fuel filter on the left.
The fuel line that normally feeds into the filter now passes behind it, and enters the auxillary pump, which can
be seen just to the right and closer to the front of the car from the filter. Then follow the black fuel line out of the
pump, towards the front of the car and to the right (from our view, actually towards the driver's side of the car).
The line disappears from view briefly, and then appears again to the right of the oil dipstick tube, as the line goes
partway around the oil filter, and then enters the silvery VEG-therm (agnled up and to the left in the photo). The
VEG-therm runs along two of the injector lines, and angles across the other two. The injector lines will act as a
heat sink for the VEG-therm, which will also be nice as far as warming the fuel in the injector lines to make startin
easier. The black fuel line then comes out of the VEG-therm at the top left, and disappears behind some other stuff.
It then loops back around to the left, and enters the fuel filter (also notice the nice yellow biodiesel in the clear
fuel line coming out of the filter).
Engine with the plastic engine cover back on
Beetle's enginewith the VEG-therm installed
Beetle's engine with the plastic engine cover back on
Phil's Passat wagon's engine with VEG-therm installed
Pasat and Jetta wagons in my garage
Ceramic wool insulation on the underside of the plastic engine cover (placed directly above
VEG-therm).
Then cover the ceramic insulation with aluminum foil and tape in place with reflective
high-temp tape. I also stapled the tape in place to help it stay on.
Biodiesel additive photos
These are some photos of biodiesel additive tests. In these tests, the samples were in the freezer for about a day at 3F. In
the same test, I had a sample of biodiesel blended with kerosene to make a B83 blend (16.7% kerosene), with no additive.
That sample gelled completely solid (I didn't bother taking samples of that one, which I now regret).
B100 with 1% Power Service Diesel Fuel Supplement (DFS). Note there is a clear layer at the
top, and a layer at the bottom that is opaque. The bottom layer is obviously the portion of the biodiesel that crystallized
and settled out. At first glance, it would appear that the bottom layer is solid. But, a "tilt test" is necessary
to see.
Same sample of B100+DFS with better lighting.
Tilt Test of B100+DFS. Note that upon a gentle tilting, not only does the clear layer
at the top flow easily, but also the lower cloudy layer. So, the additive did not prevent clouding, but it did successfully
prevent gelling down to at least 3F (in Phil's experiments, he went down to -8F with no signs of gelling), and
the fuel can flow readily. The clouding would present a problem of clogging the filter, thus the need for the heater.
B83 with DFS added.. Note that the settled cloudy layer on the bottom is less of the total volume
Tilt Test of B83+DFS.
Winter driving
Jetta covered in snow after driving back home on Christmas day, when we had already received
about a foot of snow. Those Green Diamond snow tires work great!
Front of the snowy Jetta after some more winter driving. Covered in ice, and running
just fine on B99 (1% additive, 99% biodiesel).
Our front yard after the early January blizzard.
Bear keeps us entertained while stranded inside from the snow.
