| algae |
see microalgae |
| ASTM D6751 |
America’s biodiesel specification. Unlike EN14214, ASTM D6751 has no specification for oxidation stability, a measure of shelf life. |
| B2, B5, B20, B100 |
A blend of biodiesel and petrodiesel. The number indicates the biodiesel content: B5 is five percent, B100 is one hundred percent. |
| CME |
Coconut oil
methyl ester. A popular form of biodiesel around Asia and the Pacific. |
| DIN51606 |
The old German
specification for biodiesel, now replaced by EN14214. |
| Dimethyl
Ether, DME | A gaseous
alternative fuel for diesel engines, apparently similar to LPG. Volvo
feel this is the best alternative fuel for diesel engines in the
long-term, and so they're putting some serious effort into DME-powered
trucks. It seems to work just fine in specially-built
trucks,
but it's unclear whether it would be any use as a marine fuel,
and
of course, you can't just put it in the tank of your existing truck. |
| EN14214
| Europe’s
biodiesel
specification. Replaces the specifications of individual
European Union countries,
including DIN51606. |
| FAME |
Fatty acid methyl ester. There are lots
of
different FAMEs. Biodiesel is a mixture of them. The exact
recipe
depends upon the raw material,
hence the codewords CME, PME, RME, SME, TME for different
flavoured biodiesels. |
| feedstock |
Oil
industry jargon for raw material. The feedstock for petrodiesel is
crude oil or petroleum, the feedstocks for biodiesels are vegetable
oils and animal fats, and the feedstocks for synthetic diesels are
coal, natural gas, wood chips and anything else the oil industry can
dream up. |
| hydrocarbons |
Compounds of
carbon and hydrogen. There are lots of different hydrocarbons, and
chemists divide them into various families, such as paraffins, olefins,
and aromatics. Hydrocarbons are the main ingredients of petrodiesel and
most synthetic diesels. |
| jatropha |
Barbados nut,
psychic nut. (Jatropha curcas) A
tree that produces oily, toxic. A high-yielding crop,
the oil
is used for biodiesel in India. Listed as a noxious weed in Western
Australia and Northern Territory. |
| microalgae |
Microscopic
life-forms which live in wet environments (salt and fresh-water, sewage
ponds etc.). They are photosynthetic - that is, they
can
convert atmospheric carbon dioxide and water into organic substances.
Some microalgae produce the kinds
of natural oils
needed for biodiesel. Some scientists think they will become
an
important source of biodiesel once various technical
hurdles have been overcome. |
| NZS7500 |
NZ’s biodiesel
specification. Very similar to EN14214. NZS7500 is intended only for
biodiesel that will go into blends such as B5. Until a NZ Standard for
B100 is available, B100 enthusiasts should choose fuel that complies
with EN14214 fuel. |
| Petajoule |
A small shipload of energy, equivalent to the gross energy content of about 26 million litres of typical NZ petrodiesel, 30 million litres of biodiesel, or 28.5 million litres of petrol. On an engine dynamometer, a modern diesel engine can convert about a third of that to mechanical grunt, though it would take quite a long time to burn all that diesel!
|
| petrodiesel |
Ordinary diesel. |
| PME |
Palm oil methyl
ester, biodiesel made from palm oil |
| PPSR |
Petroleum
Products Specifications Regulations
2002. The New Zealand specification for petrodiesel and
petrol.
This does not place limits on impurities peculiar to biodiesel. |
| RME |
Rapeseed (canola) methyl ester,
Europe’s favourite biodiesel. Might also make an appearance
in Australia and NZ. |
| SME |
Soybean methyl ester, America’s
favourite biodiesel. |
| TME |
Tallow methyl ester. The stuff
that’s getting the NZ and Australian Governments excited. |
| UCOME |
Used cooking oil methyl ester. What Darryl Hannah uses in her El Camino. |
| transesterification |
The process for making biodiesel. Surf to Journey to Forever for the recipe, or try saying it very quickly. |
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