One of the most attractive aspects of biodiesel is that you don't have to be ExxonMobil to make it. Just about anyone can rig up a biodiesel fuel plant, even in the kitchen, or virtually anywhere, mostly using stuff you can find lying around, including the basic raw material -- waste cooking oil.
The best part of it is that what you make is better than the fossil fuel the big guys make: it's cleaner, more eco-friendly, it's cheap, and it's better for diesel engines -- they run smoother and last longer on biodiesel.
Start here: Make your own biodiesel -- What you need, what to do, how to do it -- step by step instructions for making high-quality biodiesel fuel, from beginner to advanced level. Developed from a collaborative effort over nine years involving thousands of people worldwide, this is what works best. It tells you everything you need to know.
Mike Pelly's biodiesel recipe -- for more than nine years Mike's popular biodiesel how-to has helped people to find fuel-independence.
The Biofuel mailing list run by Journey to Forever covers all aspects of biofuels or related issues -- biodiesel, ethanol, other alternative fuels, related technologies and issues, energy issues, environment, sustainability and more.
The list has a large and varied global membership and has been at the forefront of small-scale biofuels development for more than eight years.
The Bioenergy Mailing List at CREST (Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology), for the discussion of biomass as a sustainable energy resource. Searchable hypertext archives. http://www.crest.org/discussiongroups/index.html
DieselNet General Forum: http://www.dieselnet.com/forum
"Express your opinions and ask questions on diesel engine emission issues. Discuss current news" -- active Web forum, news and other resources at DieselNet's homepage: http://www.dieselnet.com/
Making ethyl-esters biodiesel using ethanol is a tricky process, not as simple as making methyl esters with methanol. It's not for novices -- learn how to make biodiesel with methanol first.
Methods and recipes for ethyl-esters biodiesel are available here, along with a How-To from a master home-brewer who has been making and using his own ethyl-esters biodiesel for years.
The US National Biodiesel Board (NBB) is a "not-for-profit corporation dedicated to the commercialization and industrialization of biodiesel". It represents agribusiness interests and its members are large-scale commercial producers. It sees small-scale, local operations and homebrewers as a threat, and there are quality-control issues. http://www.biodiesel.org/
The NBB maintains one of the best technical databases on biodiesel research (searchable): http://www.biodiesel.org/resources/reportsdatabase/
The NBB Biodiesel Fuel Fact Sheets (Acrobat files) http://www.biodiesel.org/resources/fuelfactsheets/
Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives -- 70,000+ entries from discussions by biofuellers all over the world over the last eight years, a treasure trove of information on all aspects of biofuels and sustainability issues: http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
The University of Idaho's Biodiesel Fuel Education Program -- University of Idaho researchers have been studying vegetable oil as an alternative fuel since 1979. Biodiesel 101, Technical Information, Technical Papers, Tech Note Series, 'On the Road Test' and more. http://www.uidaho.edu/bioenergy/
Technical Handbook for Marine Biodiesel In Recreational Boats by Randall von Wedel, Ph.D., CytoCulture International, Inc., Second Edition, April 22, 1999 (prepared for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy) -- of general interest, not just for boaters, 12,000-word online report. http://www.nwbiofuels.org/LiteratureRetrieve.aspx?ID=22009
Chemical and Bioassay Analyses of Diesel and Biodiesel Particulate Matter: Pilot Study -- Final Report by Norman Y. Kado, Robert A. Okamoto and Paul A. Kuzmicky, Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Davis, California, November 1996. This is the UC Davis study that found that the use of pure biodiesel instead of petroleum-based diesel fuel could offer a 93.6% reduction in cancer risks from exhaust emissions exposure. Full report -- Acrobat file, 3.1Mb. Summary: the Summary, Results and Discussion sections of the report, in html format.
The modelling of the biodiesel reaction -- As part of their work to design continuous reactor for the production of palm-oil methyl ester, Michael Allen and Gumpon Prateepchaikul at the Energy Group in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Prince of Songkla University in Thailand produced a spreadsheet modelling the complex series of reversible reactions which take place during the biodiesel production process. You can use the spreadsheet to change one parameter in the process and see how it affects the others.
Biodiesel Handling and Use Guidelines, (Third Edition, September 2006) K.Shaine Tyson, National Renewable Energy Laboratory -- Biodiesel basics information, a frequently asked questions section, and the most current biodiesel blending information, updated taxes and incentives information. 68 page Acrobat file, 1.7 MB http://www.nrel.gov/vehiclesandfuels/npbf/pdfs/40555.pdf
Biodiesel Production Technology, 2002-2004 Van Gerpen, Shanks, Pruszko, Clements, Knothe, National Renewable Energy Laboratory -- 110 pages, Acrobat file, 1.4Mb: http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy04osti/36244.pdf
Biodiesel Analytical Methods, 2002-2004, Van Gerpen, Shanks, Pruszko, Clements, Knothe, National Renewable Energy Laboratory -- 69 pages, Acrobat file, 1.4Mb: http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy04osti/36240.pdf
Terry de Winne's Biofuels for Sustainable Transport site focuses on UK Government Policy. Terry -- alias Terry UK -- or Terry de Winne MF, to give him his full title, was awarded a Millennium Fellowship for his research into electric vehicles and biodiesel. http://www.biofuels.fsnet.co.uk/
Sustainable Transport Fuels -- good roundup of the various contenders, with the focus on biodiesel and lots of well-annotated resources: http://www.biofuels.fsnet.co.uk/sustain.htm
DieselNet's Diesel Emissions Online says the "diesel engine is the most efficient power plant among all known types of internal combustion engines". News, resources, research reports, discussion forum. http://www.dieselnet.com/
Bibliography of Water-Fuel Emulsions Studies -- A list of studies that are being considered for inclusion in work being done by EPA to assess the effects of water-fuel emulsions on emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), hydrocarbons (HC), and particulate matter (PM) (including 23 studies of diesel water-fuel emulsions). Acrobat file, 12kb. http://www.epa.gov/otaq/models/analysis/emulsion/emulbibl.pdf
Government sources
The US Government has various websites dealing with alternative fuels, biofuels and biodiesel, offering useful information and resources.