Saskatchewan Research Council Tests Biodiesel Quality in Farm Equipment
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The Saskatchewan Research Council is putting biodiesel to the test, by leading a pilot project that will study the performance of renewable fuels in agricultural equipment. The study, which is being supported by the National Renewable Diesel Demonstration Initiative, will determine the quality retention of biodiesel when used in agricultural equipment or bulk storage facilities, as well as analyze its performance level.
The project will run for one year, during which time eight participating farmers will run all of their equipment on low- and high-level canola biodiesels (respectively, “B5″ for low-level, and “B10″ for high-level). Equipment performance will be analyzed with a view to specifically examining the engine performance, and comparing the two blends. Five of the participating farmers will be running their equipment on a low-level, B5 blend all year long. The other three will use a high-level, B10 during the warmer part of the year and then switching to a low-level, B5 during the cold months. The Saskatchewan Research Council will also be monitoring about fifty other biodiesel-using tractors, swathers, combines and fuel storage tanks at the Research Council’s Biofuels Test Centre, to evaluate the biodiesel’s quality over time and through different parts of the farming cycle, as well as its year-round performance.
The study will run to November, 2010, and will be instrumental in helping farmers understand how to blend, manage, and store biodiesel fuels throughout different stages of the year in the Canadian climate. President and CEO of the Saskatchewan Research Council, Dr. Laurier Schramm, hopes the study will help improve the efficiency and practicality of biodiesel use in agriculture. “We’re privileged to lead a biodiesel study that will benefit farmers in Saskatchewan and across Canada.” says Schramm, “This study and our proven expertise in biofuels testing will provide practical insights to both agriculture producers and the Government of Canada as they explore biodiesel use on the farm.”
The use of biodiesel fuel is becoming increasingly relevant to farmers, and not simply from an environmental standpoint. The government of Canada has proposed regulation that would mandate the use of renewable biodiesel sources in fuel by 2011. The regulation would call for a blend of anywhere from two to five per cent, depending on the region.
