RALEIGH — The state Department of Transportation has a project that demonstrates the potential for multiple sources of biofuel.
The DOT recently harvested a small field of bright yellow flowers planted along Interstate 40 for conversion to biodiesel.
The flowers look attractive, but they're canola plants, the source of canola oil.
Instead of using the oil for cooking, the state wants to refine it to use in vehicles.
The project with N.C. State University is researching the feasibility of growing biofuel crops along highway rights of way.
Utah has such a program, called Freeways to Fuel.
(The success of the biodiesel fuel industry relies heavily on biodiesel testing <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s32Ke2VzrqU>, not only at the production level but at the consumer level, where degraded fuel may cause engine failures. Of major concern to diesel and biodiesel users is the very real possibility that water has contaminated their fuel. (See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YcczdvPyAk). The potential catastrophic impact of this problem is discussed at length in this video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lh4qhXc_5s&feature=youtube_gdata.
Fleet Fuel's family of inexpensive biodiesel test kits is just a click away on the internet at:
<http://fleetbiodiesel.com/biodiesel_testing_and_supplies.html>)
