My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on May 12, 2007

Those occasionally reading my blog have no doubt seen a post or two on solo circumnavigating sailor Donna Lange, well today is no exception as she is only a few days from Bristol, Rhode Island. After facing a nasty blow in April [1] [2][3], Donna was forced to hole up and make repairs in Bermuda. To her amazement, supporters following her voyage treated her with a ticket home to the U.S. so she could attend the planned media bash/ homecoming celebrating her journey. (and it has been a life journey as much as it has been a voyage) For Donna, the celebration was overwhelming and her spirit was soaring. As May rolled in, she returned to the task at hand, repairing her 28 foot sailboat, Inspired Insanity and preparing for that last leg home.

Of the highest priority was the self-steering gear and wind generator as both are near necessities when sailing alone. Second was replacing the starter on her diesel, of which was though to be at the root of most of the engine problems, unfortunately the was another diesel injector pump problem. She and help on Bermuda tried for two day to repair, but finally the mechanical beast got the best of her and she toss lines without diesel auxiliary power. Its a sailboat right?

Her ships log or journey finds her sailing happily along miles from Bermuda and miles from her destination in Bristol, RI … although she is not to far from the Gulf Stream. (current that runs north then northeast off the eastern coast of the United States) Yesterday she commented on dolphins, “just before sundown. a single dolphin appeared … I dashed down to get my tin whistle and when I returned, the water was churning with small green and gray dolphins.. leaping in 7’s, broaching, jumping. I played music and they played around the boat a long time. It was glorious and such a boost to my energy” and then it was a whale … “I saw a burst of water blast into the air to the SW of me. Sure enough the rounding of the hump of a bigger whale followed. A tail broached.. Magnificent. Though near a mile away, I couldn’t resist playing him/her a round of tunes on the whistle. I saw the whale broach a couple times following along side me before I saw her no more. My first whale sighting in my whole trip.”

As she sails her final couple of day toward home, I’m somewhat melancholy as the voyage comes to a close. I’ve enjoyed participating through emails, her music and positive and uplifting outlook. Both my daughter and wife have read Rhonda Byrne’s bestselling book, “The Secret” … and now I hear Donna commenting on it too. It seems they may all be onto something … “you get what you put out there.” Interestingly, people are drawn to others with a positive outlook, included Donna Lange. She exemplifies putting much of this philosophy into practice … from pursuing a voyage around the world in a small sailboat, to her notorious “All good.” Thanks Donna.

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Posted By RichC on May 11, 2007

The answer to the above question is that we really don’t know. Fuel quality ‘verification’ in Ohio has been a pet peeve of mine for some time now and I’ve written my share of letters to state legislators. The fact that Ohio is one of four states that doesn’t test the quality of the fuel that is sold to consumers at the pump makes me wonder if we are a target for ‘fuel dumping?’ How does one know that premium is of higher octane than regular? Do you trust the sign on the pump?

Fuel dumping is something that can take place if stations are not self-regulating themselves, which I assume most do … especially if they want to avoid lawsuits. Cincinnati’s neighboring state Kentucky has checked fuel quality through sampling since the 1980s and plans on building a new facility to be even more thorough. I question whether an unscrupulous distributor could occasionally sell mixed loads of questionable gasoline or diesel across the Ohio River into our state … why not … there isn’t any testing? The distributor might be able to ‘dump’ his fuel and Ohioans wouldn’t be the wiser. (until their car suffers premature engine related problems … see “Are all Gasolines the same?“)

Major fuel suppliers in Ohio claim that this isn’t an issue and that the fuel purchasing public has little reason to not trust the fuel being delivered. I’m a bit more skeptical, not necessarily from the big name companies, but from smaller distributors that end up with a mixed load of fuel and the temptation to deliver it as higher octane fuel. WLWT, Channel 5 in Cincinnati, confirmed that the state legislature will be deciding on two bill which should address our state,s shortcoming in verifying fuel quality. As I see it, the county auditor’s office already checks to see if a gallon is a gallon, taking a few fuel sample shouldn’t be that much more difficult?

If the fuel-testing legislation gets the green light, Ohio drivers could see testing by the end of the summer.

“It would mean if you go into a gas station and you’re buying 89-octane fuel, it will be 89-octane fuel (with) very few contaminates or water in the fuel,” said Kevin Pyle of the Hamilton County Auditor’s Office.

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Posted By RichC on May 10, 2007

Sprint and Palm have confirmed the availability date for the anticipated successor to the Palm Treo 700p … the Treo 755p, which will be available through Sprint May 14th. The slightly smaller 755p will give Palm OS users an improved size by removing the irritating antenna stub and thinning down the chunky 700p just a bit. To accomplish this the new model has given up a little standby and talk time with a smaller standard battery (1600 vs 1800mAh) and switching to a miniSD card verse standard SD in the 700p. The new Treo is in keeping with the consumer friendly 680 model which is antenna-less and thin as well. From the specification comparison sheet at Treonauts, about everything else is the same. Until there is a OS improvement, WiFi or bump in camera quality … I’m not sure I even want to change phones? (fullsize Palm Treo 755p photo below)

Sprint’s new Palm Treo 755p – available May 14

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Posted By RichC on May 9, 2007

Tried to post this photo from the Palm Treo via Flickr, but it didn’t work this morning … hmm? Anyway, after filling up my Volkswagen TDI with some left over B100 at home ($2.50/gal – leftover from last year), I stopped at the Sunoco renewable fuels station at the I-71 Mt. Gilead exit 151. Price was a little higher than the $2.63 diesel across the bridge, but then I could only squeeze in $10.00 of biodiesel. (B-20 = $2.83)

The more pressing issue of replacing my failing alternator was accomplished with the generous help of Bruce Bowling of our local CinciTDI group. He just happened to be attending ImpexFest IV this past weekend and offered to pick up my pre-ordered Bosch alternator and bring it back with him. (I’ll ship back my old core; $100 deposit) Thankfully Bruce was able to stay, along with his son Eric and grand-daughter, because this was not a simple alternator swap. Accessing the alternator on an A4 TDI required a little more knowledge than the average VW owner or perhaps even weekend TDI handyman? The surprise for me was that it required significant force to pry the old alternator forward after removing the bolts, I thought for sure something was going to break, as there didn’t seem to be an easy way to do this.

Once out, the question of “is the problem the alternator?” continued to haunt me; thankfully buying the new alternator, and not just the pulley, was the right call. We were able to detect a grinding sound when spinning by hand. Once all was reinstalled (pretty straight forward) the little diesel was back to the appropriate ‘clatter.’ Again, my thanks to Bruce for his wisdom and wrenching skills.

The only glitch came when I switch on the air conditioning today and nothing happened. Simple … we forgot to put the plug back on the AC compressor! It was a hot and tight reach to get that plug back where it belonged today … can you smell my burnt flesh?
🙂

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Posted By RichC on May 8, 2007

I liked Megan Murphy’s post over on the Renewable Energy Access site enough that I didn’t want it to get lost … so I’m archiving it here for reference. An algae biodiesel article is in the works and I’ll keep my eye open for it.

May 8, 2007
How Does Biodiesel Affect U.S Energy Consumption?

Q: I am a retired biochemist and worked as a rice farmer from 1945 to 1949. So I am concerned about supply of oil for food production, which is now completely dependent on oil-driven machinery in the U.S., Japan and others. I would appreciate it, if you could give me some information on biodiesel production. — Hitoshi Maruyama, Kenmore, WA

A: I wish I could say biodiesel, a renewable alternative to diesel fuel, is produced in such a way that it could safeguard our food supply from the effects of declining oil reserves and permanently higher fuel prices. Unfortunately, biodiesel is not a silver bullet, able to eliminate American agriculture’s dependence on fossil fuels. But biodiesel, produced sustainably and reducing our petroleum demand, can make the transition to a new energy economy less painful.

In 2005, America’s farms spent $27.4 billion on energy-related expenses. That breaks down to $3.4 billion on electricity and $12.8 billion on fertilizers that along with pesticides create a significant, indirect source of fossil fuel-dependent energy consumption for agriculture. The fuels and oils required to operate equipment and machinery cost farmers $11.2 billion, and included the cost of about 3.5 billion gallons of diesel fuel used to plant, tend, and harvest our crops and raise our livestock (1).

It sounds like a lot but the total energy use by the agriculture sector peaked in 1978, and has decreased since then despite increased agricultural output (2). Farm equipment and practices have become more efficient as farmers stay competitive in the market by keeping their energy costs down.

In America, a common way to produce biodiesel is from virgin soybean oil. The oil is harvested from the plant and sold on the commodities market. A biodiesel producer purchases the oil and ships it to a biodiesel refinery, where the process of making biodiesel, a transesterification reaction, takes place. The large triglyceride molecules of vegetable oil are broken into the smaller and less viscous, long chain mono alkyl esters of biodiesel. The reaction requires a short chain alcohol (usually methanol) and a catalyst (usually sodium or potassium hydroxide) (3). Glycerin, a sugar, is also produced in the reaction and is often sold to industry for use in soap, cosmetics, and many other applications.

The American biodiesel industry is experiencing tremendous growth, from its humble beginning of less than 10 biodiesel plants in 2000 to 65 plants operating and 58 more under construction or expanding in 2006. Biodiesel production capacity is projected to reach 1.7 billion gallons by 2008 (4).

1.7 billion gallons of biodiesel would cover almost half of the 3.5 billion gallons of diesel we use on farms, but biodiesel is not just sold to farmers and 1.7 billion gallons is more of a drop in the bucket when it comes to the annual 60 billion gallons of diesel fuel consumed in America.

Making a dent in the total diesel consumed in the U.S. would require a lot of biodiesel. According to a white paper from John Deere & Company, use of a B2 (2% biodiesel, 98% petroleum diesel) blend nationwide is an attainable goal. “It would require 1.1 billion gallons of pure biodiesel… [and] consume all the soybean oil from 18 million acres, or about one-fourth of current U.S. soybean production (5).” (John Deere & Co. is forgetting about my favorite, sustainable feedstock, Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO). And are you wondering about algae? Stay tuned for my next column.)

Eighteen million acres of soybeans grown for fuel to meet 2% of our nation’s diesel fuel demand, when my salad came all the way from California? Biodiesel cannot replace all or even close to all of the diesel fuel we consume here in the U.S. But there are simple and delicious ways to reduce our food supply’s dependence on petroleum like buying local, organic produce.

I live on the East Coast and on average the produce available here is 3 to 4 days older than the produce available in California. I don’t want to spend a lifetime eating old lettuce and wasting fuel. Fortunately, there is a growing movement towards Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in America, where small organic farms can provide enough vegetables to support 200 to 300 local families on 5 to 10 acres of land. Here in upstate New York, I can get almost all of my produce during the growing season from the local farmers’ market or join a CSA and have a weekly share of what is in season. I can ride a bike (the chain greased with biodiesel) to where my beets are grown, instead of having them shipped to me from California. I find fresh vegetables and efficiency very appetizing.

So make your biodiesel sustainable and eat your locally grown kale and we might just make it out of this pinch.

Footnotes:
1. United States Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration. “Adjusted Distillate Fuel Oil and Kerosene Sales by End Use,” 2005.
2. United States Department of Agriculture. “Energy and Agriculture,” August, 2006.
3. United States Department of Energy. “Biodiesel Handling and Use Guidelines,” March, 2006.
4. Borgman, Don. “Agriculture, Bio-fuels and Striving for Greater Energy Independence: A John Deere perspective on the realistic role US agriculture can play in satisfying America’s increasing appetite for renewable fuels,” January 4, 2007.
5. Ibid

— Meghan Murphy

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Posted By RichC on May 8, 2007

The Green Car Congress posted that the new Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen that has been displayed at autoshows (see previous post) will also be heading to the US with a diesel option … eventually. The wagon model of the New Jetta is anticipated by VW TDI buyers who find the added versatility and cargo carrying capability of the Golfs and Wagons an advantage over the sedan. The new Sportwagen offers a 5.4% increase in space over the older A4 platform and should offer excellent fuel economy as well.

Volkswagen plans to deliver the first European versions (Golf Variant called the Sportline) in Germany with other countries following thereafter. If you are in the US, don’t expect the diesel version until sometime after June 2008, the expected date for Bluemotion diesels — New Jetta — to arrive in US. (according to my local dealership; although dealer delivery dates are notoriously wrong.)

The new vehicle will offer two diesel and three gasoline engines, including four direct injection engines. (European versions) The entry-level engine is a 1.6-liter four cylinder that outputs 75 kW (100 hp). For more power, the twincharged TSI gas engines deliver 103 kW (138 hp) 125 kW (168 hp) respectively. According the article, the TDI diesels options are the 77 kW (103 hp) and 103 kW (138 hp) engine. Both are factory-equipped with diesel particulate filters. A DSG dual clutch transmission is optional on all but the smallest engine. The US version of the Variant will be the Jetta Sportwagen.

EDIT:Inside Line is reporting that VW expects 2008 Sportwagens ordered with the 2.0 diesel engine to get EPA numbers of 40 city/60 highway. (I’ll believe it when it is printed on the sticker)
🙂

Category: Automotive, Diesel, Volkswagen | 2 Comments »
Tags: diesel, sportswagen, tdi, volkswagen

Posted By RichC on May 7, 2007

Posting a ‘Surfing’ video from Teahupoo, Tahiti, the location of the ‘world’s heaviest wave’ surfing event this week as forty international big guns and forty local specialists battle it out in the Air Tahiti Nui Von Zipper Trials.

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Posted By RichC on May 6, 2007

Turning 21 years of age is a milestone for most of us as we grow up, and one that is deserving in crossing in memorable style:
How about Skydiving?
This past weekend, I received a call from my soon to be 21 year old daughter and she enthusiastically called me to tell me how a couple of her friends kidnapped her and took her skydiving. It was a first time for my daughter as they jumped at the AerOhio Skydiving Center in Ritman, Ohio. (thankfully she jumped tandem – photo)

As a father, I’m not sure I should approve of such behavior, but since my wife and I were part of this secret plot, I suppose we are guilty of being accomplices? Nevertheless, from the cell phone call my wife received immediately after the jump, the three amigos sounded as if they had a great time! Happy Birthday Katelyn.

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Posted By RichC on May 5, 2007

I tried to post this on Thursday from my cellphone camera, but unfortunately, it didn’t post? Hmm …
Thursday continued the move higher in ‘gasoline’ prices and unfortunately for me I was driving our gasoline burning Honda Pilot. On my way to Northeast Ohio I looked and looked for cheaper gas and ended up filling at the I-71 Jeffersonville, Ohio Flying J. (above) It was the lowest price posted anywhere along my route as many stations were displaying $3.19/gallon. On a positive note, I did manage to squeeze out 22.1 mpg. (unfortunately in the two fill-ups I managed to spend $100.00 on fuel!)

One of the reasons I didn’t take the VW TDI this week is because the bearing in my alternator is going. Its twice as bad now, but I tried a little WMV video with my Treo 700p. If you listen carefully, you’ll hear the squealing bearing start after a few seconds. I ordered a Bosch 120A alternator from World Impex … thankfully this is the weekend of the Impexfest IV and I’m taking advantage of the discount and having a friend bring it back to save shipping … it’s still costing $205. (thank Bruce)

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Posted By RichC on May 4, 2007

May 3rd CNNMoney.com published an article noting the jump in fuel prices has once again created an interest in economical alternatives to ‘gasoline,’ in this case diesels. The article titled “Diesel cars are coming back” comments on the price of oil 30 years ago that has some Americans turning to diesels build by Mercedes-Benz … and then of course the 1980s debacle of by GM. Besides the poor performance, noise and nasty smoke, it wasn’t long until ‘cheap gas’ was back and the American ‘try’ at diesel was just an ugly memory.

Today, as most TDI owners know, diesels are no longer noisy and hampered with poor performance. Thankfully more and more people are beginning to look at them again and realizing, that with the new ULSD and biodiesel, they are far cleaner than before. Add to this the unprecedented work being done with NOx treatment and particulate filters, diesels may actually be cleaner per mile that many gasoline hybrid vehicles. Check out Peter Valdes-Dapena’s article and see if he’s fairly representing this new breed of diesel.

“The diesel Jetta sedan will be back next year, however, in a cleaner running version that will meet emissions standards in all 50 states, VW says.”

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