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MTSU Professor To Go Cross Country Driving on Chicken Fat

Few might know that the diesel engine has been first developed to run on vegetable oil and has later been modified to run on the secondary product left from petrol refining. Basically, any fat that can burn is good for fuel as long as it’s liquid; even chicken fat, which this professor is using to fuel his cross country trip.
Prof Cliff Ricketts and his biofueled VW Rabbit 1 photo
Photo: MTSU
MTSU professor Cliff Ricketts is really dedicating his time to prove people petrol is not the only solution to get mobile these days. Last year, he drove a car running on solar power and hydrogen, the year before used hydrogen and ethanol, while this year he plans to use biodiesel made from chicken fat.

Most of the greasy stuff comes from Tyson Foods and it goes through a process called transesterification to be turned into biodiesel, which Mr. Cliff will use to power his Volkswagen Rabbit pickup.

“It’s helping the economy, it’s helping the environment, and I think it’s making strides toward world peace,” he explained.

He says the pickup gets 40 miles to the gallon using the biofuel, so about 15 five-gallon cans of the stuff will keep him away from gas stations in his cross country trip.

However, the down side of the story is that biofuel made out of fat tends to thicken when the temperature goes down. An electric blanket could be used to keep the fuel warm and fluid, but unfortunately the Rabbit encountered a major technical problem somewhere near Kansas City on Tuesday.

Add in the fact that cold weather is moving in and you can tell why Mr. Cliff had to go back home and restart the trip next spring.
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