AFCEE contractor goes green with grease

  • Published
  • By Jennifer Schneider
  • AFCEE Public Affairs
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Rising fuel costs led one Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment contractor to go from the fuel tank to the fryer.

Leonard "Lenny" Hardy, an AFCEE contractor who supports the information technology branch, has been using a used vegetable oil blend to run his diesel truck for over six years now and said he is pleased with the results.

"It's a great way, environmentally speaking, to get rid of the used vegetable oil and the fuel burns much cleaner than diesel fuel so harmful emissions are reduced considerably," Hardy said. "It's a win-win situation."

Hardy first came up with the idea when the price for diesel fuel spiked.

"I purchased my diesel truck when diesel fuel cost about 30 cents less per gallon than gasoline," he said. "I thought it was a smart decision. About six months later, diesel fuel prices jumped up 20 to 30 cents higher than gasoline. I went from making a smart purchase to making a bad mistake."

Hardy remembered articles he had read over the years on creating fuel from vegetable oil and decided to do some additional research. Internet searches led him to a site detailing a simple process using vegetable oil, locally purchased additives and an additive bought online.

He said the process required no modifications to his vehicle and cost around $200 for a mixing tank and associated pumps and filters. Now, filling up his vehicle typically takes about 30 minutes, he said.

While he has been successful in the endeavor, Hardy said he was very nervous the first time he tried the new fuel in his truck.

"I had the fuel tank real low with diesel fuel and only put about two gallons of the new fuel in," he said. "I started it and drove to a highway to run it. Everything seemed to be working fine so I came back home and put in half a tank. I've been running it ever since."

He has driven over 100,000 miles in the vehicle since that day and said the only problem he encountered was when he tried using the fuel without the additive.

"I quickly learned that a small amount of additive makes a big difference and have had no trouble since," he said.

For the last three years, he has added diesel fuel to the vegetable oil fuel. The gas mileage is the same regardless of the fuel type he uses, he said, and he currently pays about 90 cents per gallon after all costs are considered.

"A mechanic told me about three years ago that I need to mix the vegetable oil fuel with diesel fuel because the vegetable oil burns hotter and will be harmful to my motor over time," Hardy said. "I have a lot of respect for this mechanic and he had nothing to gain by telling me this. I try to put about six gallons of diesel fuel in the tank before I fill it up with the vegetable oil fuel."

While he is able to filter food particles from the oil, he said it is important that other fluids have not been mixed in.

"I only use vegetable oil that I can see through to ensure it does not contain other fluids," Hardy said. "If it changes colors or gets cloudy as I pour it, I stop pouring."

Hardy said he gets his vegetable oil supply from a local Chinese restaurant, as well as from friends, neighbors and people from his church.

"It's nice that they do that for me and I give them a conscious-free way to get rid of their unwanted vegetable oil," he said.

His fuel blend has also been the source of a few jokes.

"Those same people tease about dogs chasing my truck more than usual because of the egg roll smell coming out of the exhaust, or say that people who drive behind me suddenly have a craving for Chinese food," he said. "I just laugh."