High school student cashes in on bio-diesel

HAINES CITY - Joe Gravelle is cashing in on the rising cost of fuel in America. As a local user of bio-diesel, an alternative fuel source, he is making his own bio-diesel and saving money on commercial diesel fuel. "It even burns cleaner than regular diesel fuel because it is vegetable based," said the junior at Haines City High School.

Gravelle learned about bio-diesel online and started using it for an engineering project in Joel Decker's Engineering I class at Haines City High School. Gravelle's original idea was to have a simple project that he could get a good grade on. But he saw the opportunity to save money and now uses the bio-diesel for his own benefit.

The cost of bio-fuel is about $1 a gallon, including the diesel fuel that is in it. Owners of diesel vehicles can switch from regular diesel fuel to bio-diesel, no breaking in necessary.


Beating high fuel costs ....

• Junior cashes in on ability to develop cheaper bio-diesel