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Joe 'Rilla' Martelle

Rilla Biofuels, owner and biodiesel consultant Joe "Rilla" Martelle started Rilla Biofuels LLC to help preserve natural resources and to help others find alternate, renewable source of energy that are eco-friendly. To help you get a better understanding of Joe´s passion for biodiesel we asked him to give us a little information about himself in the form of an interview.

Q: Joe, tell us a little about yourself.

Joe: God has given me the talents and abilities necessary to understand how things work and how they´re put together. As a result I have always repaired my own cars and those of my family. In 1972 I began working as a mechanic and then in 1978 I began working on diesels. I currently work for General Motors. Prior to that I worked for Cummins on their diesel engines and for a Mercedes Benz medium truck dealership. I´ve also had the opportunity to work as a heavy diesel mechanic on tractor/trailers, diesels in stationary generators, ship engines, V-12 pumps, and construction equipment.

Q: What happened in 1978 to get you interested in diesel engines?
Joe: My father was a truck driver so I´ve been around them most of my life, but in 1978 Oldsmobile came out with a passenger car with a diesel in it. The answer to the energy crisis at that time. The diesels had many problems and as a mechanic I worked on quite a few of them. Once I began working on the diesel, I was amazed by the different configurations a diesel can come in. From single cylinder Listers to 40 foot tall monster ship engines. With gasoline engines there are far fewer options.

Q: How did you learn about biodiesel?
Joe: I´ve always known that Rudolf Diesel developed the engine to run on plant oil. I came across information about biodiesel in the mid 1990�s and was intrigued. I did some research into the process and since I completely understood the transesterification chemical reaction, it was easy for me to envision, conceptualize and produce. I´ve been doing it ever since!

Q: Why biodiesel and not another green fuel?
Joe: Biodiesel is viable right now and the infrastructure is already in place. Unlike propane, compressed natural gas or hydrogen it is handled just like any other fuel we have. Biodiesel is usable by current production engines without any modifications, it´s energy output is nearly identical to fossil diesel unlike ethanol or the green fuels mentioned. Ethanol is another good green fuel, but in my opinion, the energy expenditures necessary to make it far outweigh the benefits. Biodiesel can also be made from a waste product. So far, ethanol has to be made from a food product. The biodiesel process is simply enough that anyone can do it.

Q: How long have you been running biodiesel in your personal vehicles?
Joe: I´ve been "brewing" my own fuel for more than 7 years. Since we live in the Midwest, it gets cold in the winter and I run a blend of biodiesel and fossil diesel to lower the gelling temperature (about B50 for most of the winter) and I run B100 in the spring, summer and most of the fall months.

Q: Any words of wisdom or caution for those new to the process?
Joe: TITRATION IS KEY! It is the most important step in processing used oil. Check your fuel filters after you begin running biodiesel in an older vehicle. Biodiesel is a great solvent and will loosen gunk in the bottom of your fuel tank and clog your filter.

Q: Any last thoughts or comments?
Joe: Anyone can make quality biodiesel. There´s TONS of help available from those of us who´ve been doing it awhile and are passionate about it. The only dumb question is the one that goes unasked.