http://baylorlariat.com/2015/03/03/biodiesel-experiments-fueling-students-future/
[images in on-line article]
Biodiesel experiments fueling students’ future
March 03
By Dane Chronister
Reporter
Pearland sophomore Mark McComb and Dr. Larry Lehr, senior lecturer of
environmental science, took their biodiesel project to the Baylor
Science Building’s labs for the first time last week in order to grasp
better understanding its abilities.
In the next few weeks, Lehr and McComb plan to travel to Abilene
Christian University in order to work with the biodiesel reactor
alongside another group of scientists to see what they need to improve
or change in their own process.
Through a process known as transesterification, vegetable oils, animal
fats and used restaurant that can be used in diesel engines as an
alternate, renewable form of energy. grease are converted into biodiesel.
“This chemical reaction conversion long-chain mono alkyl esters or fatty
acid methyl esters which compose biodiesel when used as a fuel,” McComb
said.
The B20 blend is 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum. With the
use of this form of biodiesel, engine upgrades do not need to be made
because the majority of the biodiesel is still petroleum.
For Baylor’s environmental goals and for McComb’s experimental purposes,
B20 would be the most cost-effective and available form of biodiesel.
Pure biodiesel is the cleanest form of fuel that burns the least amount
of pollution, but would call for engine conversions.
Using this B20 version of fuel allows for the extension of current oil
supplies by reducing the percentage of petroleum diesel that is
consumed, since 20 percent of the product is biodiesel.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s website, “Biodiesel
will gel in cold weather, just like regular diesel fuel. But B20 can be
treated for winter use, in similar ways that No. 2 diesel is treated.
Using B20 throughout the winter months just takes a little preparation
and good fuel management practices.”
McComb said he hopes that Baylor’s campus transportation could one day
run primarily on this form of renewable energy.
Ingredients in his experiment included a stock solution for the
titration, which consisted of one liter of distilled water and one gram
of catalyst, which is a Potassium Hydroxide solution. He also used 99
percent Isopropyl Alcohol, four drops of Phenolphthalein, one milliliter
of cooking oil and 250 milliliters of Methanol to create Methoxide.
McComb created biodiesel that will later be sent to a lab for testing
required by the Environmental Protection Agency for safe and protected
usage.
“Even though Mark is a sophomore, he is motivated and capable of
handling this project. It’s great because I can step out of the lab, if
I ever need to, and know that Mark is going to be safe and not blow you
guys up,” Lehr said.
Even as they worked in the lab for this new breakthrough in energy, Lehr
warned McComb against being careless and irresponsible.
The gallon-to-gallon yield of the B20 biodiesel is around eight percent
more energy than regular diesel gasoline and fewer nitrates are produced
in the pollution process.
“One of the benefits of using biodiesel is it’s a lot better on the
engine. It’s cleaner, it lubricates the oil better and it helps your
engine run more smoothly, especially for older diesel engine that don’t
have the best working catalytic converters,” McComb said.
He used a 99 percent alcohol instead of 91 percent, which had no drastic
effect on the experiment. He also found that for every liter of cooking
oil or fry grease, 7.2 grams of catalyst would be needed to make the
proper conversion.
“It’s really cool being a sophomore and being able to do research
because I don’t know a lot of sophomores or even undergrads that get to
do this kind of research this early. I could possibly make my career,”
McComb said.
_______________________________________________
Sustainablelorgbiofuel mailing list
Sustainablelorgbiofuel@lists.sustainablelists.org
http://lists.eruditium.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel