Biodiesel – using waste agricultural products to power school busesPart 1 - Synthesis

Presented to CONASTA 59 2010 by thePrimary Industry Centre for Science Education (PICSE)

Dr Robert Elliott(Dr) David Schaller – Macquarie Oils

Ms Anna Paice - UTAS

What is PICSE?• Primary Industry Centre for Science Education

based at UTAS

• National program

• 8 Activity Centres

• Attracting talented students to study science, suffering from major skills shortages

• Teacher PDs, class visits, Industry Placement Scholarship for yr 11/12, Science Camps yr 10, classroom resources, Science Investigation Awards yr 5-12

Industry Placement Scholarship

Learning Outcomes Make climate debate concrete

Understand carbon neutral fuel

Understand why BD (not straight veg oil)

Chemistry: fats, soap and biodiesel

Poor BD synthesis - leads to investigation, experimentation, development

Connections to curriculum Renewable fuels

Titration – acid/base

Saponification reaction

Organic compounds – naming

Esterification reaction

Factors effecting reaction rates, completion/equilibrium

Experimental design and process

Driving around the world on straight vegetable oil (SVO)

http://nrpw.com/rig.html

http://susty.com/image/drive10.jpg

(Biodiesel education project: Oil+Water -> http://www.naturalheroes.tv/vod.html )

Ignition by compression: no spark plug in diesels

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcQcfoanCU0&feature=related

High viscosity of straight vegetable oil (SVO)

http://sciencesquad.questacon.edu.au/activities/falling_marbles.html

http://bobbybilt-rhino.tripod.com/

Biodiesel vs vegetable oil (SVO)Viscosity --> fine spray

Demo

http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/159605551/m/725107971

http://www.biofuelsforum.com/svo_users/4379-direct_injection_landcruiser_factory_turbo_diesel_engine_insp_after_running_wvo.html

Engine damage from using straight vegetable oil (SVO)

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=206587&page=2

Biodiesel vs vegetable oil (SVO)Flammability (flash point)

Whoosh!

Converting fats to biodiesel

TG(Fat)

DG MG glycerol

+ + +

Safety

Flammable – alcohol Toxic- methanol Corrosive – caustic soda Heat/sparks...Image from http://www.odec.ca/projects/2006/bach6k2/discuss.htm

Biodiesel is non-toxic, but... making biodiesel...

Ethanol-based biodiesel demos?

The original Dr Pepper methanol protocol

Existing small scale ethanol-based lesson

Our adaptation of the Dr. Pepper protocol to ethanol

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/biodiesel.html#making

http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/

Or Small scale ethanol ref

+ H2O

Soap (FFAs)

+ alcohol

Biodiesel (FAMEs)

+ H2

Margarine+ H

2

Alkanes

Dry alcohol, dry NaOH, dry/fresh oil: <1% FFAs,

dry glassware, dry air

Soap + H2O + oil + shaking = ???

Have you ever tried to burn soap?

Bonus: why doesn't soap burn?

Making the catalyst with drain cleaner

http://www.northcoastchemicals.com.au/catalog/images/0210-2-shU1.JPG

+

Progress of the transesterification reaction

Burning glycerol makes a gummy mess you don't want in your engine!

http://www.impactlab.com/2008/08/14/marshmallow-cancer/

http://jumboempanadas.blogspot.com/2006/10/how-hard-could-it-be-to-make-fluffy.html

'Pre-wash' helps glycerol separate

+ 1 Tbs H

2O

100 ml + 20ml = approximately 150 ml

Washing with salt water† to remove contaminates: NaOH, ethanol, soap

Modifications to the Dr Pepper demo protocol

Use less toxic ethanol

Dry ethanol using polenta (or rock salt)(Optional?)

Longer reaction times (heat?)

Trigger glycerol separation with H2O prewash

Prevent emulsions with salt washeshttp://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/biodiesel.html#making

http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/

Or Small scale ethanol ref

Bob Elliott’s Biodiesel Protocol1. Add 30g NaOH to 200mL dry ethanol >95% in a conical flask, mix well. Use a

hotplate to dissolve catalyst in the alcohol if required.

2. Use an empty, completely dry 1.25L soft drink bottle or 1L separating funnel. Add 300mL of new vegetable oil (canola, soy bean, olive, poppy, almond etc) then add the dissolved catalyst+alcohol mix.

3. Gently shake by inverting bottle or funnel several times and leave to settle overnight, or compare different reaction times eg 5 mins, 10 mins, 20 mins, 30 mins.

4. Wash the biodiesel