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Biofuels as an Alternative Energy Source ENST 480 Final Paper Spring 2008 Alex Whitaker and Megan McGillicuddy
Biofuels as an Alternative Energy Source
ENST 480 Final Paper
Spring 2008
Alex Whitaker and
Megan McGillicuddy
I: Biofuels as an Alternative to Petroleum
There exists an inherent and ever-looming problem with fossil fuels, currently the
world’s dominant energy source. This dilemma centers on the fuel’s limited
sustainability, not only in terms of its formation based on geologic factors, but also in
terms its negative environmental and economic effects. Thus, there is a need for change
in our mode of energy production to protect both our way of life and the planet that
sustains us. While biofuels are not the only solution to the impending energy crisis, they
represent one way in which humans can begin to replace fossil fuels’ overwhelming
monopoly over our society.
Biofuels can be defined as any type of fuel derived from living organisms, or
biomass1. Common sources of biomass include a wide range of plants, algae and some
animal waste products. Since almost all energy in living things is obtained (directly or
indirectly) from the sun, biofuel is in principle a form of solar energy. Energy from the
sun is readily available, thus making biofuel a renewable resource. Petroleum on the
other hand comes from ancient plants that died in silt beds and were pressurized over
millions of years until they became oil2. Because of the colossal timescale of this
process, petroleum-based fuels are non-renewable; in other words, there is only a finite
amount of fossil fuel in the earth and it could run out, or become economically unfeasible
to obtain, at any time3. It is estimated that 995 billion barrels of crude oil remain
underground which can be mined at reasonable production costs. If this assessment is
taken to be true, “cheap” oil would run out by the year 2025 and a majority of oil wells
1 Tickell 2003 2 Tickell 2003 3 Tickell 2003
would be dry by 20404. While these figures are only educated guesses, they emphasize
the seriousness of the problem facing humanity.
Yet even if there was an endless supply of fossil fuel, the environmental damage
that its use causes to the earth could not be upheld for long without serious consequences.
Fossil fuels are burned to release their stored energy for a variety of uses including
electricity, space heating and transportation. In doing so, a wide variety of pollutants are
released into the atmosphere. For example, the combustion of one gallon of diesel
liberates 22.2 pounds of carbon dioxide into the air; carbon dioxide is a chief greenhouse
gas and contributes to global climate change5 6. Other pollutants released by fossil fuels
include sulfur, volatile organic compounds and small particulates, all of which
contaminate the atmosphere. Indeed, several studies have shown that biofuels release
fewer of these pollutants upon combustion than regular fuels7 8.
Most importantly, renewable biofuels are carbon-neutral, meaning that they
release little net carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Burning any type of biofuel will
release carbon dioxide into the air (usually less than fossil fuels); however, this amount is
offset by the sequestration of carbon while growing the biomass sources9. Essentially, a
soybean plant captures nearly as much carbon dioxide during its lifetime as is released
when soy biofuel is burned. Thus, one can see that fossil fuels actually reintroduce
carbon that has been locked up in the earth’s crust for millions of years back into the
atmosphere, disrupting the planets natural carbon cycle. Biofuels have also been cited as
4 Tickell 2003 5 Tickell 2003 6 www.epa.gov/oms/climate/ 7 Wu 1998 8 Hill et al. 2006 9 Tickell 2003
less hazardous to the environment in case of leakage, unlike the immensely destructive
effects of oil spills10. The one area in which biofuels do not perform well is the emission
of the greenhouse gas NOx, which is slightly higher (an average of 10%) than fossil fuel
levels11 12.
Not surprisingly, biofuels have become much more competitive with petroleum in
the last five years, both economically and logistically. Because fuel prices remained at
low levels during the 1980’s and 1990’s, there was little incentive for the average
consumer to pursue other options. But these low prices did not represent the true cost of
petroleum to society; this phenomenon is known as an externality. In this case, there are
negative externalities associated with petroleum because of the environmental damage it
causes and because of the U.S. government’s oil subsidy13. Yet today’s rising oil prices
(despite still having negative externalities) have made alternative fuels economically
feasible for the first time since the gasoline shortages of 1973 and 1974, the last intense
period of biofuel research14. It is also becoming more apparent that purchasing fossil fuel
from foreign countries leaves the United States vulnerable to sudden policy changes and
supports foreign economies while shrinking our own15.
These issues, along with a renewed sentiment of environmentalism in our society
due to the increased possibility of global climate change, have driven both biofuel supply
and demand higher. Thus, the cost of biofuel is remaining constant, so only the
continuing rise of oil prices or government intervention can make this alternative fuel
10 Wu 1998 11 Jensen 2005 12 Calais and Clark 2004 13 Hill et al. 2006 14 Wu 1998 15 Tickell 2003
economically truly viable. In Germany, where their vegetable oil fuel is not taxed,
biodiesel costs 25% less than petroleum diesel16. If similar modifications could be made
to American laws, widespread biofuel use could help to reduce the country’s carbon
footprint and help to create a sustainable energy plan for the future.
II: Sources of Biofuel
Biofuels can be produced from various different sources, often dependant on geography
and seasonal availability. In addition, these fuels can be utilized for different means of
energy production. For this project, the focus was primarily on biofuel for transportation
means. Currently, the most common biofuel used for transportation is corn ethanol,
which is blended with gasoline. This blend can be used in all gasoline vehicles without
modification at low ethanol concentrations (<10%); higher percentages of ethanol require
some engine modification, including higher rates of fuel injection to accompany the
biofuel’s decreased efficiency compared to gasoline. In 2005, 1.48 x 1010 liters of
ethanol were produced from corn, representing 1.72% of U.S. gasoline usage17. While
the inclusion of corn ethanol is a vital step in the widespread use of biofuels, it is not a
viable or satisfactory replacement for gasoline. In terms of energy output, ethanol
releases only 25% more energy than needed for its production from corn and for the
distilling process. This value is low compared to other biofuels18. In addition,
combustion of corn ethanol decreases greenhouse gas emissions by only 12% compared
to gasoline due to the release of various nitrates and nitrites, and due to the intense
fermenting process needing for its creation. One must also consider social issues like
16 Jensen 2005 17 Hill et al. 2006 18 Hill et al. 2006
rising food demand; this makes utilizing a staple crop like corn for biofuels less plausible
for long-term use19.
An alternative to corn ethanol is vegetable oil, which is usually derived from
soybean oil. While unused vegetable oil is functional as a fuel, it is more economically
efficient to use waste vegetable oil from various food services. Whereas ethanol runs
regular combustion engines engines, vegetable oil runs on diesel engines only; this type
of engine has no electrical components, unlike gasoline engines. Thus, the starter
involves igniting the fuel itself at high pressure, which works well only for long carbon
chains such as those found in vegetable oil.20 Fittingly, the diesel engine was invented by
Rudolf Diesel for use with biofuels; at the World Exhibition of 1900 in Paris, Diesel ran
his engine on peanut oil in front of a stunned crowd21. However, after Diesel’s death in
1913, the diesel engine was forced to run on the most economical fuel available, and a
diesel-compatible petroleum fuel was chosen22.
Stemming from Diesel’s invention over a hundred years ago, two main
approaches to using vegetable oil in vehicles have arisen. One is the straight vegetable
oil (SVO) option, where the vehicle is modified to have both a petroleum diesel tank and
a waste oil tank. The vegetable oil is prepared using simple filters to remove any food
particles and then poured directly into the waste oil tank. This tank is connected to the
engine along with the petroleum diesel tank, so that the driver can switch between the
two types of fuel. This is necessary because straight vegetable oil needs to be heated
19 Hill et al. 2006 20 Tickell 2003 21 Calais and Clark 2004 22 Tickell 2003
briefly by petroleum before it has a low enough viscosity to run the engine23. The other
approach is biodiesel synthesis, where the vegetable oil is chemically altered into a
viable, standalone fuel. Making biodiesel from vegetable oil is an involved process than
requires several steps and knowledge of chemistry techniques. However, once finished,
this biodiesel can be run on existing diesel engines with very limited modification24.
These discrepancies in functionality relate to the fuels’ chemical compositions.
All vegetable oil is composed of triglycerides, the basic unit of fat. Triglycerides
consist of a glycerol head and three fatty acid chains bound to the head through esters25.
Pure vegetable oils (hence triglycerides) often solidify under low temperatures due to
polymerization and auto-oxidation; they are also viscous at room temperature for the
same reason. This fact explains why straight vegetable oil engines must be started on
petroleum diesel before the waste oil can be used26. Creating biodiesel is then essentially
a way to lower the oil’s melting point and make it less viscous. This is done through
“transesterification”, or cleaving the ester bonds between the fatty acid tails and the
glycerol head. Glycerol is then eliminated, leaving only the fatty acids which can be
easily combusted in diesel engines27.
While the exact vehicle conversions will be covered in the economics section,
converting one’s automobile to run on either of these fuels has wide-ranging
ramifications. For one thing, the U.S. Department of Energy reports that the production
and use of biodiesel results in a net 78.5% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions when
23 Tickell 2003 24 Tickell 2003 25 Calais and Clark 2004 26 Calais and Clark 2004 27 Calais and Clark 2004
compared to that of petroleum28. Vegetable oil also releases far less nitrogen and
phosphorous than corn ethanol29. Additionally, straight vegetable oil and biodiesel will
provide a vehicle with just as much power as petroleum diesel and few problems are
reported in short-term engine performance30. However, the long-term effects of
vegetable oil on diesel engines are a point of contention. Some studies show that
prolonged use of SVO can “coke up” or leave carbon deposits on the pistons, resulting in
erratic engine performance31. However, it is also pointed out that these deposits occur
when vegetable oil is used at low temperatures and can be avoided by proper heating
upon starting the engine32. Studies also suggest that vegetable oil would have less of an
effect on engines if it were blended with diesel petroleum; this is true for biodiesel as
well, although there is very limited information available on this fuel’s effect on
engines33. Many critics also decry the use of petroleum in straight vegetable oil engines,
saying that this technology is ultimately still dependant on fossil fuel. While this is true,
SVO can be considered as a gateway to other biofuels because of its ease of use. Also,
because waste vegetable oil is used, there is little effect on the world’s impending food
shortage.
A final and exploratory type of biofuel is cellulosic ethanol. This fuel, while
identical in composition and use to corn ethanol, comes from grasses and woody plants.
Ethanol coming from these sources would release nearly 300% of the energy that is taken
to grow them when accounting for biomass co-generation and the use of marginal land34.
28 http://epa.gov/OMS/smartway/growandgo/documents/420f06068.pdf 29 Hill et al. 2006 30 Calais and Clark 2004 31 Jones and Peterson 2002 32 Calais and Clark 2004 33 Jones and Peterson 2002 34 Hill et al. 2006
In addition, producing ethanol in this fashion does not interfere with food production like
when it is derived from corn. If plants like switchgrass could be produced in mass
quantities with minimal energy input, they could become a viable fuel source. However,
more work must be done to make the conversion to ethanol more efficient and to increase
crop yields35.
III: Economics and Logistics of Biofuels at Colgate
Colgate’s utilization of biofuels would have many benefits. Not only would their use
decrease Colgate’s carbon footprint, but they could also be a financially viable
alternative. The campus sustains a fleet of four shuttle buses known as the “Colgate
Cruisers”: two 2004 International 3200’s and two 2006 International 3200’s. There are
two main cruisers that each travel approximately 700 miles in one week, while two
express cruisers travel 250 miles a week. With each cruiser running at 8 miles per gallon
of petroleum diesel, and oil prices at record highs, it is important to look for alternative
options to fuel the cruiser. The Colgate cruisers are run and owned by Birnie Bus and
they currently pay $4.49/gallon of diesel fuel from Valero gas station. Colgate spends
roughly $1,021 a week on petroleum diesel for all four cruisers; this means that $342.61
is spent on fueling one main cruiser for the week (as of April 21 2008; See appendix).
Since the cruisers are run by diesel engines, the most practical alternative fuel for
Colgate should be derived from vegetable oil. One environmentally friendly option is to
run the cruisers on biodiesel. Biodiesel is safe, renewable and performs in all diesel
engines. The Federal Register defines renewable fuel as oil that is used for motor vehicle
that replaces the quantity of fossil fuel present in the fuel mixture. It further defines
35 Hill et al. 2006
biodiesel as a fuel substitute produced from non-petroleum source36. Although no
modifications need to be made to the vehicle when running on biodiesel, vehicle
maintenance must be considered. Biodiesel acts as a solvent and dissolves petroleum
deposits in the bottom of fuel lines and tanks; as a result, filters will have to be changed
more frequently.37
Since biodiesel is a registered fuel and fuel additive, it can either be bought
locally at Tri Tank Corporation in Syracuse, NY. The biofuel sold at Tri Tank is B20
fuel and is a blend of 80% petroleum diesel and 20 % biodiesel, and is sold from the
pump at $4.789/gal. In Oneonta, NY, the Mirabito Fuel Group distributes B100 fuel
(100% biodiesel), sold at the pump for $4.479/gal. Both locations are over an hour away
from Colgate University, and these prices are higher than those of petroleum diesel38.
Therefore, for economic reasons Colgate should not consider purchasing biodiesel from
such a distribution center.
If biodiesel is not purchased, it can be made from vegetable oil, methanol, and lye
in a lab. In order to use biodiesel, it must first meet registration requirement for fuels and
fuel additives established by the EPA Clean Air Act39. This is because biodiesel
production facilities must be EPA certified to form a legal operation and to maintain a
warranty on the vehicle40.
Today, nearly all engine companies approve of the use of B20 biofuel, and only
some have specified that any kind of biodiesel must meet the ASTM D-6751 (American
36 Federal Register 2007 37 Tickell 2003 38 Mapquest.com 39 Federal Register 2007 40 “Standards and Warranties” Biodiesel.org
Society for Testing and Materials) Specification for Biodiesel Fuel Blend (B100)41. The
BQ-90000 Quality management program, part of the National Biodiesel Accreditation
Program, certifies companies that are activity producing and marketing standardized
biodiesel that meet ASTM-D specifications; the certification lasts for three years. First,
there is an application fee of $1,000. Additionally, an audit fee of $2,000 for Colgate to
produce EPA certified biodiesel is also charged42.
Furthermore, to produce biodiesel one would need a lab, a large supply of
methanol, lye and other chemicals, as well as a processor; each contributes to a
substantial processing cost. Biodiesel processors range from $3,000- 8,000, producing
one gallon of biodiesel for every gallon of filtered vegetable oil43. The Freedom Fuel
Biodiesel Processor sells for $2,995.00 and a 10% discount is added when sold to
schools. The processor makes 40 gallons of washed biodiesel in twenty four hours (160
gallons with expansion tanks), and requires only 30 minutes of actual hands on time44.
Waste vegetable oil would be collected for free from downtown restaurants to use as a
starting material; the collection is described in more detail in the following section.
Additionally, New York State charges a tax on all fuels. If Colgate were to consider
producing its own biodiesel, the University would have to pay a diesel tax (includes 24.4
cpg federal excise tax) at 64.7 cents per gallon45.
Another “green” alternative to petroleum is to convert one Colgate cruiser to run
on straight waste vegetable oil. The vegetable oil does not have to be converted into any
form of biodiesel; however, several adjustments must me made to the vehicle itself (See
41 Federal Register 2007 42 http://www.bq-9000.org/ 43 www.homebiodieselkit.com 44 www.homebiodieselkit.com 45 http://newyorkgasprices.com/tax_info.aspx
Figure 1). A vegetable oil tank is installed and the heating hoses of the diesel engine are
modified. An additional solenoid valve and filter is added for the vegetable oil line and a
return line is positioned to run back into the vegetable oil tank. Once vegetable oil is
heated to around 125 oF by the engine coolant system, its viscosity is comparable to that
of petroleum and the engine can then be switched to run on vegetable oil. This status can
be seen on an internal temperature gauge on the dashboard. The engine must also be
changed back to petroleum diesel via the internal 3-way switch to purge the vegetable oil
before the vehicle is shut down. The Greasecar Conversion kit includes all of these parts
and would cost approximately $3,500 including an installation fee46.
Waste vegetable oil could be obtained at no cost from Hamilton restaurants and
Colgate dining halls. Currently these businesses pay between ten and fifty dollars a
month for a collection company to remove their waste vegetable oil. If all of these
restaurants were to donate their waste vegetable oil to Colgate with no pickup fee, up to
200 gallons of vegetable oil per week could be obtained (See Appendix). Interestingly,
the village of Hamilton has no regulations or taxes on vegetable oil collection. Once
collected, a starter and polishing filter would be used to remove water, food particles, and
hydrogenated oils from the vegetable oil through gravity filtration. Filtered oil, appearing
translucent and amber-colored, can be either pumped into the car using a 12-volt DC
pump kept in the vehicle or a 110-Volt AC pump plugged into wall socket at home; pump
prices range from $50-20047. It is important to keep in mind that in cold weather
vegetable oil must be heated first before pumped into the vehicle.
46 www.greasecar.com 47 www.homebiodieselkit.com
Unfortunately, modifying a car to run on any other fuel than what was designed
for is a violation of the Clean Air Act. Vegetable oil is not approved as motor vehicle
fuel by the EPA48. In addition, the vehicle may lose its warranty after conversion since
vegetable oil car conversions are not legal through the EPA49. In order to continue using
a converted vehicle, Colgate would have to register as a diesel motor fuel distributor and
may have to pay a $2,500 to New York State Department of Department of Taxation and
Finance (Form TP-650). Additionally, a tax return would be filed every month since the
vehicle would not be running on diesel fuel50.
Rules and regulations aside, a “green” cruiser at Colgate would certainly be
possible. Out of the 200 gallons of waste vegetable oil collected from food services
around town, approximately one third is unusable waste products (food particles, fat, etc.)
that need to be filtered out. Once filtered, the remaining 133 gallons could be used for
conversion into biodiesel, or to fuel a converted cruiser that is able to run on straight
vegetable oil. We also need to take into account that vegetable oil is around 80%
efficient compared to petroleum diesel51. With that said, Colgate is left with roughly 107
gallons/ week of petroleum equivalent. The main cruiser travels 700 miles per week at 8
miles per gallon, thus using only 88 gallons of fuel a week. Therefore it is possible for
one Colgate Cruiser to be run almost exclusively on vegetable oil with a diesel primer,
and still have extra vegetable oil leftover for emergencies. As noted earlier, if the Home-
Biodiesel-Kit processor were to be used, one gallon of filtered vegetable oil is equivalent
to one gallon of biodiesel.
48 Federal Register 2007 49 http://epa.gov/OMS/smartway/growandgo/documents/420f06068.pdf 50 Robert Williams, Representative of New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, interviewed by author, Hamilton, NY, May 1, 2008. 51 Tickell 2003
The use of both biodiesel and waste vegetable oil fuels reduce emissions, both are
renewable, biodegradable and carbon neutral, and both reduce sulfur and soot. From an
environmental point of view, one cannot go wrong with either of these options.
However, when considering time and money, waste vegetable oil is a better option for
Colgate (See Figure 2). It seems that the most economically savvy option is to utilize the
waste vegetable oil from downtown restaurants and to convert one of the Colgate
Cruisers to run on SVO. This option requires initial upfront costs of buying a Greasecar
kit for approximately $2,500 (we will need a consultation to gauge the exact price), the
NY state bond, purchasing a vegetable oil pump at $50 and paying a mechanic; this will
raise this up-front investment to roughly $ 5,500.
After the conversion from a straight diesel engine to a SVO system, there are very
few future expenditures. Once a week someone must collect the oil from each restaurant
and oversee the gravity filtration process. Collection and filtration should take no longer
than 3 hours and could be paid for at a wage of $25/hour. A lab does not have to be set
up to convert the vegetable oil to biofuel, meaning this time-intensive and constant
conversion procedure does not figure into the cost. Since the cruisers are always running,
vegetable oil only has to be heated up one time at startup; little petroleum diesel would be
used. Applicable diesel taxes would need to be paid for SVO as well.
As noted earlier, burning one gallon of diesel fuel releases 22.2 pounds of carbon
dioxide into the atmosphere. While it is difficult to provide a specific factor by which
burning straight vegetable oil reduces greenhouse gas emissions, studies generally set this
value at around 75%52. Applying these numbers to Colgate means that one full-time
cruiser using 88 gallons of petroleum diesel per week releases approximately .97 tons of
52 Tickell, 2003.
carbon dioxide in that time. If a cruiser were to be run on vegetable oil and assuming
minimum diesel startup time, the use of 110 gallons (adjusting for SVO efficiency of
80%) would release around .3 tons of carbon dioxide. Therefore, Colgate would reduce
carbon dioxide emissions by nearly .67 tons per week for one cruiser by this approach. If
the University were considering buying carbon offsets valued at $12 per ton and
assuming that a Cruiser runs 30 weeks out of the year, this would save the University
$240 per year.
In conclusion, we believe that the conversion of a Colgate Cruiser to run on
straight vegetable oil would be the most economically and environmentally-friendly way
for the University to contribute to lowering carbon emissions and to help in the fight for
energy sustainability.
IV: Figures
Figure 1: Diagram of a Two Tank Conversion.
(http://members.iinet.net.au/~hit4six/public_html/oztayls/My%20WVO%20Conversion-fuel%20diagram2.pdf)
Figure 2: Cost comparison of Alternative Fuel Options for one Colgate Cruiser.
Waste Vegetable Oil
Colgate Made Biodiesel
Purchased Biodiesel
Petroleum Diesel
Source of Vegetable Oil
Free Free -- --
Additives
--
Methanol: $1.50/gal (methanex.com) =$28.95/week Lye: $ 3.78/lb (www.certified-lye.com/) = $18.95/week
--
--
Pick up/delivery to Colgate
$75/week $75/week -- --
Vehicle Conversion + Mechanic
~ $3,500 -- -- --
Biodiesel Processor
-- $2,695.5 -- --
Pump $50 $50 -- --
Bonds/Fees $ 2,500 bond must be paid to state because WVO is not yet approved by EPA’s clean air act.
$1,000 application fee to be approved by ASTM quality standards + $2,000 audit fee for certification = $3,000
-- --
Diesel Tax for New York State:
64.7 cents/ gallon= $56.61/ week (assuming 87.5 gallons/week are used on one cruiser)
64.7 cents/ gallon= $56.61/ week (assuming 87.5 gallons/week are used on one cruiser)
64.7 cents/ gallon= $56.61/ week (assuming 87.5 gallons/week are used on one cruiser)
64.7 cents/ gallon= $56.61/ week (assuming 87.5 gallons/week are used on one cruiser)
Final Cost To Run One Cruiser
$131.61/week $179.51/week Tri Tank Corp, Syracuse: $401.53/week Mirabito, Oneonta: $391.91/week
$392.86/week
V: APPENDIX: Contacts: Mike Rozzati from Birnie Bus � 315-824-1260. Representative at Birnie Bus Joe Kidd � [email protected]. Mechanic at SUNY Morrisville Ethan Olmstead � [email protected]. Representative at Greasecar Werner Gysin � [email protected]. Local SVO user Mike Jasper � [email protected]. Associate Director of Grounds at Colgate New York State Department of Taxation and Finance � 1-800-462-8100
Biofuel Distribution Centers:
Tri Tank Corp (1 hr 6 min, 54.82 miles according to Mapquest) B20: $4.589/ gallon bought at pump (4/21/08) 114 Farrell Road Syracuse, NY 13209 315-451-8663
Mirabito Fuel Group (1 hr 5min, 48.6 miles away according to Mapquest) B100: $4.479/gal bought at pump (4/21/08) 10 Carbon Street Oneonta, NY 13820 607-432-5100 John Ray and Sons (2 hrs 15 min, 124.8 miles) B5, B20 2900 Sixth Ave Troy, NY 12180 518-272-4432
Sprague Energy (2 hrs 14 min, 123.54 miles) B20 540 Riverside Drive Rensselaer, NY 12144
Biodiesel Conversion: http://www.homebiodieselkits.com/frasqu.html
Waste Oil Conversions:
One jug of oil = 35 lbs = 3.5 gallons One jug of oil = $37.04 (a couple of years ago used to be ~ $11) One waste barrel = 55 gallons
Waste Oil Disposal:
The company that comes to pick up oil from downtown restaurants charges between $50-65 per visit according to Nichols and Beal. However, New York Pizzeria reported that they pay $10 a visit. Waste Vegetable Oil Restaurant Summary:
Colgate Dining Halls: 600 lbs/week Where does the waste oil go? Donated to biofuel users. Numero Uno: 35 lbs/week. Where does the waste oil go? Restaurant pays a company comes to pick up a barrel a month. Is the restaurant willing to donate its waste oil? Yes. Parkside Deli: 245 lbs/week. Where does the waste oil go? Restaurant pays a company comes to pick up a barrel a month. Is the restaurant willing to donate its waste oil? Yes.
Oliveri’s Pizzeria: 105 lbs/week Where does the waste oil go? Restaurant pays company to pick up waste oil. Roughly 2 barrels of oil are picked up each month Is the restaurant willing to donate its waste oil? Yes. Colgate Inn: 210 lbs/week Where does the waste oil go? The restaurant pays a company to remove oil roughly one time a month. Is the restaurant willing to donate its waste oil? It is interested in donating; however the manager is considering using the oil to fuel his company cars. Nichols and Beal: 210 lbs/week Where does the waste oil go? The restaurant pays a company to remove oil every 1.5 weeks. It costs $50-65 per visit. Is the restaurant willing to donate its waste oil? Yes. Main Moon: 122 lbs/ week Where does the waste oil go? Restaurant pays company to pick up waste oil. Is the restaurant willing to donate its waste oil? Maybe. New York Pizzeria (Slices): 140 gal/ week (70 lbs every 4 days) Where does the waste oil go? A Company from Rochester picks it up. Every pick up costs $10.00. Is the restaurant willing to donate its waste oil? Maybe. Pizza Hut: 123 lbs/week
Where does the waste oil go? No waste oil because they do not use deep-fryers. McDonald’s: Where does the waste oil go? The McDonalds chain has a contract with H& K company. All of the waste oil goes to that company. Is the restaurant willing to donate its waste oil? No. VJ’s Diner: 111-140 lbs/ week Where does the waste oil go? Restaurant pays company to get rid of waste oil. Is the restaurant willing to donate its waste oil? Yes. Hamilton Club House: 105 lbs Where does the waste oil go? Waste oil is picked up every couple of months. Is the restaurant willing to donate its waste oil? Yes.
Biofuel Recipe Calculator: http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/recipecalculator/ 87.5 gallons of oil /week, 22% methanol (19.3 gal), 5.00 M lye (75.9 oz) SOURCES:
1. “Biodiesel Accreditation Program.” www.bq-9000.org. Accessed 4/18/2008.
2. Calais, P. and Clark, A.R. (2004) Waste Vegetable Oil as a Diesel Replacement Fuel. Murdoch University and Western Australian Renewable Fuels Association, Western Australia.
3. “Emission Facts.” www.epa.gov. Accessed 4/17/2008.
4. Federal Register. (2007) Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: Renewable Fuel
Standard Program; Final Rule. Part II: Environmental Protection Agency. (72): 83. pp. 23900-24012.
5. “Freedom Fuel Biodiesel Processor.” www.homebiodieselkit.com. Accessed
4/18/2008.
6. “Greasecar Vehicle Conversions.” http://www.greasecar.com. Accessed 4/17/2008.
7. “Grow & Go: Frequent Questions”. EPA: Smart way Gro & GO.
(http://epa.gov/OMS/smartway/growandgo/documents/420f06068.pdf). Accessed 4/16/2008.
8. Hill, J; Nelson, E; Tilman, D; Polasky, S; Tiffany, D. (2006) Environmental Economic and Energetic Costs and Benefits of Biodiesel and Ethanol Biofuels. PNAS. (103): 30. pg. 11206-11210.
9. Jensen, P. (2005) Unmodified Vegetable Oil as an Automotive Fuel. Institute for
Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) Report, Issue 74. 10. Jones, J. and Peterson, C.L. (2002) Using unmodified Vegetable Oil as a Diesel
Fuel Extender University of Idaho, U.S.A.
11. “New York Gas Prices and Taxes.” Accessed 4/18/2008. http://newyorkgasprices.com/tax_info.aspx
12. Robert Williams, Representative of New York State Department of Taxation and
Finance, interviewed by author, Hamilton, NY, May 1, 2008.
13. “Standards and Warranties.” “Benefits of Biodiesel.”http://www.biodiesel.org/ Accessed 4/18/2008.
14. Tickell, J. “From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank: The Complete Guide to Using
Vegetable Oil as an Alternative Fuel.” Tickell Energy. Hollywood, CA; 2003.
15. Wu, Corinna. (1998) Filler ‘Er Up.. With Veggie Oil: Vegetable Oils are Moving from the Kitchen Table to the Car Engine. Science News. (154): 23. pg. 364.
