QUESTIONS/PROBLEMS

How do we produce a form of energy that can cut on air pollution?

What form of energy can replace the need for petro diesel after its exhaustion?

Is there a better form of energy that is more sustainable (A renewable form of energy)?

Future Energy: Bio-diesel from Elephant Grass

HYPOTHESIS

Ω IT IS BEING PROPOSED THAT COMPONENTS OF ELEPHANT GRASS CAN BE USED TO PRODUCE ENERGY THAT IS ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY.

SPECIFIC AIM

To use elephant grass to produce bio-fuels that would have little or no toxic residual gas

Producing a form of energy that serves as a close substitute and a possible replacement for petro-diesel?

To produce a renewable form of energy

• Trilinolein (focus)• Palmitoyldilinolein• Dipalmitoyllinolein

• Trilinolein (What a Beauty!)

Major Triglycerides present in Elephant Grass

14 15 16 17 18.2 18.1 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 32 3425

45

65

85

105

125

145

165

185

Series1

C ATOM NUMBER

ABUN

DAN

CE

(mg/

Kg)

Distribution of the Main Aliphatic series identified in the extracts of Elephant Grass (A): series of n-fatty acids in the cortex

Chemical Structure of Bio-diesel with Petro-diesel

Petro-diesel: Cetane Bio-diesel: FAME Petro-diesel: C-H Bio-diesel: C=O, C-

H, C-O

Bio-diesel Petro-diesel Ethanol/Butanol

Energy (Kgcal/mol)

2550 2418.2 326.6

Sulfur Content 0.0015 max 0.050 max

Pour Point

Flash Point (C) >130 >62 13-14

Acid Value

Kinematic Viscosity (40 C)

1.9-6.5 1.9-4.1 0.000000107

Comparison of Biodiesel with other forms of Energy

SCHEMATIC OF INDUSTRIAL PROCESS

Elephant Grass Source

Industrial Grinding Plant

N-alkanes Steroid Hydrocarbons

Extraction Plant

Triglycerides (Unsaturated)

N-fatty Alcohols

N-fatty acidsDiglycerides Monoglycerides

Hydrogenation Transesterification Plant

Mono alkyl Ester

Glycerol

Energy Conversion Mechanism

Energy Conversion Mechanism

Biodiesel Fuel Stations

Biodiesel Plants

Area (US): 9,826,675 sq km Area (Nigeria): 923,768 sq km

Potential Problems

• Viscosity Issues• Biodiesel Cars (Mechanical Engineers Work

Hard!-The chemist are done)

Environmental Effect of Biodiesel

• Livestock for Farm Animals• Deforestation– Water Erosion– Wind Erosion

• Biodiversity loss• Filter plugging