Team 9: Oil from [the] Soil

Our [Chemical Engineering] Team: Brooke Buikema Stephen Gabbadon Mike Workman Hwok-Chuen Lee

Presentation outline:  Project Description  Original & Revised Approaches  Extraction  Transesterification  Tasks Completed  Future Plans

Our Project: Goal: To chemically extract seed oil from the Jatropha plant and convert it to Biodiesel TWO Step Process: 1. Extraction 2. Conversion

Our Project: Seeds ExtractionConversion BiodieselSeed Oil

Original Approach: MECHANICAL Seed Oil Biodiesel Conversion Extraction CHEMICAL

Revised Approach: SOLVENT EXTRACTION TRANSESTERIFICATION CONVERSION

Solvent extraction: Feasibility  Using Hexane Extraction  Yield  Quality  Conversion

Transesterification Obstacles:  Availability of Chemicals  Safe handling  Variables of Optimization

Transesterification conversion: Feasibility  Established Method  Operates in batch  Minimized complexity  Batch Reactor  Common chemicals  NaOH and Methanol  Lowered Costs BATCH REACTOR

Preliminary Design: Hexane Extraction Batch Reactor NaOH Methanol Oil Biodiesel Glycerin Methanol Sodium Hydroxide Waste

Tasks Completed:  Senior design deliverables  Preliminary research  Equipment and chemicals chosen

What’s ahead…  Continuing research  Locating reliable seed source  Ordering of chemicals  Second Semester:  Experiments  Prototype construction  Test  Optimize

Thank You