UIUC BIODIESEL INITIATIVE ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS Great Lakes Regional Conference Local Projects Focus

Mission Statement The UIUC Biodiesel Initiative is a local project focused primarily on lowering the emissions of the university and promoting education of renewable fuel sources. Our team strives to make the UIUC Biodiesel Initiative a model for university and community biodiesel production.

Agenda  Project Briefing  Similar projects at other universities  Starting a project at your university  Questions Picture from

Biodiesel basics  Biodiesel is an alternative fuel to petroleum diesel that is more campus- and environmentally-friendly  When produced from waste vegetable oil, it’s a very eco-friendly and economically-friendly fuel

Biodiesel basics  Cons of Biodiesel  Cold weather properties  Short shelf life  Warranties  Materials incompatibility  Pros of Biodiesel  Lower emissions  Renewable fuel source  Waste recycling  Cost savings  Produced and used locally

UIUC Biodiesel Initiative: From Fries to Fuel  Collect waste oil from dining halls  Buy other inputs (methanol and KOH) ‏  Perform the transesterification reaction  Separate the glycerin and rinse the biodiesel  Test the biodiesel  Implement fuel system for campus trucks and tractors

Waste oil collection  Waste vegetable oil from University Housing  serves >8000 students daily  ~400 gallons/week  7 Residence Halls across campus

Reaction  Biodiesel is a product of a transesterification reaction  Inputs:  Waste Vegetable Oil  Methanol  Catalyst (i.e. KOH) ‏  Reactions:  Heat to 55C for 2 hours  Outputs:  Glycerin  Biodiesel  The batch process can take place on a scale smaller than the Appleseed (water heater) or several times greater than our 400-gallon reactor soap-queen.blogspot.com

Reaction  Produces 400 gallons per batch.  1:1 ratio of WVO to Biodiesel  1:1 ratio of methanol to glycerin  Uses water to purify fuel.  Roughly a 4:1 water to waste oil ratio  Our 400 gal. reaction will require 1600 gal. water

Testing  As close as possible to ASTM Standards  7 tests reasonably assure quality  Viscosity  Specific Gravity  Acid Number  Water and Sediment  Cloud point  Flashpoint  Gas Chromatography

Integration  Splash blending in underground tank  Subsequent to positive testing results  Major ramifications if a bad batch enters underground tank  Testing is a crucial step  Biodiesel Blend will vary based on timing  First week: ~3% blend  Fourth week: ~18% blend

Future plans  Waste oil collection expands to  Private dining halls  Local restaurants  Algae  Excess biodiesel used in campus  Tractors  Buses  Outreach expands  Reactor as tool for education and research  Local community outreach  Agronomy Day, EOH, and other Learning Fairs  Exhibit at regional and national biodiesel conferences  Aid and encourage other biodiesel initiatives

Similar projects at other universities  CU Biodiesel- University of Colorado at Boulder  Small-scale reactor  Buy biodiesel and implement in all buses  Rice University Biodiesel Initiative  Started really small (200 mL batches) ‏  Starting this semester, produces 70 gallon batches for use in campus fleet Picture from

Starting a biodiesel project  Develop a goal  Find a market for your product  Simple, one or two customers to start  Check warranties  Find good contacts for consulting  Past EWB helpful professors or consultants  Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department  Waste Management and Research Center  Publicize and Apply for grants

Organizing a biodiesel project  UIUC Biodiesel  4 different steps WVO acquisition Reactor Design Testing Outreach  4 different committees  2 goals, production, outreach  Officers and Committee Leaders  X University Biodiesel  How many steps?  Committee framework or step-by-step implementation  Is production the main goal? Is outreach more important? Is there a third factor?  Formal hierarchy or more decentralized

Conducting a biodiesel project  Small-scale set-up  Architecture - mock-up  Build experience on small scale  Small-scale set-up has many future uses  Outreach  Publicity  Other oil sources (algae?) ‏

Barriers  Picking up and moving the WVO  Spill concerns at pick up  Finding a secure and proper location to react  Pickup truck and barrels at dining halls  Secondary containment and spill kit  Facilities and Services Garage and Carpool ConcernsResolutions

Barriers  Safety for students  Where to grow?  Sustainability of the initiative  Developed guidelines for all participants  Expanding within university  Positive benefits insured over time ConcernsResolutions

A happy ending  Demand for biodiesel soared over the past semester  The construction plans to construction services by October 17 th.  Modifications to be complete by the new year  Reactor construction to begin in January  Production to begin in February

Thank you  Dean Bruce Litchfield  Professor Alan Hansen  Doug Bennet- WMRC  Facilities and Services  UIUC Dining Services  Kraft Foods  ADM  Liftomatic

QUESTIONS?