biodiesel – using waste agricultural products to power school buses part 1 - synthesis
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Biodiesel – using waste agricultural products to power school buses Part 1 - Synthesis. Presented to CONASTA 59 2010 by the Primary Industry Centre for Science Education (PICSE) Dr Robert Elliott (Dr) David Schaller – Macquarie Oils Ms Anna Paice - UTAS. What is PICSE?. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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