120 likes | 383 Views
Wood Chemistry PSE 406. Bioenergy-Biodiesel. Agenda. Why biodiesel? How to make it? Possible sources Cars Biodiesel Bioethanol. Biodiesel. Biodiesel is not the same thing as raw vegetable oil. It is produced by a chemical process which removes the glycerol from the oil. Biodiesel
E N D
Wood ChemistryPSE 406 Bioenergy-Biodiesel
Agenda • Why biodiesel? • How to make it? • Possible sources • Cars • Biodiesel • Bioethanol
Biodiesel • Biodiesel is not the same thing as raw vegetable oil. It is produced by a chemical process which removes the glycerol from the oil. • Biodiesel • Domestic • Renewable • For diesel engines • Derived from natural oils
Why biodiesel? • Biodiesel • Biodegradable • Non-toxic • Lower gas emission that diesel when burned (reducing green house gases by at least 50%) • Commercially available in Europe and the USA
Biodiesel • Biodiesel is typically produced by a reaction of a vegetable oil or animal fat with an alcohol such as methanol or ethanol in the presence of a catalyst to yield mono-alkyl esters and glycerol, which is removed.
How? • Tranesterification: alcohol + ester → different alcohol + different ester • Base of acid as a catalyst • The oil is mixed with an alcohol, usually methanol or ethanol, and separated into methyl esters (biodiesel) and glycerol.
Rudolf Diesel “The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today,” he argued, “but such oils may become, in the course of time, as important as petroleum and the coal-tar products of the present time."
Possible sources • Vegetable oil (soy, canola, coconut etc.) • Recycled cooking oil (McDonald’s fryer) • Animal fats (fish oil)
Biodiesel cars • The same or higher fuel economy as diesel • A slight increase in fuel economy and a smoother running engine due to the cleaning and lubricating properties of the fuel. • Other benefits • Better smelling exhaust (french fries or a warm waffle iron). • Special materials required for fuel lines, hoses, valves, gaskets. • Spokane region (3-county region surrounding Spokane) • Waste cooking oil and locally grown canola or yellow mustard. • This 500,000 acres would produce enough oil to produce 25 million gallons of biodiesel.
Flexible-Fuel Vehicles (FFV) • Use E85 (85% ethanol and 15% gasoline) • Cost of FFV is similar to traditional gasoline vehicle • 1gallon of E85 provides the same energy as 0.72 gallons of gasoline (lower E content) • Special materials required for fuel lines, hoses, valves, gaskets, fuel tank (corrosive ethanol) • Washington state more than 35, 000 of FFVs (U.S. over 4 million FFVs) • Ford Focus, Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Stratus, Dodge Caravan, Chevrolet Avalanche