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Biodiesel: or “Your fries give me gas”

Biodiesel: or “Your fries give me gas”. Who are we?. Jill Parlee Handel Callender. Objectives of this workshop. What is biodiesel The components of biodiesel production What equipment is required Fitting it all together Operating the business How it is done in Barbados

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Biodiesel: or “Your fries give me gas”

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  1. Biodiesel: or “Your fries give me gas”

  2. Who are we? • Jill Parlee • Handel Callender

  3. Objectives of this workshop • What is biodiesel • The components of biodiesel production • What equipment is required • Fitting it all together • Operating the business • How it is done in Barbados • Discover the feasibility of a business in Dominica • Some of the social, economic and environmental benefits

  4. What is Biodiesel? • Biodiesel is fuel from vegetable oil • The diesel engine was invented in 1895, and ran on peanut oil for 10 years • Biodiesel can be made from either new oil or used (waste cooking oil)

  5. Sources of feedstock • Restaurants • Hotels • Snackettes • School cafeterias • Cruiseships

  6. You can also grow your own fuel. • Dominica has a range of oil crops, coconut being the most popular • Coconut yields 2,260 kg oil/hectare • Jatropha yields 1,590 kg oil/hectare • Castor bean yields 1188 kg oil/hectare

  7. Raw materials needed • Vegetable oil (feedstock) • Methanol • Potassium Hydroxide or Sodium Hydroxide • Safety precautions: • Methanol is a highly toxic and flammable alcohol. Gloves, masks, long sleeved work clothes and a well ventilated area should be all accessible when working with it • Sodium Hydroxide is highly alkaline and will produce severe burns when in contact with skin

  8. The chemistry of biodiesel • Vegetable oil + Methanol + Potassium Hydroxide = Methylester (biodiesel) TRIGLYCERIDE MOLECULE (VEGE OIL)

  9. What’s the equipment you need? (piecing it together)

  10. Stage 1: Feedstock storage and pretreatment • You may need: • 55 gallon metal drums • 1000 litre containers • Water tanks • Large metal storage tanks • Some basic requirements for feedstock storage: • Ideally it should have a cone shaped • bottom • It should be able to take some heat • (up to70 Celsius) • It should have fittings to easily connect plumbing • It should be easily and safely filled • Additional components for feedstock storage: • A pump and plumbing fittings are needed to transfer prepared oil to reactor

  11. Stage 2: The Reactor You may need: • 55 gallon metal drum • HDPE prefabricated plastic container • Stainless steel vessel Some basic requirements for biodiesel reactor • It should be sealed or have a cover to prevent fume leaks • Ideally it should have a cone shaped bottom • It must have a pump or a high to medium speed mixer of some kind

  12. The Reactor cont. • It should be able to take heat. The reaction temp is optimal at around 55 Celsius • It should have fittings to easily connect plumbing • It should be easily and safely filled • Some welding may be required • Plumbing will be needed to transfer crude biodiesel to the wash stage

  13. The biodiesel reaction • Oil and methanol are mixed in the presence of a catalyst NaOH or KOH. • 100 Gallons of oil produces 80 gallons of biodiesel and 25 gallons of glycerin. • Glycerin can be disposed of as biodegradable waste, used as soap, or refined into pure glycerin.

  14. The biodiesel reaction

  15. Stage 3: Washing and drying the Biodiesel Washing biodiesel involves the removal of chemical impurities and soaps created in the production process, that would cause harm to a vehicle engine. Washing involves mixing water with the crude biodiesel Drying biodiesel requires the removal of water, via heat or settling, from the biodiesel after it has been washed. There is new technology now, that does allow for cleaning biodiesel without the use of water.

  16. Stage 3: Washing and drying the biodiesel cont.

  17. Stage 3: Washing and drying the biodiesel cont. You will need: • Thorough mixing of biodiesel and water via pumps or mixers • Application of heat for drying, to remove moisture from biodiesel after washing • Good drainage • Plumbing to transfer from washing to storage

  18. Treating the wash water • The water after washing, may contain traces of methanol, NaOH or KOH and some soaps. • Solar distillation seems to be an effective way to clean up water before disposal • Alternatively, investing in zero water technology may be possible with funding.

  19. Stage 4: Biodiesel storage and distribution You will need: • Tanks • Pump fed or gravity fed nozzles • Metering devices

  20. Economics of biodiesel • Inputs • Supply • Demand • Niche Market • Expenses • Revenues • Pricing structure • Business structure • Funding

  21. Raw material inputs Securing raw materials • Vege oil collection • Free? • Shared? • Strategic partnerships with suppliers? Friends? Communities? • Chemical importation costs • Shared? • Bulk? • Alternatives? • Concessions and incentives from Gov.

  22. Your market • Regular users • Power Generation • Public transport • Fishing industry • Private houses • High end users (yachts, etc.) • Supply to state controlled distributor

  23. Your expenses • Electricity • Used mainly to heat oil and biodiesel, and power pumps • Conventional? • Alternatives? • Water • Mainly for cleaning up biodiesel • Cleaning your water is a huge plus, even if it was originally free. • Human labour • Collecting oil • Processing biodiesel • Sales and marketing • Admin. • Fuel • Energy is also used in the vehicle to collect oil and drop off biodiesel • Where can you save?

  24. Your revenues • Developing the byproduct, glycerin • Unique opportunities exist in Dominica to develop assisting technologies • Coconut drying technology • Water harvesters • Coconut oil businesses specifically for biodiesel • How you generate income can influence your pricing structure, how you promote the fuel and your business philosophy.

  25. Business structure

  26. Why support biodiesel? • Biodiesel is produced primarily with local materials, significantly reducing foreign exchange expenditure • Reduced vulnerability to external fluctuations in fuel prices. • Improves Barbados’ image as an eco destination. • Provides a solution to current waste disposal problems and reduces costs incurred through disposal. • Health/environmental benefits due to use of the fuel. • Significant savings in health care costs • Job creation. • Establishes linkages to agriculture that might help solidify new avenues for the sector • Can take Barbados steps ahead to true sustainable development

  27. Benefits of biodiesel • Health/Environment • Reduction of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) by 100% • Reduction of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions by 100% • Reduction of soot emissions by 40-60% • Reduction of carbon monoxide (CO) emissions by 10-50% • Reduction of hydrocarbon (HC) emissions by 10-50% • Reduction of all polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and specifically the reduction of the following carcinogenic PAHs: • Reduction of phenanthren by 97% • Reduction of benzofloroanthen by 56% • Reduction of benzapyren by 71% • Reduction of aldehydes and aromatic compounds by 13% • Reduction or increase in nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions by 5-10% depending on the age and type of engine.

  28. Benefits of biodiesel. • Biodiesel runs in any conventional, unmodified diesel engine. In other words, “you just pour it into the fuel tank.” • Biodiesel can be stored anywhere that petroleum diesel fuel is stored. • Biodiesel can be used alone or mixed in any amount with petroleum diesel fuel. • Biodiesel is more lubricating than diesel fuel. Its higher lubricity enhances the lifetime of the engine.

  29. Benefits of biodiesel • Biodiesel is safe to handle because it is biodegradable and non-toxic. According to the National Biodiesel Board, “neat biodiesel is as biodegradable as sugar and less toxic than salt.” • Biodiesel is safe to transport. Biodiesel has a high flash point, or ignition temperature, of about 300 deg. F compared to petroleum diesel fuel, which has a flash point of 125 deg. F. • Engines running on biodiesel run normally and have similar fuel mileage to engines running on diesel fuel. Auto ignition, fuel consumption, power output, and engine torque are relatively unaffected by biodiesel. • When burned in an engine, the exhaust fumes have the pleasant aroma of popcorn or French fries.

  30. Starting up in Dominica • Consider starting as a group. Discuss funding options, business structure etc. • Seek affordable group training • Consider collecting raw material. It might be wiser to begin collecting early. • Get the materials you have to purchase, in bulk • Discuss how much you want to produce and start for yourselves first.

  31. Obstacles • Efficient collection • Finding a source of methanol • Finding the right people to work with

  32. References • http://www.journeytoforever.org • http://www.biofuels.coop/

  33. Thank you for your time and attention! • ?????

  34. Is biodiesel and biofuel a viable choice?

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