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FROM FIELD TO FUEL TANK: EXPLORING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF BIODIESEL AS A SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE TO PETROLEUM DIESEL IN OREGON'S WILLAMETTE VALLEY
Description:
The technical challenge is to demonstrate the feasibility of the production and use of a renewable bio-based diesel fuel as an alternative to petroleum-based diesel. The innovative objectives of the project are to:
• Demonstrate the engineering and economic feasibility of biodiesel fuel production from agricultural-based oils and ethanol.
• Demonstrate at the pilot-scale the successful production and use of biodiesel on the Oregon State University (OSU) campus.
• Identify the technical and social factors critical to the full-scale implementation of a sustainable biodiesel production and use cycle within Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
The use of biodiesel meets the P3 requirements because of fulfilling the economic need for renewable fuel production, the environmental need of reduced greenhouse emissions, and the social need of assisting American farm communities to grow and prosper. Results will be evaluated based upon the success in the production and use of biodiesel on the OSU campus, and the completeness of the analysis of the potential for adoption of biodiesel in the local community using oil feedstocks from locally-based agriculture. The P3 project will be implemented as an interdisciplinary undergraduate research class at OSU related to development of sustainable technologies. The class will help to create and maintain a human community with a common interest in renewable fuels for transportation and an increased understanding of the adoption of sustainable practices within a diverse community.