Grantee Research Project Results

Final Report: Innovative Biodiesel Production: A Solution to the Scientific, Technical, and Educational Challenges of Sustainability

EPA Grant Number: SU833522
Title: Innovative Biodiesel Production: A Solution to the Scientific, Technical, and Educational Challenges of Sustainability
Investigators: Tuchman, Nancy C. , Coffman, Elizabeth A. , Krogh, Marilyn C. , Lishawa, Shane C. , Hayford, Marc D. , Khishfe, Rola F. , Peterson, Christopher G. , Varty, Alison K. , Kiley, Maeve M. , Eames, James Marshall , Frendreis, John P. , Rease, Akibu , Galanter, Amy , Fairgrieve, Andrew , Anderson, Blake , Stamm, Cameron , Hoeft, Christopher , Stowell, Cindy , Larkin, Daniel , Crumrine, David , Miceli, David , Ringholm, Elisa , Wilk, Emily , Deresinski, Greg , Weremijewicz, Joanna , Shea, John , Jarrot, John , Saliba, John , Kenkell, Julie , Krukowski, Kamil , Murphy, Kelly , Berthold, Laura , Burkhalter, Lauryn , Beasley, Luke , Bachman, Maria , Schmeling, Martina , Kordonowy, Matthew , Berns, Matthew , Luhtanen, Mia , Welch, Michael , Olszewski, Michal , Patel, Nital , Kamran, Omar , McKenna, Owen , Geddes, Pamela , Kolano, Pawel , Mizak, Pawel , Doelling, Rachel , Ali, Rubina , Kufta, Samantha , Calapiz, Sara , Bigley, Sarah , Berden, Terence , Waickman, Zach
Institution: Loyola University of Chicago
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: I
Project Period: September 30, 2007 through September 29, 2008
Project Amount: $10,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2007) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Nanotechnology , Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Awards , P3 Challenge Area - Air Quality , Sustainable and Healthy Communities

Objective:

We used our P3 Phase I award to launch Loyola University Chicago's Solutions to Environmental Problems Biodiesel (STEP:Biodiesel) program. Through this award, we achieved the following objectives: (1) Built a laboratory facility to create biodiesel from campus cafeterias' waste vegetable oil, analyzed the quality of the fuel, and measured its combustion emissions. (2) Developed end­uses for produced biodiesel in Loyola’s maintenance fleet and in personal vehicles from the local community. (3) Replicated the developed technology through creation of an additional biodiesel lab and professional development workshops with public school partners (Highland Park High School and Young Women's Leadership Charter School). (4) Taught Loyola students to make biodiesel, evaluate and enhance its quality, partner with end­users, measure emissions, and evaluate impacts on the health of people and the planet. (5) Educated K­12 students by conducting classroom outreach, developing curriculum, and training science teachers in biodiesel education modules. (6) Promoted the adoption of sustainable technologies through outreach campaigns including public forums, media appearances, speaking events, conference presentations, and communications materials.

Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):

Loyola's STEP students completed over 20 team projects: Developed a business plan for biodiesel production, created the LUC biodiesel website, created the Bio­shorts documentaries, tabled at environmental events, publicized and put on two Biodiesel Forums (2nd one pending, April 24), analyzed state policy related to biofuels and drafted a bill that would favor the use of biodiesel for introduction to the Illinois State House of Representatives, prepared comparative emissions analysis of petroleum­vs. bio­diesel, researched culturing and processing of algae for oil stocks, taught and conducted outreach at a local high school, worked on high school curriculum development, developed curriculum for biodiesel lab tours, created a manual for potential Loyola biodiesel users, examined the feasibility of distributing Loyola biodiesel in the local community as home heating oil, researched ways to improve our current production process, examining the utility of using purified glycerin as a composter starter, researched alternative fuel washing methods, investigated reaction efficiency with varied amounts of heat and catalyst, worked to expand biodiesel lab QA/QC capabilities by determining which tests might be possible on campus and testing new protocols, compared particulate emissions between diesel and blends of biodiesel, calculated the true cost of a gallon of gasoline and diesel vs. ethanol and biodiesel, created artificial streams to examine the possibility of using algae to treat nutrient­rich waste water while producing extractable lipids, compared algal oil extraction techniques, improved the Loyola biodiesel reactor by adding a pre­treatment system and setting up a methanol recovery unit, developed P3 Phase II proposal, and studied whether people in the surrounding community would be interested in using our fuel.

Conclusions:

Phase I of our project has succeeded, serving the needs of people, prosperity, and the planet and laying the groundwork for a more ambitious Phase II project. The strong support and energy of Loyola students, faculty, and administrators, as well as our growing partnerships with external institutions, have been critical to the success of our project.

Proposed Phase II Objectives and Strategies:
To build on the success of Phase I, we have developed Biodiesel Education: Green­collar Recruiting and Environmental Education for the Next­generation (BE:GREEN), a comprehensive plan that utilizes on­site biodiesel production to augment existing high school science and environmental curricula. BE:GREEN will place trained Loyola student interns in high schools for semester­long education modules using portable biodiesel production labs. Upon completion of education modules, we will work with schools to determine whether they have the ability and desire to maintain their own biodiesel labs, which we would help them purchase and set up. The goals and objectives of this plan are to: (1) Design and build two Mobile Green Energy Labs (MGELs), which will each consist of a biodiesel reactor, a waste vegetable oil (WVO) pre­treatment system, a methanol recovery unit, and titration equipment, which will be transported in a van fueled by Loyola biodiesel. (2) Set up each MGEL at a different high school every semester and produce approximately 25 gallons of biodiesel each week using WVO from schools' cafeterias. (3) Implement the Green Professionals Internship Program (GPIP), which will offer students who have taken the STEP:Biodiesel course sequence the opportunity to work with partner high schools on biodiesel production. (4) Use biodiesel production as an educational tool to teach thousands of area high school students about the energy and environmental crises, renewable energy, and biodiesel itself. (5) Make students aware of the diverse career opportunities available in the rapidly growing fields of renewable energy and green technology. (6) Empower teachers to use biodiesel as a science and environmental education tool through professional development workshops and curriculum development initiatives. (7) Publish a curriculum so that our novel approach to science and environmental education can be replicated elsewhere. (8) Assist schools in the design and construction of permanent biodiesel labs at the conclusion of the trial semester if, after developing an understanding of the demands of operating a biodiesel lab, they are confident that they have the resources and desire to meet those demands.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 3 publications for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

algae, alternative energy, atmosphere, biodiesel, business plan, carbon dioxide, chemistry, Chicago, clean technology, communications, conservation, documentary, ecology, education, emissions, EPA Region 5, food processing, global climate, Great Lakes, human health, K­12, lab, Midwest, nitrogen oxides, policy analysis, pollution prevention, public forum, production, renewable, QA/QC, sulfur oxides, sustainable, transportation, waste reduction, waste vegetable oil,, Sustainable Industry/Business, RFA, Scientific Discipline, POLLUTION PREVENTION, Technology for Sustainable Environment, Sustainable Environment, Environmental Chemistry, Environmental Engineering, Energy, energy technology, alternative energy source, environmental sustainability, sustainable development, bio-based energy, alternative materials, biodiesel fuel, biomass, energy efficiency

Relevant Websites:

http://www.luc.edu/biodiesel/ Exit
http://www.luc.edu/biodiesel/about_us.shtml Exit
http://www.luc.edu/biodiesel/group_projects.shtml Exit
http://www.luc.edu/biodiesel/Video_page.shtml Exit
http://www.luc.edu/biodiesel/links.shtml Exit
http://www.luc.edu/biodiesel/index.shtml Exit
http://www.luc.edu/biodiesel/lab.shtml Exit

P3 Phase II:

Powering Mind, Powering Futures (formerly Biodiesel Education: Green Energy for the Next-Generation)  | 2009 Progress Report  | Final Report