Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Closing the Biodiesel Loop: Self Sustaining Community Based Biodiesel Production
EPA Grant Number: SU832484Title: Closing the Biodiesel Loop: Self Sustaining Community Based Biodiesel Production
Investigators: Ramsdell, Jeff , Raichle, Brian W. , McKim, Alyssa , Lee, Ben , Schweig, Billy , Atchison, Blake , Frazer, Brooke , Jude, Chris , Curtin, Chris , Heldman, Clark , Scanlin, Dennis , Martin, Jack , Toon, Jared , Trombower, Jay , Ferrell, Jeremy , Atchison, Joel , Ruth, Jon , Fondren, Julia , Stiles, Justin , Marone, Kaitlin , Hamm, Laura , Rogers, Mary , Ramey, Michael , Feather, Paul , Hoch, Rachael , Hiller, Ryan , Pendergast, Sean , Carroll, Terry , Strauch, Yonaton
Institution: Appalachian State University
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: I
Project Period: September 30, 2005 through May 30, 2006
Project Amount: $10,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2005) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Challenge Area - Air Quality , Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
The purpose of the Appalachian State Collaborative Biodiesel Project is to design a closed-loop biodiesel processing facility that provides necessary energy inputs, recycles all byproducts, and therefore minimizes pollution. The objective of this student-led initiative is to provide a meaningful and influential educational tool that can be directly incorporated into the ASU curriculum and serves to teach the surrounding community. Similarly, by supplying a small amount of fuel for use in home heating systems and farm equipment, we foster community interest and promote the development of additional programs and infrastructure, such as the growing of oil crops.
In order to realize the above vision, our team completed the following tasks:
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System design
- Division of student design team into seven subcommittees
- Development of sub-system parts lists and schematics
- Integration of sub-system designs into a complete system
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Design analysis
- Computer modeling of solar thermal system
- Performance calculations of greenhouse design
- $25,900 additional fund raising in the form of monetary and materials donations, beyond the original P3 grant
- Management of a volunteer team of over seventy students offering over 2400 hours of labor during the project period.
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Construction of 384 ft2 permanent facility
- Excavated, poured foundation and built a metal building
- Insulated and sealed structure to provide efficient operation
- Installed drywall and safety equipment to comply with fire codes
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Implementation of 90 gallon batch biodiesel processor (processor link)
- Utilized high quality materials compatible with biodiesel for long processor life.
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Pump mixed design in sealed tank prevents chemical exposure and similar
hazards
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Construction of wastewater treatment system
- Completion of 280 ft2 passive solar greenhouse to house system
- Design of a 168 gallon/week treatment system prototype
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Construction of methanol recovery system
- Utilization of innovative vacuum distillation to reduce energy demand and waste as well as increase speed of recovery and safety.
- Production of 195 gallons of biodiesel
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Recycling of glycerin byproduct
- Production and sale of 10.7 gallons of glycerin soap raising a total of $165
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Installation of solar thermal system
- 144 ft2 of solar collectors provide all process heat in sunny conditions.
- System heats eight different tanks, and is designed for automation
- Oil burning backup provides heating in inclement weather.
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Fostering of community partnerships
- Cooperation with New River Organic Growers to expand regional oil crop production
- Helped in the creation of High Country Biofuels Cooperative which received a grant to bring commercial biodiesel to Boone
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Development of educational programs
- Community workshop series about biodiesel production and use.
- Incorporation of our project into seven university courses during the first year
- Open house, tours, and other community events
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Instrumentation of the system to provide data for student research
- Collection and analysis of temperature data for solar thermal system
- Testing of fuel using gas chromatography
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
We successfully completed the above project goals, and found that it is viable to close the biodiesel loop through implementation of our system design. Our solar thermal system has been especially successful, consistently providing tens of thousands of Btu’s on sunny days. Our educational programs have been heavily attended, with a diverse group of over seventy community members attending our workshops and open house. Preliminary testing of fuel indicates high quality, and gas chromatography results are pending. Support from university faculty has allowed dozens of students to incorporate this project into several classes in three different departments. A solar greenhouse was designed and built to accommodate the ecological machine used in our wastewater treatment. This facility is still under construction and is scheduled for completion in June when the weather is more conducive to seeding the plant- based system. We are perfecting the methanol distillation process by upsizing our original design for quicker distillation, which will reduce the energy and labor required for the process. Our partnership with the New River Organic Growers has been successful, and we are fostering our relationship with the High Country Biofuels Cooperative to distribute home heating oil to low-income families. Finally, we are waiting for further funding to implement our off-grid photovoltaic/diesel generator hybrid electric system to finish closing our energy loop.
Conclusions:
Our work on this project has successfully laid the foundation for student activity in promoting and researching local biodiesel production from waste vegetable oil. Our facility can operate year-round with minimal materials and energy cost, creating an opportunity for students and community members to become directly involved in valuable hands-on educational activities. The interdisciplinary nature of the project is attractive to a wide range of participants, and allows for experimentation in a variety of fields of study. Community and university support, as well as intelligent design ensures that the project will be sustained for years to come. It is our vision that this project will provide a valuable forum for processor innovation, as well as a resource for both local and distant small-scale biodiesel producers. With the implementation of a few additional features, such as a renewable electricity system, we will continue to produce high quality biodiesel fuel, and valuable secondary yields, with few fossil energy inputs, and very little waste.
Supplemental Keywords:
global climate, green chemistry, clean technologies, innovative technologies, manufacturing, conservation, waste reduction, agriculture, engineering, atmosphere, groundwater, mobile sources, cleaner production/pollution prevention, renewable fuels, life-cycle analysis, alternative energy source, pollution prevention, Scientific Discipline, Sustainable Industry/Business, Chemicals Management, Energy, Environmental Chemistry, Environmental Engineering, Sustainable Environment, Technology, Technology for Sustainable Environment, waste reduction, North Carolina (NC), alternative fuel, alternative to petroleumdiesel fuel, bio-based energy, biodiesel fuel, biofuel, biotechnology, emission controls, energy conservation, energy efficiency, environmentally benign alternative, renewable energy, renewable fuel production, waste cooking oils, waste minimization, waste to fuel conversion, glycerin soap, RFA, Scientific Discipline, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, Geographic Area, TREATMENT/CONTROL, Sustainable Industry/Business, POLLUTION PREVENTION, Sustainable Environment, cleaner production/pollution prevention, Energy, Environmental Chemistry, State, Technology, Technology for Sustainable Environment, Chemicals Management, Environmental Engineering, energy conservation, waste cooking oils, waste vegetable oil, waste to fuel conversion, alternative to petroleum diesel fuel, renewable fuel production, education, emission controls, energy efficiency, biodiesel fuel, alternative fuel, engineering, biotechnology, alternative energy source, environmentally benign alternative, biofuel, North Carolina (NC), green chemistry, renewable energyRelevant Websites:
The Collaborative Biodiesel Project Exit
P3 Phase II:
Closing the Biodiesel Loop: Self Sustaining Community Based Biodiesel Production | Final ReportThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.