Impact/Purpose:

Challenge Area: Loyola undergraduate students and faculty mentors will build a lab for production of biodiesel fuel made by recycling University cafeteria waste vegetable oil that will fuel inter-campus shuttle busses and other University vehicles, reducing pollution emissions.

Description:

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.

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The novelty of our technical design lies in using ultrasonic processing to improve product quality, and in advancing minimization of energy inputs and maximization of outputs of the production process. These innovations will be used as an education demonstration platform to promote action-based sustainability for people, prosperity, and the planet. Outcomes measured will include volume and quality of biodiesel produced by two biodiesel labs (Loyola’s and a nearby high school’s), volume used in Loyola busses and in the high school busses, improved air quality of emissions from these busses, and the number of college, high school and grade school students participating, engaging, and learning. Our project serves as an educational tool for advancing P3 concepts to students in the university, K-12, and to the general public. An interdisciplinary undergraduate course at Loyola (Solutions to Environmental Problems course) will engage students, teach them how to produce and use biodiesel, and transform them into leaders and environmental problem-solvers for a sustainable future.

The novelty of our technical design lies in using ultrasonic processing to improve product quality, and in advancing minimization of energy inputs and maximization of outputs of the production process. These innovations will be used as an education demonstration platform to promote action-based sustainability for people, prosperity, and the planet. Outcomes measured will include volume and quality of biodiesel produced by two biodiesel labs (Loyola’s and a nearby high school’s), volume used in Loyola busses and in the high school busses, improved air quality of emissions from these busses, and the number of college, high school and grade school students participating, engaging, and learning. Our project serves as an educational tool for advancing P3 concepts to students in the university, K-12, and to the general public. An interdisciplinary undergraduate course at Loyola (Solutions to Environmental Problems course) will engage students, teach them how to produce and use biodiesel, and transform them into leaders and environmental problem-solvers for a sustainable future.

The novelty of our technical design lies in using ultrasonic processing to improve product quality, and in advancing minimization of energy inputs and maximization of outputs of the production process. These innovations will be used as an education demonstration platform to promote action-based sustainability for people, prosperity, and the planet. Outcomes measured will include volume and quality of biodiesel produced by two biodiesel labs (Loyola’s and a nearby high school’s), volume used in Loyola busses and in the high school busses, improved air quality of emissions from these busses, and the number of college, high school and grade school students participating, engaging, and learning. Our project serves as an educational tool for advancing P3 concepts to students in the university, K-12, and to the general public. An interdisciplinary undergraduate course at Loyola (Solutions to Environmental Problems course) will engage students, teach them how to produce and use biodiesel, and transform them into leaders and environmental problem-solvers for a sustainable future.

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